The FIRST LEGO League may sound more like a kids guide to building robots—and in fact, it is and it isn’t. This book is targeted at adults who would foster a team of budding engineers, programmers, and designers. Sounds like a bunch of adults that might be engineers, programmers, and designers. Especially ones that want to have fun.
If you have not heard about FIRST or the FIRST LEGO League competition, or someone just dropped the idea on you, this is the book for you. Even if you have no clue what LEGO Mindstorms, robotics, or FIRST are, this book will explain it all to you. Even those already involved will be able to pick up a tip or two.
The book provides an introduction to FIRST, Mindstorms, the competition, and even basic building techniques so you will have a good understanding even without picking up a LEGO brick or a Mindstorm sensor. More important though is the explanation of the how and why especially key aspects of FIRST such as “Gracious Professionalism.”
Nothing is left out. Then again, nothing is in depth either. There’s just enough to know where to start. For example, the building and programming examples will just whet your appetite but there are plenty of other books and resources that will tackle. It’s a great start and body of the basics. You never know, You might be at the Altanta Georgia Dome some spring with a hoard of buddy robiticists.
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