30 January 2013
Posted in Military Tech

Did you get a chance to see the FIRST Robotics Competition Teams at Otronicon? These groups of high-school students impressed us with their basketball-playing robots that they designed from scratch! If you didn’t get enough of these technology-loving teams, be sure to check out the FIRST Lego League regional competition this weekend!

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16 January 2013
Posted in Military Tech

Cubic’s Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 is a virtual training system which provides a highly realistic, cost effective, training solution to enhance warrior combat readiness and marksmanship proficiency. It accurately replicates small arms weapons performance, incorporates realistic training scenarios and provides data capture and after action review.

It sports three modes of training:

• Marksmanship: Tables and Courses of Fire for all supported weapons
• Collective: Squad-level training for METL tasks
• Shoot-Don’t-Shoot: Judgmental use of force in COE situations

Additional features include:

• Validated ballistics by U.S. Army
• 1000+ systems fielded to the U.S. Military and International customers
• Crew-served, individual, tetherless and non-lethal weapons with clearing procedures
• Full After-Action Review (AAR) capabilities for all training modes
• Supports NVD, ACOG, and Close-Combat Optics (M68)
• Configurable up to 15 lanes of training
• Built-in scenario editor for Marksmanship and Collective exercises
• On-board diagnostics and fault-isolation
• U.S. Army Program of Record
• GSA Contract GS-02F-0024T

 

16 January 2013
Posted in Military Tech

Thinking back to high school geometry, did you ever think you might calculate the hypotenuse of a triangle in your adult life? Or apply the principles of acceleration learned in physics class?

For aviators, understanding math and physics is a must for reviewing flight plans and calculating fuel usage. Students, however, often don't see a correlation between math and science and their life experiences. Like generations before, they find themselves questioning when they will ever use the lessons taught in school.

What kids do understand is technology. 

When it comes to technology in education, there is an enormous amount of evidence that indicates immersive, game-based learning environments foster deeper learning and provide opportunities to develop and exercise collaborative skills.

It’s all a matter of harnessing gaming power for an academic purpose. Lockheed Martin is working to combine technology and learning for professionals and students through its Prepar3D® simulation software. It’s one conduit to help engage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies.

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16 January 2013
Posted in Military Tech

When Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989, his aim was “to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.”
Now his organization is impacting students and volunteers everywhere from the U.S. to China and the Netherlands! This year alone, more than 300,000 students will take part in FIRST events and have the opportunity to win more than $16 million in scholarships.

FIRST is a nonprofit organization that helps young people ages 6–18 develop an interest in engineering and science as well as self-confidence through robotics competitions.

Through FIRST, students develop self-confidence as they experience the thrills of competition.

The Orlando Science Center is pleased to host 10 FIRST competition teams this year at Otronicon! Each of these teams is prepping to compete in April in either the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) or the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC).

FRC has been dubbed a “Varsity Sport of the Mind.” In only six weeks, teams of 15 students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” and build and program a robot using only materials supplied to them by FIRST that will compete head to head with other teams.
 
Student-designed robots compete head to head in a FRC match.

In FTC, teams of up to 10 are responsible for designing, building and programming their competition-grade robots using a modular platform. This version of the competition is more “high-tech” than the fast paced FRC; the modular robots are more difficult to program, but they allow the students more flexibility in the robot’s functions.

Be sure to stop by and see what these teams have to offer this weekend at Otronicon!

• Lyman Robotics FTC & FRC teams
• Windermere Prep Team 1649
• Renaissance Robotics FTC team
• Team Duct Tape FTC team
• FRC Teams 233 and 6323
• Orlando Science School FRC team
• Exploding Bacon and EMS 1649 from Lockheed Martin