KML OPEN
Participating schools at KML Open
KML Open is a robotics competition for public and private elementary schools in Kosovo.
The platform on which the league is developing is the educational robot mBot (Bluetooth version), which provides a very simple introduction to the world of robotics.
The competition is divided into two categories: classes 1-5 and 6-9.
The aim of the competition is to create a positive and healthy atmosphere, where students race by solving a “tricky mission” with the help of the robot.
HOW TO APPLY?
All public and private schools in Kosovo, as well as centers that work with children and young people, may apply.
Teachers/representatives responsible for the team are also responsible for the equipment borrowed for the purpose of the competition.
Schools or other private institutions for which the tuition is payable must fund the necessary equipment themselves.
HOW WILL YOU GET YOUR mBots?
By participating in the League, each participant is provided with their own mBots with which teams can play throughout the whole season.
The season has a total of 5 rounds.
Whereas, all teams participating in at least 4 rounds of the league will win permanent ownership of the robots.
HOW IS THE COMPETITION ORGANIZED?
Kosova Makers League for the 2019/2020 season will have 5 rounds in total.
Some of these rounds will be physical rounds, which means the teams must come and perform the challenges before a jury.
Other rounds can be online. The rounds will be held every two months. It is very important for the teams to stay active in the league, so there will be brief challenges between rounds as between points.
WHERE WILL THE RESULTS BE PUBLISHED?
The results will be published on the NEURON platform in which only mentors will have access.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The following are frequently asked questions on how to apply and participate in the league. The questions are divided into generic and technical questions that apply to each round, as well as specific questions related to the respective round being held.
GENERAL QUESTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE LEAGUE
Who will evaluate students during the competition?
Al mentors who come to the race will be evaluation commissioners.
The name of the mentor who will evaluate that team is also written on the scoreboard of each team.
Is it possible for lower grade students to participate in the higher-grade category?
It is allowed, but the opposite is not.
Is it possible for a mentor to apply with more than a team from different schools?
Yes, as long as the mentor does not have two teams in the same age group in the same school.
Should we bring built up robots to the race?
Students should come with built robots.
Could there be different mentors for two school teams?
Yes, the team with older students should have one mentor, while the team with younger students should have another one. It is also possible to change mentors during the year in case of any illness, work shift etc.
Is it possible that the same mentor can apply with two teams within the same school?
Yes, as long as the teams are not within the same age group.
Is it possible for our school to have different students in different rounds?
Yes, it is possible.
How many teams can one school have?
Institutions that have 0-500 students can apply with only one team.
Institutions that have 500-1000 students can apply with two teams.
Institutions that have 1000-1500 students can apply with three teams.
Institutions that have 1500+ students can apply with four teams
How are students evaluated?
For each round we will prepare written guidelines for student assessment that you will receive from the competition organizer. The instructions explain the whole evaluation process.
How many students should one team have?
One team must have up to 4 students.
GENERAL TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
Do mBots work on tablets?
They work on some Windows tablets as well as Windows phones. There’s a similar software, mBlocky, that runs on iPads and is expected to be released for Android tablets soon.
How to use the remote control in Arduino mode?
Use the if remote A pressed command, you can replace A with one of the other buttons on the remote control.
In the competition, do robots come pre-programmed or not?
The robots have to be programmed.
Who will create the trails of the competition?
The trails will be designed and created by the organizing team.
What should I do if a piece of the equipment is broken?
See support at www.kosovamakers.net
What is the reset button in the mBot for?
It serves to interrupt the execution of the program and move to the beginning of the loaded program
Do we bring built up robots to the competition?
If the school is presented by only a YOUNG student team then the robot must be built up. If the school has only an OLDER student team then the robot must not be built up.
What paths will the robot run in the competition?
The robot will run the paths designed and created by the organizer.
I wrote the line tracking program correctly but it’s not following.
Check to which port the sensor is connected, as well as whether the cables are fully inserted.
I switched the mBot to Arduino mode and now the remote control doesn’t work, what can I do?
For the remote to work as it did when you first turned on the robot, you must restore it to the factory configuration by selecting Connect/ Reset Default Program.
Should each student in the team have their own laptops or should there only be one laptop per team (+extension cable)?
If the school has only one age group present, students do not need to carry a laptop in the first round of the competition. It is necessary for the tasks to be solved in schools and then to be transferred to the mBot. If the school has both age groups, it is necessary to bring the laptop and extension cord in the competition so that after the presentation of the older team, the programs of the younger team can be transferred to the robots.
Will the students program the robots during the competition?
No, in the first round of the competition mBots should come pre-programmed from the school.
The software states that the robot is connected but during the transfer it says that it is not connected.
Check to which port the sensor is connected, as well as whether the cables are fully inserted.
Will there be educational videos on topic XY?
Before any topic is presented in the assignment, educational videos on the topic will also be released. Also, if we can, we will create videos on other topics of interest.
Everything worked fine, but then suddenly I couldn’t connect the robot to mBlock, what can I do?
Save your program, turn off mBlock and turn it on again.
If we have both age groups represented, how will we use the robots for all 8 students?
If the school has applied with two teams, then they will receive 8 robots for the students and 2 other robots for mentors.
What will be the shape of the trail?
You will find out the shape of the trail on the day of the competition.