We are mentors, judges, teachers, professional engineers, and software developers with a lot of experience in FLL and we've been helping teams for the last 15 years. At FLLCasts, we share specific courses, robot constructions, attachments, and programs demonstrating how various mission models could be accomplished. Note that we do not share solutions for the current season as this is against our rules, but we share the principles by which different missions could be accomplished and how similar missions were accomplished in the past. You have all the information in one place.
FLL is a journey that is sometimes difficult but always rewarding. You are not alone in this journey. FLLCasts has helped tens of thousands of students build Box Robots, use rubber bands, and program advanced state machines to achieve consistency of the behavior of the robot. We are your partner with all the experience and knowledge that we have, and we will guide you through the process of learning and accomplishing the missions.
That is where we hope this guide will take you in terms of programming. To know how to program robots consistently and reliably to reach a mission... more
That is where we hope this guide will take you in terms of robots and attachments - to know how to develop attachments that accomplish a mission... more
That is the current season of the competition, and you are reading this guide because you would like to prepare better for the robot game, have lots of fun, and advance to the next rounds.
The guide will help you with designing and using complex advanced attachments and will also help you with building reliable and consistent robots. But before any of this, you should get familiar with the season, its missions, and rules.
Now that you are familiar with the current season, you can start by moving through a specific course for your LEGO set. You can participate in FLL with any LEGO set, but the four LEGO sets that are most suitable are LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor, LEGO Mindstorms EV3, and LEGO Mindstorms NXT.
Both EV3 and NXT are no longer available from LEGO. LEGO does not sell these sets, but almost all of the constructions that were previously built with EV3 and NXT could be reused. After all, they are just LEGO parts with different electronics.
If you don't have a field from previous years, you can use the FLLCasts Off-Season course to work on general competition missions with a single LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set.
LEGO Education SPIKE Prime is new, and we've added a complete guide on how to use it to build all the different types of attachments to accomplish... more
Two concepts are important for robotics competitions - consistently navigate and position the robot exactly where we need it to be on the field,...
more
LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor is similar to SPIKE Prime. We've created a complete guide on how to use it to build all the different types of... more
EV3 was the set that took FLL to where it is today. We've built many resources for EV3, and starting with this course will give you a good idea of... more
NXT is long gone, but this was the first set we've used for FLL, and this was the construction we were using more
The FLL season is great, but has one disadvantage - it ends. We have prepared that course for those of you that does not want to stop! The course...
more"Smart people learn from their mistakes. Wise people learn from everywhere they can."
When you prepare for the current FLL season, there is nothing better than having all the experience from participating in previous competitions. But this is not possible, because previous competitions are...well...previous. You are forming the team now. It's a new team, and all the experience from previous years is gone.
Luckily, we've recorded and explained our solutions to the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) challenges since 2012. We advise you to start with the most recent ones and then go to the older missions and their solutions and reviews. Learn how similar missions were approached in the past. As you have this toolbox of knowledge, you can now decide which of the attachments and robots to modify and use for the current season.
There are several options for different robot bases, chassis, and approaches. These robots are suitable for starting initially and getting going with the competition. Based on the review you've done of previous competitions, you have to make a choice, and this choice is "Which robot should I build"?
Learn by building several robot constructions, then choose a design that suits your team and your goals. Simple constructions are powerful, and you could easily win a local or regional competition using them. Look at the robots you could build from your LEGO set, but also look at robots that are from different sets, as they have a lot of good ideas in them that you can incorporate.
With FLLCasts Tutorials, you can find the answer to your questions in under 5 minutes. All it takes is to find the right "5-minute video tutorial" and watch it. You can find everything from the use of attachments to programming the robot to behave in a specific way.
Getting a full run with all the points is difficult to achieve with a basic robot. The reason is the size, the number of motors, the number of sensors, and how easy it is to add attachments. There are a few advanced constructions that can inspire you to build the most perfect robot for your team and your FLL competitions. That is where advanced ideas come into place. Also, don't forget that the more advanced robots would require more parts than the standard set.
Box Robots is the concept of building a robot like a box. In this way, it is easier to attach different attachments as the attachments are standardized - they are all attached similarly. The robots are also balanced and could be quite powerful.
Box Robots for a rookie team could be challenging, but you are participating in FIRST LEGO League after all. :) Challenge is what you are here for. Check out the Box Robot courses first to learn the ideas behind the concepts and implementations. Then build the robots following the building instructions.
We call them the "X-Y robots" and the idea is simple - you have one massive attachment at the front that moves left to right on the X axis up to down on the Y axis. Technically, it is possible to accomplish many missions with these attachments.
These are advanced robots. Be aware. They provide sharp knives, and you can cut yourself. The other thing about these robots is that one such robot almost ruined the season when they were officially introduced, as almost everybody was jumping on building such a robot for the competition.
Learn to build attachments. Rubber Bands, Gears, you name it. Do not over-engineer. Use as few parts as possible. Build simple pinless attachments that could be changed quickly. An attachment should work 9 out of 10 times. Use rubber bands, gear wheels, worm gears, racks, levers.
Do not focus on the set here. FIRST LEGO League allows you to use almost all LEGO parts (check with organizers of your local competition if parts are forbidden). That means you can explore attachments with EV3, NXT, Technic, Robot Inventor, SPIKE Prime - practically all the different LEGO sets. You can learn, be inspired and inspire team members. You could also easily purchase some additional parts on the Internet - try Bricklink.
You can not prepare for competition without learning how to use the sensors. Learn to use them, follow lines, position yourself on the field with the Color/Light sensors, detect your rotations with the Gyro, and use State machines to separate the states in your program.
What you should be looking for is how to reliably and consistently position on the field, starting from the base.
LEGO Education SPIKE Prime is programmed with Scratch and with Python. The Scratch version could be downloaded to your computer, or you could use the online version at SPIKE LEGO Education website
Scratch is easier to start with and it is not less powerful than Python.
LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor is programmed with Scratch and with Python. The Scratch version could be downloaded to your computer, or you could use the online version at SPIKE LEGO Education website
Scratch is easier to start with and it is not less powerful than Python.
You will surely get tired of all the differences in the venues and their lighting conditions. Winning teams have the sensors properly calibrated and could calibrate them very fast, just before the runs.
Mindstorms robots are programmed with a LEGO Mindstorms EV3-G software, which is already deprecated. But you can also use Scratch to program them.
Mindstorms NXTs are programmed with NXT-G.
Learn more about advanced programming like moving straight and state machines. This is the most common problem at competitions. How do you move straight? Or at least Straighterrrr?
We try to build robots that can accomplish the missions 10 out of 10 times. Building and programming a reusable and consistent robot is the single greatest thing you could learn. Look at the different examples of "10 out of 10" tutorials.
We publish tips and tricks at the start of every season. We share what you could look at and learn from. Make sure you see these materials as they gather all the resources for the seasons with all the rules, building instructions, and the specific tips and tricks on how to accomplish a mission.
At FLLCasts.com we have many resources on a lot of different topics connected with FIRST LEGO League and other robotics competitions. Make sure to check for new Tutorials and Building Instructions
These are reviews not only for FIRST LEGO League, but also for World Robot Olympiad. Check them out. You might find interesting attachments and programs on which to base you current approaches to the competition.
See all Testimonials.
By subscribing to FLLCasts you will have access to the courses, lessons, instructions, and tutorials to prepare for FIRST LEGO League.
FLLCasts offers different subscriptions and you will need at least Personal B/Competition, Team or School
All plans are eligible for 7-day money back guarantee. Learn more at 'money back'.
See all subscriptions on our 'Subscriptions' page.
