November Mission Model Discussion: M10 - FOOD PRODUCTION

Welcome to the November Mission Model Discussion! From now until just before Thanksgiving this space will feature ONE part of the FIRST LEGO League INTO ORBIT game challenge per day. The Robot Game is only 1/4th of the overall FIRST LEGO League challenge for teams this year!
This post is meant to be an aid, not a replacement for carefully reading the Challenge Guide and Updates!

Today we will explore M0 - FOOD PRODUCTION

At the Beginning of the Match

The Food Production model is secured to the mat just South of the Exercise Machine model. The orange Production Bar faces South and begins the match pulled out as far as possible.  Model Construction Notes: Make sure when the model has the orange Production Bar pulled all the way out that the bar is parallel to the model if it is not one of the gears is not on the rail correctly. Also, make sure that in this position the tan scoring element is parallel to the mat. This will ensure your team is practicing correctly. Green should be the second stop from all the way in. (stops are caused by the lid/grey weight if your model does not make stops the lid/weight may not be on correctly)

Required for Scoring

Spin the Food Growth Chamber's colors by moving the orange Production Bar so that the grey weight drops after the Green, but before the Tan. 

Conditions

You must move the orange Production Bar to spin the Food Growth Chamber Colors. 

Points

0 - The model does not show the green after the weight has dropped. The color shown is tan or brown.
16 - The model shows the green after the grey weight has dropped. 

Note from Oregon Head Referee Tom

Read the mission rule carefully - both the position of the green surface and the position of the gray weight are important.

Real World Impact

Astronauts need food. Packing all the food needed for a long mission can be a strain on cargo capacity. Additionally, eating the food that remains at the end of a long trip can be discouraging for weary travelers. One of the favorite days of astronauts on the ISS is when new supplies arrive and fresh fruits and vegetables have been tucked safely into the capsule. Getting a fresh fruit and vegetable delivery on a long mission or a permanent station, like the one proposed to be placed near our moon, is not going to be practical. Growing food is going to become a necessity as we venture farther and farther into space.

Discussion

Pay careful attention when attempting this model. The orange Production Bar should not be all the way in when the model is in scoring position. Do not worry if your Green is not parallel to the mat if the grey weight has dropped and green is the prominent color, that works for scoring. How consistent is your robot on this mission? Is there a good way-point your robot can use to become more accurate?