Get ready. Get set.  Roar!  Or you could bark, quack, or squeak, because the 2016 ANIMAL ALLIES^SM season is all about our furry, feathered, and finned friends.  In the 2016 FIRST LEGO League Challenge, more than 28,000 teams of students age 9 to 16* will look into the eyes of our ANIMAL ALLIES.  What might become possible when we learn to help each other?

FIRST LEGO League challenges kids in over 80 countries to think like scientists and engineers.  During the ANIMAL ALLIES season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Project.  They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game.  Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST LEGO League signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism^®.

*Ages vary by country

Robot Game Missions

Do we need animals, or do they need us?  Answer: YES!  This Robot Game showcases just a fraction of our wonderful story with animals.  As you work on the Missions, pay attention to the many ways innovation and technology have enabled humans and animals to exchange learning, friendship, help, daily needs, protection, amusement, and love… As you’ll see, there are many fun problems left to solve!

TARGET  1 TARGET  2

M01 - SHARK SHIPMENT - In their usual environments, animals are very resilient.  But in strange environments, they need a lot of care. As we ship our Bonnet-Head Shark in an aircraft, she needs impact avoidance, specific diet, clean water at proper pressure and temperature, and medical care along the way!  She must not be upset.

Move the Shark to her new home not touching her tank’s walls.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENT OPTIONS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• Tank and Shark are completely in Target 1: 7 Points,OR Target 2: 10 Points
• Bonus (Added only if a Target score is earned): Shark is touching only the tank floor and no wall: 20 Points
• More: After Launch for this Mission, nothing is ever allowed to touch the Shark except the Tank.

M02 - SERVICE DOG ACTION - Visually impaired people become experts

FENCE DOWN

at being able to tell when they are about to cross a road, but it's harder to tell when a vehicle is coming.  So that part of the job is given to the Service Dog! If a vehicle is coming, the Service Dog will stop and sit.

Drive past the visually impaired man, and the dog will do her job.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Warning Fence is down: 15 Points
• More: The Fence must be down because the Robot completely crossed it from the west, after traveling between the Barriers: Y/N

M03 - ANIMAL CONSERVATION - Facilities often exchange animals for behavioral study, mating, health, efficiency, friendship, and the visiting public.  But imagine how difficult some animals might be to transport!

Work with the other team to unite identical animals. Every pair united will score for B

If placing an animal other than the Reindeer, put the Reindeer on that animal's mark, facing west.

OTH teams, no matter who worked on that union.

• Before the Match starts, hand-place your choice of one animal in your tray of the Animal Conservation Mission Model.  The placement must match one of these *options:
• Reindeer facing west
• Gorilla facing south
• Bat facing south
• Flamingo facing east
• Frogs facing south & west
• If placing another animal other than Reindeer, put Reindeer on that animal’s mark facing west
• During the Match, participating Robots make the trays switch places. A switch is officially successful when the red axle causes the system to stop. Robots then have the option of removing the received animal and replacing it with a different animal for switching. The Referee resets the red axle.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• Two identical animals are completely on the same **Side: 20 Points per pair
• Both teams get points for all pairs.
• More: Each pair must be created through rotation of the Animal Conservation Mission Model: Y/N

*The five optional animals listed in this mission are the only ones allowed for exchange.
**For M03, a “Side” is anywhere completely south of the symmetric line be

ANIMAL AREAS FOR REFRIGERATOR FOOD (Areas do not include the rectangles)

tween Fields, including that Field’s Storage areas.

M04 - FEEDING - The responsibility, patience, and organizational skill shown by animal caregivers is unbelievable! Multiple types of animals all need their own exact rations of rare, pure, or exotic foods, with short shelf-lives, at exact temperatures, at all hours of the day or night. In some ways, it can make taking care of human babies look easy.

Deliver food from the Refrigerator to Target Animal Areas.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• A piece of Food is completely in a Target Area: 10 Points (Each Piece)
• More: If multiple pieces of Food are in one area, all must match each other: Y/N

M05 - BIOMIMICRY - Over many years, animals have solved some tough problems and developed some amazing abilities, so it is wise of us to learn what we can from them.  For example, when climbing a smooth, featureless surface, the Gecko demonstrates a fascinating mastery of nanotechnology.

Test our ability to mimic the Gecko’s “stickiness” by placing the White (mechanical) Gecko on the Biomimicry Wall, and/or by seeing if the Robot itself can get onto the wall.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match: The Biomimicry Wall completely supports:
• All the weight of the White Gecko: 15 Points
• All the weight of the Robot: 32 Points
• More: For an object to score, no part of it may be in contact with anything but the Biomimicry Wall and/or Green Gecko, except two scoring objects may be in contact with each other: Y/N

M06 - MILKING AUTOMATION - For hundreds of years, people have designed innovative machines to make work easier.  The more work there is to do, the more helpful a machine can be - even if the work is milking! *In the Milk Mission, why are we paying attention to Manure?  Answer: Manure is a type of feces, and in real life, animals routinely produce feces. When you think of animals as interesting or cuddly, don’t forget about the smell of a farm, the goo on car windshields, or what a puppy can do to your carpet.  Some of us laugh at the idea of manure, and some of us say “Yuck,” but for animal handlers, manure will always be a serious challenge.

Guide the cow into the machine, then spin the machine until Milk comes out.  If you spin too far, *Manure also comes out!

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• Milk and Manure have all rolled out: 15 Points
• Milk has all rolled out, but not Manure: 20 Points
• More: The Robot’s only movement of the Milk and/or Manure came by moving the red lever: Y/N

  SETUP SCORE

M07 - PANDA RELEASE - After some animals are cared for, studied, and respected, they are returned to their natural habitat.  That's usually the best thing for the environment, the animal's population, and the animal itself.

Convert the Panda’s scene from facility care and observation to open wilderness.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENT:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The slider looks fully open clockwise: 10 Points

M08 - CAMERA RECOVERY - Some modern onboard cameras are small and light enough to attach directly to an animal.  These cameras can give us amazing new insights into the animal’s life, but they do need to come back to the lab sometimes, for maintenance and data retrieval.

Go get the camera and bring it to Base.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Camera is completely in Base: 15 Points

M09 - TRAINING AND RESEARCH - A career working with animals can be fun, dangerous, interesting, gross, and rewarding, all at once.  A Trainer spends thousands of hours teaching animals entertaining and helpful behaviors.  A Zoologist might find herself helping a trainer one moment, and analyzing feces the next (feces contains information about an animal's habits and health).

Move the Dog & Trainer, Zoologist, and/or Manure Samples to the Training & Research Area.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS/OPTIONS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Dog & Trainer are completely in the Training & Research Area: 12 Points
• The Zoologist is completely in the Training & Research Area: 15 Points
• Manure *Samples are completely in the Training & Research Area: 5 Points Each
• More: Only one Manure Sample may be Transported at a time: Y/N

*Only disc-shaped Manure counts as Samples.

TRAINING & RESEARCH AREA

M10 - BEE KEEPING - We quickly think of honey and flowers (and maybe pain!) when we see a honey bee, but we shouldn't forget that an unbelievable amount of the world's food supply depends on bee populations.  Since beekeepers help bees help humans…

Place the Bee on the Beehive and get the Honey out.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS/OPTIONS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Bee is on the Beehive and there is no Honey in the Beehive: 12 Points
  OR
• The Bee is on the Beehive and the Honey is completely in Base:15 Points

M11 - PROSTHESIS - The technology and focused dedication needed to provide a prosthesis is not only for hu

FITTED FARM TARGET

mans.

Fit the Prosthesis where the legs of the Pet (Our Little Friend) should be, and send the Pet to its place on the farm.

EXACT SCORING REQUIREMENTS/OPTIONS:

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Prosthesis is fitted to the Pet AND not held by the Ref: 9 Point
  OR
• The Prosthesis is fitted to the Pet AND the Pet is completely in its Farm Target: 15 Points

M12 - SEAL IN BASE

• Visible at the end of the match:
• The Seal is completely in Base and not broken: 1 Point

M13 - MILK IN BASE

• Visible at the end of the match:
• All three Milk are completely in Base: 1 Point

M14 - MILK ON RAMP

• Visible at the end of the match:
• Option 1: 2 Points
• All three Milk are completely supported by the Ramp
• Option 2: 3 Points
• All three Milk are completely supported by the Ramp,
• AND they’re the only things supported by the Ramp,
• AND they’re the only things touching the Ramp
• Option 3: 4 Points
• All three Milk are completely supported by the Ramp,
• AND they’re the only things supported by the Ramp,
• AND they’re the only things touching the Ramp,
• AND they’re all standing

M15 - ALL SAMPLES

• Visible at the end of the match:
• All twelve Manure Samples are completely in the Training And Research Area: 5 Points Added To M09

PENALTIES - Before the match starts, the Ref removes five Manure Samples from Base, and holds on to them, leaving five still there.  If you Interrupt the Robot, the Ref places one of the removed Samples in the white triangle, in the southeast, as a permanent/untouchable Interruption Penalty.  You can get up to five such penalties, worth Minus 6 Points Each

Animal Allies^SM Project

Released August 30, 2016

Get ready. Get set. Roar! Or you could bark, quack, or squeak, because the 2016 ANIMAL ALLIES^SM season is all about our furry, feathered, and finned friends. In the 2016 FIRST LEGO League Challenge, more than 28,000 teams of students age 9 to 16* will look into the eyes of our ANIMAL ALLIES. What might become possible when we learn to help each other?

FIRST LEGO League challenges kids in over 80 countries to think like scientists and engineers. During the ANIMAL ALLIES season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST LEGO League signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism^®.

*Ages vary by country

THINK ABOUT IT

When you meet an animal at the zoo, on a farm, or in your home, have you ever thought about whether that interaction helps you, the animal, or both?  Share these situations with your team.  Who is helping or being helped in each one?

For ANIMAL ALLIESSM, think of people and animals as allies in the quest to make life better for everyone. Sometimes people help animals and sometimes animals help people.  Your team’s Project mission this season is to make our interactions with animals better –hopefully better for all of us.

IDENTIFY A PROBLEM

Ask your team to think about all the different ways that people interact with animals. Sometimes people purposely seek out animals (like Autumn helping Randy hike the mountain) and sometimes it happens by accident (like the lions attacking Richard’s livestock). Have your team pick a situation in which people and animals interact, then identify a specific problem they want to solve.

Not sure where to start?

Try this process to help your team choose and explore an animal problem:

As a Team – Choose an animal. It might be an animal that lives in your home or neighborhood.  It might be an animal that you have seen at a zoo, aquarium, or farm. It might be an animal that lives in the forest, ocean, desert or another habitat.

Learn about the ways people interact with this type of animal. (People must interact with this animal in some way to be valid for ANIMAL ALLIESSM.) Ask questions like:

• When people interact with your animal, is it on purpose or by accident?
• Does the interaction help or hurt people, the animal, or both?
• What type of professionals work with or study your animal?
• Do you notice any ways that the interaction could be better – more productive, healthier, or happier for either the person or the animal? Look for these problems as you research.

This might be a great time for the team to interview a professional.  The professional could be someone who works directly with animals or researches animal problems for his or her job.  Can a professional help your team learn about animal health, safety, enrichment, or living environments?

As a Team – Identify a specific problem with the way people interact with your animal.  You might select a problem in one of these areas (or add your own):

In the ANIMAL ALLIESSM Challenge, an animal is any member of the scientific animal kingdom (besides humans) that is currently alive today.

• Animals accidentally harmed by an activity that helps people
• Recreating a natural living environment inside human-made buildings
• Feeding
• Finding the right enrichment activities for a specific animal
• Healing injured or sick animals
• Managing feces
• Natural animal instincts accidentally harming people
• Conserving endangered species
• Transportation

After your team selects a problem, the next step is to find out about the current solutions.  Encourage them to research their problem using resources like:

Field trips are a great way to learn about a new topic.  Consider requesting a tour or interview from a local business, educational institution, or other animal-related site.  However, some locations may have rules restricting visitors, or they may not have someone available to give an interview. If they say “no,” ask about virtual tours online or other institutions you could contact.

• News articles
• Documentaries or movies
• Interviews with professionals working in the field
• Ask your local librarian
• Books
• Online videos
• Websites

After your team selects a problem, find out about the current solutions. Why does this problem still exist?  Why aren't the current solutions good enough? What could be improved?

As a Team – Decide when you feel that you know your team’s animal and problem pretty well.  Then, move on to the “Design an Innovative Solution” section.

DESIGN A SOLUTION

Next, your team will design a solution to the problem. Any solution is a good start. The ultimate goal is to design an innovative solution that adds value to society by improving something that already exists, using something that exists in a new way, or inventing something totally new.

As a Team – Think about:

• What could be done better? What could be done in a new way?
• Could your solution make people and animals more productive, healthier, or happier?
• How can you reimagine the way we work with or study animals?
• Could you use an adaptation from an existing animal (biomimicry) to help solve the problem you identified?

Ask your team to think of your problem like a puzzle. Brainstorm!  Then turn the problem upside down and think about it in a completely different way. Imagine!  Get silly!  Even a “silly idea” might inspire the perfect solution. Encourage team members to try one idea (or more), but be prepared that the first idea may need some improvements.

Make sure your team thinks about how they could make their solution a reality. Try asking them questions like:

A great solution might be a device or technology, but maybe not. Look for the solution that the team thinks will solve the problem best.  Team members should be prepared to tell the judges what makes their idea better than the existing solutions.

• Why would your solution succeed when others have failed?
• What information would you need to estimate the cost?
• Do you need any special technology to make your solution?
• Who would be able to use it?

Remember, your team's solution does not need to be completely new.  Inventors often improve an idea that already exists or use something that exists in a new way.

SHARE WITH OTHERS

Once the team has designed a solution, the next step is to share it!

It might be helpful for your team to share with someone who could provide real-world feedback about the solution.  Getting input and improving are part of the design process for any engineer.  It is OK to revise an idea if the team receives some helpful feedback.

As a Team – Think about who your solution might help.  How can you let them know that you have solved their problem?

• Can you present your research and solution to people who own, sell, or care for animals?
• Can you share with a professional or someone who helped you learn about your problem?
• Can you think of any other groups of people who might be interested in your idea?

When your team plans their presentation, encourage them to use the talents of team members.  Teams often explore creative presentation styles, but it is also important to keep the focus on your team's problem and solution.  Sharing can be simple or elaborate, serious or designed to make people laugh while they learn.

No matter what presentation style your team chooses, remember to keep the process fun!

The Project Presentation

Any inventor must present their idea to people who can help them make it a reality, such as engineers, investors, or manufacturers. Like adult inventors, the Project presentation is your team's chance to share their great Project work with the Judges.

All regions require teams to prepare a Project presentation.  As long as your team covers the basic Project information, they may choose any presentation style they like.  Check with your tournament organizer to see if there are any size or noise restrictions in the judging rooms.

Your team’s presentation may include posters, slideshows, models, multimedia clips, props, costumes, and more. Creativity in the presentation is rewarded, but covering all of the essential information is even more important.

Teams will only be eligible for Project awards if they:

• Identify a problem that meets this year’s criteria.
• Explain their innovative solution.
• Describe how they shared with others prior to the tournament.

Presentation requirements:

• All teams must present live.  The team may use media equipment (if available) only to enhance the live presentation.
• Include all team members.  Each team member must participate in the Project judging session.
• Set up and complete the presentation in five minutes or less with no adult help.

The teams who excel at tournaments also use the Project presentation to tell the Judges about their sources of information, problem analysis, review of existing solutions, elements that make their idea innovative, and any plans or analysis related to implementation.

Project Resources

FIRST does not control or endorse the content of these external websites. They are provided as optional references only. Please preview all resources based on the maturity level of your team.

VIDEO

Guide dog training – Find out what it means to train and work with a guide dog.
http://www.wmur.com/new-hampshire-chronicle/thursday-february-12th-guide-dogtraining/31315342

Making peace with lions - Richard Tuere describes his invention to help people and lions live more peacefully together in Kenya.
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_turere_a_peace_treaty_with_the_lions

WEBSITES AND ARTICLES

Animal Kingdom – See what scientists include in the animal kingdom and find links to more information about specific categories of animals.
http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/animals/Animals.htm

Animal swap – Have you ever thought about what a puffin costs? Find out why many zoos and aquariums trade animals rather than buying them.
http://n.pr/1pSVVa0

Biomimicry – What is biomimicry and how can it help you solve problems?
http://www.asknature.org

Crittercam – Learn about how National Geographic’s Crittercam makes studying animals both more productive and less disruptive for the animals.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/crittercam/

Delving into Dung – You can learn a lot about animals by studying their poop.
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/cool-jobs-delving-dung

Earth Rangers – The Earth Rangers blog posts articles about interesting animals and the problems they face.
http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire

Go local – Zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries often provide great resources and programs to learn about animals. Use a search engine to find these animal resources in your area or around the world.

Meet a zoo animal – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums would like to show you how zoos and aquariums work with all sorts of animals.
http://azaanimals.org

BOOKS

Scientists in the Field
This series from the publisher Houghton Mifflin contains many books about scientists and other professionals who work with animals. Some examples include:

The Frog Scientist (2011)
The Hive Detectives (2010)
The Octopus Scientists (2015)
Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks (2011)
Wild Horse Scientists (2012)

Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World
Learn about the conflicts between seven different animals and the people they encounter in cities around the world.
By Ann Downer, Twenty-First Century Books (2014)

Working Like a Dog: The Story of Working dogs through history
Provides many examples of the ways that humans have interacted with dogs throughout history.
By Gena K. Gorrell, Tundra Books (2003)

Ask a Professional

Talking with professionals (people who work in the field of this year’s Challenge theme) is agreat way for your team to:

• Learn more about this season’s theme.
• Find ideas for your ANIMAL ALLIESSM problem.
• Discover resources that might help with your research.
• Get feedback on your innovative solution.

EXAMPLES OF PROFESSIONALS

Consider contacting people who work in the following professions. See if your team can brainstorm any other jobs to add to the list. Many company, professional association, government, and university websites include contact information for professionals.

Job What they do Where they may work animal curator Manages a collection of animals. May involve planning for animal care, display, enrichment, and acquiring or trading. Aquariums, zoos, animal refuges aquarist Cares for aquatic (water) animals through feeding, training, and generally caring for their wellbeing. Aquariums, marine research labs, government natural resources departments, theme parks, pet stores farm manager Runs a farm that produces crops, livestock, or dairy products. Farms, universities game warden Enforces laws related to fishing, hunting, and owning of wild animals. Local or national government agencies herder Cares for livestock in places where these animals wander through pasture lands. Farms, ranches, traditional communities, wilderness areas nutritionist Uses knowledge about food science to suggest diet options and adjustments for animals. Zoos, aquariums, pet food companies rancher Owns or works on a ranch where livestock are raised. Ranches trainer Trains animals for obedience, performance, riding, or assisting people. Obedience schools, stables, theme parks, service animal organizations veterinarian Provides medical treatment to animals. Veterinarian’s office, farms, aquariums, zoos, stables, pet stores, animal product companies, universities veterinary technician or veterinary nurse Works with veterinarians to treat or study animals. Veterinarian’s office, laboratory, university, farm wildlife rehabilitator Cares for ill, injured, or orphaned animals until they can be released into the wild.  Wildlife rehabilitators require an official license. Wildlife centers, aquariums, zoos, animal shelters wildlife biologist Studies animals and how they interact with their ecosystems. Universities, government agencies, medical research laboratories, museums, zoos zookeeper Cares for captive animals through feeding, training and generally caring for their wellbeing. Zoos, aquariums, animal refuges, theme parks zoologist Studies animals and how they interact with their ecosystems. Universities, government agencies, medical research laboratories, museums, zoos

WHO DO YOU KNOW?

One of the best recruiting tools for your Project is your own team.  Think about it. Who do you know? Chances are good that someone knows a professional who works with animals in some way.  Ask your team members to think about family, friends, or mentors who work in a job that involves animals.

Refer to the list of professionals on the previous page to help you brainstorm ideas. Think about the people who study, treat, or manage animals. Think about the technology that people use to care for animals. Who makes that technology?

Make a list of people your team might want to interview.

HOW SHOULD YOU ASK?

As a team - talk about your list of professionals and choose one or more who you think could help your team learn about how people interact with animals. Do a little research about each professional. Find out how the person works with this year's theme and think about what questions you might want to ask in an interview.

Next, work with team members to contact the professional you chose. Explain a little about FIRST LEGO League and what you are researching this season. Tell the professional about the team's goals and ask if they can interview him or her.

WHAT SHOULD YOU ASK?

Have the team prepare a list of questions for the interview. When you think about questions to ask:

• Use the research the team has already done to brainstorm questions about the professional’s area of expertise. It’s important to ask questions the person can answer.
• Keep the team’s Project goal in mind. Ask questions that will help you learn more about your topic and design an innovative solution.
• Keep questions short and specific. The more direct team members can be, the more likely they are to receive a useful answer.
• Do NOT ask the professional to design an innovative solution for your team.  The team's solution must be the work of team members.  If you already have an innovative solution though, it is ok for the professional to provide feedback on the idea.

At the end of the interview, ask the professional if your team may contact him or her again.  They might think of more questions later. Maybe the person would be willing to meet with your team again or give you a tour.  Don't be afraid to ask.

And finally, show your team's Gracious Professionalism during the interview, and remember to thank the professional for his or her time!

WHERE TO LEARN MORE? VISIT http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge#animal-allies Find the essential details of the Project in the Challenge. Check the Project Updates often. Here FIRST LEGO League staff will clarify common questions. Updates supersede anything in this Challenge document and will be in effect at tournaments. Learn more about how to approach the Project with your team and read tips from experienced Coaches in the Coaches’ Handbook: http://firstinspires.org/resource-library/fll/coaches-handbook. Your team will be assessed in the judging room using a standard rubric.  Review the Project judging information and rubric. If you are completely new, check out the FIRST LEGO League Resource Library for videos, tips, and additional helpful rookie links: http://firstinspires.org/resource-library.