Build Better FIRST LEGO League Robots
A step-by-step online resource for anyone who wants to master LEGO Robotics (for the FIRST LEGO League, or just in general). Start building and programming awesome robots that do exactly what YOU want them to! Created by a professional robotics teacher and two-time FIRST LEGO League world champion.
Engaging VideoTutorials & Demos
Learn the secrets to building robots that drive straight and operate reliably. With proven strategies from a world champion, you'll be building killer robots in no time!
Build AlongsideA World Champion
Learn by watching AND by doing. Follow along as Michael designs, builds, programs, tests, and troubleshoots his robots, explaining his thought process as he goes. Learn to think like the master... understand the WHY, not just the HOW.
A Proven MethodFor Success
Quickly create programs that accomplish FLL missions reliably and efficiently. Michael's streamlined demos and walkthroughs teach you everything you need to know.
UPDATE FOR 2024 from the Head Instructor:
"This curriculum remains relevant and fully supported! It has surprisingly stood the test of time for three main reasons:
- The core content focuses on testing methods, strategies, robot handling techniques, mechanical tips, and creative programming concepts. All of these are 100% transferable to any robot kit or programming language you're using.
- LEGO introduced a new robot kit and programming language between my first and second world championships, and then again while I was coaching. Having adapted my strategies to three different kits, I naturally taught this course in a way that did not fixate on the specific kit I was using.
- It's against FLL values to suggest solutions to specific missions or workarounds for particular rules, so nothing especially 'timely' was ever included in this curriculum.
The programming lessons might look different in terms of the blocks used in the examples, but the higher-level concepts and success tips are timeless. If you're new to your specific programming language, basic tutorials can easily be found online. This curriculum focuses more on the higher-level art and science of FLL mastery. If anything is unclear or seems out of date, feel free to shoot me an email, and I'd be happy to help!"
— Michael
Learn Kid-Friendly Scientific TESTING Methods
This is the biggest headline on the whole webpage, because testing is HANDS DOWN the most important skill students need to learn in order to master the art and science of LEGO Robotics. If you haven't yet established a method for effectively and efficiently testing your robot missions, you won't be able to learn from your mistakes or conclusively validate your ideas. If you can't learn from your mistakes or validate your ideas, you're doomed to repeat those mistakes, lose confidence, and get frustrated.
Learn From the Best
Michael Vawter was lead programmer, builder, tester, and handler for the MindStorm Troopers FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team. They competed for four years, becoming the first team to win 1st place Robot Performance at the FLL World Festival two years in a row. Michael co-founded the Robot Academy and has taught thousands of students how to master LEGO robotics. He's been featured in Popular Science Magazine, was on TV with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and was inducted into the National Gallery for Young Inventors. He published peer-reviewed psychophysics research at Denison University in 2011 and went on to earn a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Michael has continued to contribute to the FLL community by serving as a judge and referee at the state and world level. He has also coached and mentored teams of his own (some of whom have won international titles of their own).
In his ongoing career as a robotics teacher, Michael helps students and teachers to analyze and solve technological problems more creatively by integrating their right-brain and left-brain capacities.
Learning Outcomes
- Employ real-world scientific testing methods in a fun and easy way (avoid the frustration and wasted time that results from ineffective testing)
- Design robust and minimal robot bases/chassis that navigate accurately (avoid the frustration of “why is my robot doing something different every time I run it???”)
- Learn how to build and customize some of the most useful and versatile LEGO mechanisms of all time (the ratchet, the one-way-door, the mechanical alignment wedge, the plow, the rake, etc.)
- Learn to intelligently utilize opportunities to align on on mission models, walls, lines, etc. without overcomplicating
- Understand real programming concepts (including debugging techniques) and how to use them in FLL
- Overview of basic, intermediate, and advanced EV3 programming concepts
- Much, much more!
Success Stories
"These videos are genius. I've learned so much and this is my 6th year coaching." -Megan
[My son] has always been great with LEGO, but now he's starting to talk like a little inventor. I'm always hearing about tests and prototypes." -Crystal
"I manage the robotics program at [private elementary school]. This course is remarkably thorough and easy to follow. I no longer have to worry that the kids will know more than me!" -Ron
"I took a chance with this curriculum and I couldn't be happier with the result. We have a wide age range [at robotics club], so I was worried some of the lectures wouldn't land. It was great. Michael's explanations are straightforward but also very deep, so there's something for everyone. I was jealous that the kids got to build everything!" -Jeanette
Our 17k+ fans on FB have had some things to say as well: https://www.facebook.com/RobotAcademy1/
Course Outline
Each module contains a series of engaging video demonstrations and tutorials. Michael does not suggest specific strategies/ideas for solving 2020-2021 "FIRST® GAME CHANGERS" mission challenges. This is primarily for ethical reasons, as it's important that your students develop their own ideas for solving the FLL missions after learning from the methods and tools contained herein. The added benefit is that the curriculum is not tied to a specific challenge year and will be just as useful to you next year.
| Module 1 | Key Concepts and Strategies | |
| Best Practices for LEGO Implement Design | ||
| Winning Strategies (Navigation, Mission Prioritization, Etc.) | ||
| Best Practices for Chassis Design | ||
| Module 2 | Mechanical Design and Testing | |
| Mechanical Alignment: The Ultimate Success Strategy | ||
| Efficient and Effective: Testing Strategies | ||
| Module 3 | Advanced Robot Base/Chassis Design and Construction | |
| Drivetrain Design, Friction, "Free Wheels", and Optimal Weight Distribution | ||
| Module 4 | Intro to EV3 Programming | |
| Michael's Mission Programming Method | ||
| Basic EV3 Programming Overview and Orientation | ||
| Module 5 | Intermediate EV3 Programming Techniques | |
| Using Sensors Effectively | ||
| Using Math Blocks and Variable Blocks (with Data Wires) | ||
| Module 6 | More Mechanical Design Concepts | |
| Designing and Using Ratchet Mechanisms | ||
| Using Gears | ||
| Designing and Using a "One-Way Door" | ||
| Analysis/Dissection of World-Class Robots | ||
| Module 7 | Expert-Level EV3 Programming Concepts and Techniques | |
| Building "Smart Turn" Subroutines for Precision Navigation | ||
| Anticipating Program Failures and Building in "Fail Safe" Algorythms | ||
| Organizing your Programs and Streamlining your Process | ||
| Prepping for Tech Judging (advice from a World-Level Tech Judge) | ||
| Module 8 | Tutorials in Response to Student Questions | |
| Using Gyro Sensors, etc. | ||
| FREE BONUS | The Art and Science of Robot Handling | |
| Michael’s “Zen Robot Handling” Method | ||
| Demonstrations and walkthroughs of successful robot handler pairs | ||
As of 2024, everyone who enrolls will have lifetime access. It has been so much fun working with you all. Good luck this season! I'll see you inside! -Michael
- IndividualEnrollment
- License for individual use, but feel free to share with your team members (only one person can be logged in at a time)
- FREE BONUS: the Art and Science of Robot Handling (Michael explains his "Zen Robot Handling" method and conducts live demonstrations with successful robot handling teams)
- $450 Enroll Instantly
- Whole-TeamPackage
- Seperate accounts for up to 10 team members and 2 coaches ("flip the classroom" and assign videos as pre-meeting homework)
- FREE BONUS: the Art and Science of Robot Handling (Michael explains his "Zen Robot Handling" method and conducts live demonstrations with successful robot handling teams)
- $650 Enroll Instantly
Access Material Immediately
Get started now! We’ll send you login info and enable your account instantly. The content is available on-demand (no need to log in at specific times).Work at Your Own Pace
If you’re an experienced student and you’re planning to binge-watch these videos as quickly as possible to pick up new information, you can be done in a mere 10 hours. However, most of our students work at a somewhat slower pace and pause the videos frequently to try out the techniques and principles Michael is demonstrating. It is more common for our students to spend a few hours with the program each week over several months.Looking for more details?
Use the links below to email or call Michael. Or, click here to read Michael's "FLL Methods" Manifesto from 2017
Questions? Contact Us!