- Science experiment leverages best-selling LEGO product to study outer

          atmosphere, proving play and learning go hand-in-hand -



    RENO, Nev., July 29 /EMWNews/ -- College professors, middle school

students and robotics hobbyists unite today to launch seven robots into the

Earth's stratosphere to collect data, explore conditional effects and to

set a world record as part of the High Altitude LEGO(R) Extravaganza.

Joining The LEGO Group to support the science experiment are Nevada Space

Grant, the University of Nevada-Reno, Energizer and National Instruments in

commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the LEGO MINDSTORMS(R) robotics

platform.



    The MINDSTORMS robots will be launched from a desert location 30 miles

East of Reno, Nevada into near space on an atmospheric weather balloon that

will reach an altitude of more than 100,000 feet (30km). Once it reaches

maximum altitude, the balloon will burst and the robots will parachute back

down to the Earth individually or as a group depending on the robot's

desired experiment. Results from the experiment will be posted online at

http://www.mindstorms.com.



    "When we developed MINDSTORMS, our goal was to pioneer a revolutionary

play experience that combined the best of LEGO building with the power of

new technologies to enable children to design, build and program robots,"

said Steven Canvin, global manager for The LEGO Group. "Little did we know

that the potential of the kit would spark the imagination of users of all

ages and lead to such innovative, playful and practical applications;

MINDSTORMS is now used around the world to entertain, educate and energize

innovation in homes, in schools, universities and businesses."



    "The H.A.L.E. project underscores how play can lead to discovery and

learning for children and adults alike," Canvin continued. "This is what we

believe has made MINDSTORMS so globally successful over the last 10 years."



    Brian Davis, a part-time professor at Indiana University, contributed

two of his custom robots to the experiment. The first has been programmed

to automate an off-the-shelf digital camera to take both still and video

images while in the balloon. The second robot will attempt a world record

for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall; the robot will detach from the

balloon at maximum altitude and fall until a pre-programmed parachute is

deployed.



    "I love building LEGO mechanisms because the inherent limitations and

versatility of the medium offer unique design challenges," said Davis.

"Additionally, since LEGO bricks are infinitely reusable, I can build and

test prototypes much faster than I could in other mediums. I'm excited to

take my experiments to a new level; I've never tried to build a robot that

could function under these conditions and function right the very first

time. 100,000 feet above ground is no place for a mistake."



    Children are also getting involved in H.A.L.E. FIRST LEGO League Team

90 from Virginia is getting a head start on this year's annual challenge,

"Climate Connections", by sending up a robot they created that has been

programmed to measure and log UV radiation as a function of altitude while

on board the weather balloon.



    "I am confident that the team will learn something about earth science

and Global Warming through this program," said David Levy, coach of the

team. "We are treating our participation as a FIRST LEGO League research

project for the upcoming season's challenge, so I expect that the team will

learn how to seek out the advice of experts in the field, come up with

their own solutions through experimentation, document their work and have

lots of fun in the process."



    Other robots will seek to collect data in relation to ozone

concentration, the impact of varying temperatures and air pressure on

objects, particles in the air, impact of flight conditions and varying

g-forces as a function of altitude.



    Energizer provided H.A.L.E. participants with long-lasting Energizer(R)

Lithium AA batteries, which are 33 percent lighter than ordinary alkaline

batteries and perform in extreme temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees

Fahrenheit (-40 to 60 degrees C), which are ideal for the conditions the

robots are anticipated to experience on the balloon.

    About LEGO MINDSTORMS



    LEGO MINDSTORMS provides LEGO pieces, a microcomputer, high-tech motors

and sensors and programming software to create endless opportunities for

armchair inventors, robotics fanatics and LEGO builders ages 10 and older

to build and program robots that do what they want. The original Robotics

Invention System(TM) launched in 1998, featuring the first "smart" LEGO

brick -- the RCX -- a microcomputer developed in conjunction with the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, and was re-invented in

2006 with the launch of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT.



    Since its launch, users have created amazing robotic solutions to some

of life's most ordinary -- and extraordinary -- problems. From sorting

candy, opening a door and shuffling and dealing a game of Poker to watering

plants, scrubbing a toilet and even solving a scrambled Rubik's Cube, the

versatility and potential of the MINDSTORMS platform is constantly tested

and proven by its community of users.



    To date, LEGO MINDSTORMS is the best-selling product ever in LEGO Group

history, with well over one million smart bricks being used worldwide

today.



    About The LEGO Group



    The LEGO Group is a privately-held, family-owned company based in

Billund, Denmark. One of the world's leading manufacturers of creatively

educational play materials for children, the company is committed to the

development of children's creative and imaginative abilities. Employees are

guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen:

"Only the best is good enough." Find more information online at

http://www.LEGO.com



    LEGO and MINDSTORMS are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group.

(C)2008 The LEGO Group.








    The H.A.L.E. Missions



    Brian Davis, Indiana, USA

    Project: Little Joe    This robot will perform an automated free-fall in an attempt to set the

record for the longest MINDSTORMS NXT free-fall. The robot will be detached

from the main balloon near maximum altitude and will free-fall until the

parachute deploys.



    Project: Gypsy



    The robot will be an automated camera platform that will take both

video and still images. The MINDSTORMS NXT will control all image timing as

well as pitch angle



    FLL Team 90/David Levy (Coach), Virginia USA



    Project: FLL Team Challenge: Climate Connections



    A FIRST LEGO League Climate Connections team will build a robot to

measure UV radiation as a function of altitude. The MINDSTORMS NXT will not

only data log the UV sensor readings, but will also be used to rotate the

UV filters in position as well as control the robot heater with a

temperature sensor.



    Barbara Bratzel & Chris Rogers, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA



    Project: Fourth Graders



    A group of 4th grade students will investigate the impact of flight

conditions on yellow marshmallows (a.k.a peeps). The MINDSTORMS NXT will be

recording temperature and pressure during the mission.



    David Martinez, Jurgen Leitner, Sweden



    Project: SpaceMasters



    The robot will be measuring the change in g-forces as a function of

altitude. The robot will repeatedly drop a tethered Wii-mote at different

altitudes to measure the acceleration experience.



    Claude Baumann, Francis Massen, Jean Mootz, Luxembourg



    Project: LUXPAK



    The robot will be using an RCX to measure ozone concentration, air

pressure, temperature (inside and outside) and reflected light from earth

during the descent.



    Eugene Tsai, Taiwan



    The robot will be using filtering papers to capture particles and/or

chemicals in the air during the balloon ascent and descent periods. The

LEGO Mindstorms NXT will be used to provide a mechanism to switch filtering

papers to capture the materials in the air and then keep the papers in a

secured compartment. The filtering papers will be retrieved and analyzed to

see what chemicals and particles exist in different altitudes.






     MEDIA CONTACTS:

     LEGO Group

     Michael McNally or Julie Stern

     860-763-6731 or [email protected]