Singapore Science Center: FRC Demonstration

FIRST General Forum
#48

Hello all,

Jared here (college mentor), it’s day 3 here (Friday or Thursday, depending on which side of the international date line you are sitting at the moment), and I’ve finally been able to get online after a busy day and a half.

The flight was not NEARLY as bad as I thought it could have been. Even though I didn’t sleep much, I didn’t feel dead when we landed in Hong Kong and Singapore, and in fact I think the thought of getting off the plane gave me energy anew.

After seeing the US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore in one 36 hour span, I have a newfound outlook on the world in some ways. Looking out into vast expanses of wilderness, or into giant cities on the other side of the earth, you realize how much there really is to this planet. But at the same time, you realize that you’ve just travelled about as far as you possibly can around the globe without starting to wrap back around in only a day and a half - having now been directly across the world, I only now get the realization that it is finite. What looked so big on paper as a little child is in fact a mere plane ride away.

The first thing I noticed after landing was that all of the horror stories regarding Singapore’s laws and customs are greatly exaggerated. It was really no different than going back into the USA. We then checked into the Sijori Resort, a GORGEOUS hotel that used to be the British army headquarters on Sentosa Island. Everywhere you look you see palm trees, beaches, pristine buildings - this place is beautiful.

The rest of Wednesday was a bit of a jet-lagged blur. We walked around Sentosa for a bit, and saw some attractions we hope to do justice to in the coming days. Some of us napped. After dinner, I was about the most tired I have ever been in my life.

Thursday we went to the Millenia Institute, and I have to say that a school that was described to us as “run down” by Singapore standards is absolutely breathtaking. Much of the school is open - the cafeteria has no walls, for example. The reaction of the student body has been nothing short of jawdropping - we get applause wherever we go. This morning we went back and demonstrated Miss Daisy in front of 900 students, amidst laughter and no shortage of “oohs” and “ahhs”. To be so appreciated 15,000 miles from home? Amazing.

Last night we had Singaporean “fondue”, where you pick out raw meat and cook it over open flames. Then we walked through the town, and went bowling with our friends from SMART (the Singaporean robotics team). And when I say friends, I mean it - the interaction between our students and their peers from another hemisphere is as strong as anything you see in the halls of a high school.

Well, it’s back to work now - time to do some more demonstrations, see the countryside, and hang out with our buddies. I’ll try to update daily now that I’ve figured out how to get online.

#49

I’m so glad you are all having such a great time. Its wonderful to read about all your experiences…please keep it up. I keep holding this as a carrot to our team…see…maybe someday WE can do this…

#50

Hi, glad that everyone is having a great time here! :cool:

I’m pretty enthralled being able to see such a large sized bot live in action and I kinda appreciate the level of complexity it portrays, such as the use of pneumatics, gearshifting, closed loop feedback with encoders and especially the high velocity wheel. Looking at our own FRS competition for the past 3 years I’ve seen little variance in drive systems (most of the time its the standard 4WD) and other components used… I guess during the actual FRC competition there’ll be more exotic ideas and creative designs? :yikes:

Anyway, wish you guys have a good and safe stay over here :smiley:

#51

Thanks for attending our demonstration. We were very impressed with the wonderful questions from the audience and the hospitality that we received form everyone in attendance. Its also an amazing science center.
I’ll write more details later.
Thanks for writing!

#52

Jared here again, on Monday morning. Currently we are at Temasek secondary school in eastern Singapore, and we’re in the process of picking our jaws up off the floor. Let me just say that in the US, we are in trouble when the students we’ve been seeing all week enter the workforce: the educational system here is in many ways vastly superior to anything we have. The classes here have interested students, dedicated teachers, a LOT of technology, and you can really tell that the government/ministry of education care a lot about the kids. In the US, I think the government sometimes says it does, all the while diverting educational funding to other endeavors.

Now for some quick thoughts about this gorgeous, gorgeous place:

-Yesterday I was on the beach for most of the day, and it looked like I was in a postcard. Clear water, palm trees, resorts - just amazing. The kids we met earlier in the week came with us to the beach, and we had a great day together. However, despite twice re-applying SPF30, I’m a toasty red today. I guess that’s what you get for being 70 miles from the equator…

-People drive very aggressively, but they don’t seem to get angry when they get cut off or tailgated, for example. Very interesting.

-At the Science Center presentation, we got asked a LOT of technical questions - more than I can ever remember in dozens of demonstrations. Things like what kind of PID algorithms we used, the pros and cons of omniwheels, and a lot of questions that just reinforce that idea that those who think we in the US are the indisputed leaders in technology are in for a rude awakening.

-The tropical fruit here is delicious, but if anyone ever offers you something called a “durian”, RUN FAR AWAY! I’ve never tasted a fruit that reminded me of gasoline before, and I never plan on doing it again. And the smell… Things like the local starfruit, jackfruit, and papayas are, however, amazing.

I hope to post again soon!

#53

On Friday morning we took part in the opening of school at the Millennia Institute. After the flag raising ceremony, our team was introduced. The crowd of 1000 students made an aisle up the center of the outdoor quadrangle and our team put Miss Daisy to work.

We drove back and forth, spun the turret and fired balls into the crowd, while one of our mentors narrated the demonstration. The Millennia students had a blast shooting balls back into the top of the machine as we drove around. It was pure fun.

Our goal with this demonstration was to inspire kids to join the Singapore Vex team and to educate kids in general, about FIRST.

If the reaction of the crowd was any indication, there are going to be alot of new faces on the Singapore VEX team this year.

Later that day we went to the Singapore Science Center which I’ll discuss in my next post. Also we are hoping to start posting some pictures later today.

Talk to you soon.

Al Ostrow

#54

Later on Friday we packed up Miss Daisy, put all of our equipment in a “Lorry” (truck), our team in a bus, and made our way to the Singapore Science Center. This presentation was definitely one of the focal points of the trip.

Our audience was made up of students, teachers, professors, and community members from across the nation of Singapore. We had an audience of over 60 people for the 2 hour seminar.

Our Singapore partners started with an introduction to the VEX competition and a discussion of how Physics can be applied to the FIRST Robotics competition.

Then Team 341 explained the inner workings of the FIRST Robotics Competition through videos, robot demonstrations and discussions with the audience. The talk lasted the full two hours and the audience participation was tremendous.
One of the best moments came during the machine demonstration. The turret drive chain came off and the team went into action. Both students and mentors jumped in to work on the machine. We fixed the machine on the spot, while discussing what happens in the pit during a FIRST competition. The audience had the chance to see what really happens and everyone cheered after Miss Daisy started working again.
People stayed for over an hour after the seminar just to talk to team members and look inside the machine. Our kids did a great job of representing our team, FIRST and our Nation.

We were very proud!

More later!

#55

Hey Al, I have a question.

Its stupid, but is your team traveling with interpreters?

I am really impressive at what you and your students are doing over the other side of the world. Hope to hear more.

#56

http://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore
English is one of the official languages in Singapore.

#57

We still have lots of major events left on the calendar. Here are just a few.

  1. Demonstration for the students of Temasek Secondary
  2. Interview with Singapore Press
  3. Presentation at the US Embassy for the US Commercial Service
  4. Demonstration at CHIJ Secondary
  5. Presentation at the US Chamber of Commerce in Singapore

One of the secondary goals of this exchange trip is to convince US companies to support this exchange. We are seeking government help in identifying US companies that do regular business in Singapore.

There will also be many more gatherings with Singapore students, classroom exchanges, and tours around the country.
I think we are having that “hard fun” that Woody Flowers keeps talking about. :ahh:

P.S.
Freddy:
The English language has helped to make us feel right at home and eased our movement around the country.

#58

Wow, I wish I was there guys. Sounds Amazing!!! keep up the super awesome work!!!

p.s.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!!! what a present to be in singapore for your bday!!!

#59

So today, 22/08/06 in S’pore, consisted of another day of shadowing at Temasek Secondary School. After a breakfast of yummy chicken burgers provided by the school we followed our students to class. The two girls I was following today, Peirong and Sandy, brought me to math class, Chinese class, biology, and english. We had break where we visited the school store and bought the chinese version of a hackey sack. We then gave a presentation to their equivilant to 8th and 9th graders. They really seemed to enjoy the robot! We were then invited to stay and enjoy a short musical put on by a local group, Act 3, about harmony amoung the races of S’pore. It was really funny!

We are having a blast here and I hate to think I’ll have to leave soon. Anyone who is anyone has to make it to S’pore atleast once in their life time, it is not to be missed.

Love from S’pore!

P.S.
Check out Kate’s post about some of the foods we’ve been eating! It’s delicious!

#60

Hey again!

So we’re in Temasek Secondary School now for the second day. I’m just going to go a bit into detail about last night’s dinner.

After shopping in a mall for several hours, the group was taken to the East Coast Food Court in Bedok, which was more like maybe 50 mini “food huts” serving ALL KINDS of foods. I personally tried the following:

-BBQ STINGRAY (my favorite of the night :stuck_out_tongue: )
-BBQ SQUID
-OYSTER OMLETS

but other people in the group also tried duck, satay (meat on a stick), mango ice kechong, sugar cane juice, crayfish, and FRESH coconut (like they chop the top off right in front of you and you drink the milk with a straw and eat the meaty stuff afterwards). I really believe that I’m finally used to Singaporean cuisine and will actually miss it… but don’t get me wrong, I’ll be happy enough with cheesesteaks and pizza :smiley: That was definitely the most interesting birthday dinner I’ve ever had (shout out to Aaron for wishing me happy birthday!).

Our plans for the rest of the trip now are to visit CHIJ, an all-girls school who had students on the VEX team 46. Andrea and myself will get to have a homestay with girls on the team (so excited!).

Keep checking the posts! New and incredibly interesting things are happening to us every day!

#61

What a great way to spend the summer !! You guys are truly FIRST ambassadors.

Sounds like you are having a great time and spreading the infection of FIRST abroad!!

Best wishes for continued success in your endeavors.

#62

What I’ve heard (I’m a State-side graduated Daisy) sounds amazing; I’m not a huge squid fan, but the stingray sounds oddly appetizing.
In any case, I’ve heard of the unbelievable enthusiasm that students in Singapore have not just for FIRST, but also for learning as a whole. From what you’ve experienced so far, why is this? Is there something we can learn from them to apply over here in our Science and Technology programs?

#63

well for starters, their government pays an INCREDIBLE amount of money to their “public” schools, so their facilities, technology, number of computers, etc etc are all top-notch. the government here really seems to value education and i don’t blame them. i think the students also have a great respect for their education and teachers. I’m actually in a homestay right now with a girl named Tiara from CHIG secondary school… let me ask her.

ok well this girl is an exception… she doesn’t particularally like school :eek: but she suggested that some reasons are hands-on learning experiences and having the facilities and equipment that they have (good guess kate!).

In detail about my homestay… Tiara’s parents, Joan and Patrick, took us to the Shore Restaurant, a place on the east coast of Singapore (where they live… it takes her 30 minutes to get to school! by car!) which was RIGHT NEXT to the sea. The meal was amazing… I had beef curry, baby kai lan, fried chicken wings, and for dessert a “tennis ball”… fried ice cream and the fried stuff was green. YUMMY! They took me back to their apartment afterwards to watch SINGAPORE IDOL!!! apparently the people who are still on the show are terrible but it was very similar to the one back in the states.

Now we’re getting ready for bed and I need a lot of sleep for tomorrow… school visits again!

#64

Tuesday was a very important day. Its also very descriptive of how our days have been. We have had so much fun, excitement, action, meaningful exchange, and intense cultural immersion that we don’t have much time to reflect.

Tuesday Morning:
6:45 Bus to Temasek Secondary
7:20 Opening Ceremony for School Day
7:00 - 8:30 Reception for US and Singaporean Students
8:30 - 11:30 Classroom Exchange
11:30 - 12:45 Lunch and Demonstration Setup
1:15 - 1:45 Robot Demonstration, Robotics Recruitment Drive and gift exchange
1:45 - 2:15 Interview with Singapore Newspaper
2:15 - 2:45 Pack Robot and Equipment for Shipment to ChIJ Secondary
2:45 - 3:00 Quick Group Picture and then Taxi Cabs to the US Embassy
3:15- 4:45 Presentation and Discussion with US Commercial Service at Embassy
5:30 Meet Temasek and Milennia Students in Chinatown
6:00 - 10:00 Dinner, shopping and sightseeing in Chinatown with Temasek and Millennia Students
11:00 Back to the Hotel for a few hours sleep before doing this all over again

Almost every day has been this intense, but I would not trade a single moment. However, I am looking forward to relaxing and reflecting on the whole experience. There is so much we haven’t told you. I truly hope to write down our experiences on the plane ride home

#65

This will be the last time we can write before leaving Singapore.

Today our girls returned from homestays and went to classes at an all girls Catholic School called Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ). This school has been in Singapore since it was a British trading post.

Our boys went to a Robotics lab at the Nanyang Polytechnic Institute. They saw a wide range of innovative robot design laboratories.

Later, we met back at CHIJ to crate up our robot for shipment home. Some of the students and teachers were saying their goodbyes, while others reonstructed the crate and disassembled Miss Daisy for the long flight back to Ambler.

My daughter made many great friends at this school because the girls were a little younger. She spent her last few moments writing down email addresses, giving out hugs and playing in the yard. She was very sad to leave.

Later in the day, we gave a presentation at the American Chamber of Commerce of Singapore. We also finished our trip with a visit to the section of town known as Little India.

Well its 2:00 AM here and I must get some sleep. We are leaving for the airport at 7:00 AM for the 36 hour trek back to Ambler. I am hoping that I can organize my thoughts on the plane ride and provide a good summary of our trip. But no matter how we try, there will be no way we can convey the impact that this trip has had on the lives of 13 people that lived here for 11 days in Southeast Asia, in this paradise known as Singapore.

See you back home in Philly!

#66

Here’s Blog Posting from Jared, one of our College-age Mentors:

Sitting in Changi Airport

Jared here again, logging on one last time before I hop on the plane back to the Western world.

Last night at the hotel we had an unexpected visit from all of the teachers and students that we saw here in Singapore, and it was with many a wet eye that we said our farewells. They gave us one last basket of fruit, a myriad of gifts for all of the students, and final hugs.

I’ve been international several times now, and each time the trip is never quite what I was expecting. In this case, it was orders of magnitude better than my wildest predictions. Yes, we showed our robot to “oohs” and “ahhs”, and in the process inspired hundreds of Singaporean school children to look into robotics and engineering, but two other things I wasn’t expecting happened.

First, our team’s own passion was ignited. The students who went with us don’t want to leave; they were so impressed by the level of technology taught here that even those who haven’t been on the technical crew in the past have voiced a desire to pursure build this season, and later engineering. The teachers were re-inspired by what they saw in the classroom, and will take those lessons home.

Second, and more importantly, we became friends with the students here. E-mail addresses, screennames, and phone numbers changed hands - my one lasting memory above all else will be when we were leaving one of the schools and Gina, a Singaporean students, shouted to our student Kate, “I love you Kate!”

We flew around the world, inspired the locals and ourselves, and left with friendships and love. How cool is that?

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#67

Well, Team 341 made it home early this morning - I just woke up at 6:00PM. I guess it’s going to take a few days before I’m back on Western hemisphere time.

New posts are trickling onto our blog, as are brand new pictures. For now I’ll just link to it until I can get some choice photos up on CD.

Check it out at http://tripsing.blogspot.com/