team 168 geared up! – research...

Team 168 GEARED UP! – Research Summary

Research

Problem Identification

When we first began brainstorming our FLL World Class Question, we made a list of different topics we were interested in researching. Our list included several different facets of education and learning including:

• Technology and Education

• Critical Thinking and Knowledge Retention

• Learning Styles and Individualized Instruction

• The Maker Movement and Education

• Learning-by-Doing/Hands on Learning

After many group discussions, our team decided to research the topic of

Project Based Learning (PBL) and Learning-by-Doing. As a team and as individuals, we really enjoy building things, working with our hands, and doing project work. We thought that if we could bring the idea of learning-by-doing into our research project, it would reflect how we like to learn best. We also wanted to explore one of our favorite topics, robotics! BINGO! Our research project was soon on its way!

Our next step was to make a list of experts to contact in the fields of

education and in the field of robotics. We then met with our first expert, Principal Chris Knott, from Creighton’s Corner Elementary School. Principal Knott spoke to us about the need for more Project Based Learning curricula in elementary schools. He also described the need for supporting underprivileged youth in STEM programs.

With this information, we began to discuss ways in which we could help

make learning robotics more affordable and accessible to all students. From this discussion, we came up with


Our FLL World Class Question:

Proposed Solution:

Our Community: From our numerous conversations with school faculty, including

Principal Chris Knott, Ms. Odette Scovel, Supervisor of Loudoun County Public School Instructional Services, and Patricia Herr, Elementary Science Resource Teacher, we discovered that Loudoun County Public Schools does not have a project based learning, robotics curriculum for elementary school students. Many schools in our county, and throughout Virginia, cannot afford expensive robotics kits to use in their classrooms. With an elementary school enrollment of 33,574 students in Loudoun County, a hand-on, affordable and customizable robotics kit would benefit many children in our community. From our meetings with school administrators, it takes an average of two years to introduce new curriculum into the schools. We hope that our kit will one day be a part of LCPS elementary school curriculum and beyond!

Problem Analysis

When we were challenged to form a world-class question for our FLL project, we spent a lot of time discussing how we like to learn best. One theme that came up over and over again was our individual and collective interest in hands-on learning, and learning by doing projects. We started to investigate a style of instruction called “Project Based Learning.” We learned that this model of education is very engaging because children enjoy hands-on, project-based investigations. Moreover, Project Based Learning (PBL) can benefit elementary school students in studying STEM/STEAM topics.

As we learned more about the benefits of PBL, we also decided to investigate robotics in the context of Project Based Learning. So we began by doing background research on STEM/STEAM education in the United States.


We learned that according to the Congressional Research Service Report, the United States ranks 20th among all nations in the proportion of 24-year olds who earn degrees in natural science or engineering. Students don’t have enough engagement with STEM focused curriculum especially in the core skill areas of robotics. Moreover, the U.S. Department of the Academic Competitiveness Council calls for all students to be skilled in science, technology, engineering and math to enable success in the 21st century technological economy. In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences Report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” called for the strengthening of math and science by overhauling STEM education, but noted it is difficult to find ways to support elementary aged children in meaningful STEM lessons.

We then decided to take field trips to meet with a principal, Loudoun County School administrators, and STEM/STEAM specialists to see if PBL and our favorite activity, robotics, was part of our county’s elementary school curriculum. As we began to discuss these topics with experts in the field, we learned that Loudoun County Public Schools does not have a formal robotics curriculum for elementary students. At this time, the only robotics program available to elementary school students in Loudoun County are summer camps and a few after school programs that families have to pay for. Unfortunately, these few programs are expensive and not part of the school day. Many families can’t afford the cost of these programs and that is one of the reasons we decided to develop our kit.

Sources of Information During this season, we visited, interviewed, and participated in

meetings with many experts in the field of education, and in the field of robotics. In addition to meeting with experts, we researched our topic online, watching videos and documentaries regarding Project Based Learning, the Maker Movement, Robotics, and Elementary Education. We also read many articles and reports regarding STEM curriculum, PBL in the classroom, and approaches to teaching robotics to elementary aged students. Some important resources we utilized are listed below.


Field Trips & Interviews Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, Ashburn, VA

(8/23/2014)

Loudon County Public Schools Administrative Offices

(10/1/2014)

Northern Virginia Community College, Sterling VA

(10/16/2014)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, George Mason

University, Fairfax VA (10/18/2014)

RoboLoco FRC Robotics Team (10/19/2014)

Additional Resources Used

[See appendix A for detailed information about each resources]

Books

Journal Articles

Web Sites

Videos/Movies


Creighton’s Corner Elementary School, Ashburn, VA (Visited on 8/23/2014)

Principal Chris Knott, Creighton’s Corner Elementary School

Highlights from our meeting with Principal Knott: He would like to have more Project Based Learning (PBL) curricula in his

school. Principal Knott recognizes the critical need for STEAM activities at the

elementary school level. He supports hands-on learning for children, and has seen the benefits of

this type of learning in schools. He would support the concepts of “kids-teaching-kids” & teacher training. We spoke about the U.S. Department of Education calls for all students to

be skilled in STEM to enable success in the 21st century economy, but it’s difficult to find ways to support elementary aged children in meaningful STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) lessons.


Loudon County Public Schools Administrative Offices (Visited on 10/1/2014)

Mrs. Odette Scovel – Supervisor, LCPS

Mrs. Pat Herr – Elementary Science Resource Teacher, LCPS

Highlights from our meeting with LCPS administrators: At this time, LCPS does not have a robotics curriculum for elementary

students. LCPS does offer a robotics blocks kit called “Cubelets”, which can be

checked out of the administration office resource library. This kit serves the entire elementary population of 33,574 students (accessibility to the kit is limited).

The Cubelets kit is not SOL standards aligned and can be used as a stand-alone event in the classroom.

On average, it takes two years to introduce new curriculum into the elementary schools.

Teacher in-service training days are limited; costs money to implement. If LCPS students want to learn robotics, they have to go outside of the

school for opportunities. Camps, Summer Programs, and Clubs are not part of the LCPS offerings and must be paid for out-of-pocket by parents.


Northern Virginia Community College, Sterling VA (Visited on 10/16/2014)

Mrs. Tosin Adetoro, STEM Coordinator, NVCC

Highlights from our meeting with Mrs. Tosin Adetoro: Mrs. Adetoro is the Loudoun Coordinator for Northern Virginia

Community College’s (NVCC) SySTEMic Solutions program. NVCC’s SySTEMic Solutions provides summer robotics camps for

students. The camps fill up quickly, and parents have to pay out-of-pocket for them SySTEMic Solutions helps to create a pipeline of students who will be

prepared to fill STEAM jobs in the future. Mrs. Adetoro emphasized the need for a formal robotics curriculum in

elementary schools. She was excited to learn about our team, our outreach, and our Craft-a-

Bot Kit, and wants to support us in our future efforts.


Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, George Mason University,

Fairfax VA (Visited on 10/18/2014)

Dr. Nathalia Peixoto – Assoc. Professor, George Mason University, VA

Highlights from our meeting with Dr. Peixoto: Dr. Dr. Peixoto is part of the faculty at the Electrical and Computer

Engineering Department at George Mason University (GMU).

Her research areas include implantable electrodes and systems, hybrid

systems (cells and their interaction with electronics), control of

assistive technology for disabled people etc.

Peixoto’s feedback was for us was to do a case study to see if students

learn their school curriculum better using Project Based Learning (PBL)

method such as our “Craft-a-Bot”. She suggested that we work with a

local elementary school and select a class of 20 children and split them

into 2 groups. We would then teach one group an SOL concept using a

PBL method while the other group would learn using the standard

classroom instruction. The idea is to test both the groups a few weeks

after the session to identify which group learned the SOL concepts

better and could retain it for a longer period.


She commented that our “Craft-a-Bot” was innovative and we should

develop it further. She also said that she would be willing to invest in

such robots for testing in her lab as long as they cost less than $10.

RoboLoco FRC Robotics Team (Interviewed on 10/19/2014)

Raj Shrimali – Vice President, RoboLoco FRC Team

Highlights from our meeting with Raj Shrimali: RoboLoco is the only FRC team in Loudoun County, VA. RoboLoCo is a team comprised of students who attend the Academy of

Science (AOS) – a magnet program open to all students who are residents of Loudoun County to provide an academic environment where students are encouraged to develop creative scientific endeavors of their own design during high school.

RoboLoCo does many outreach events and would like to work with Team Geared UP! in the future to help support robotics education and outreach in Loudoun County and beyond.

Raj tested our Craft-a-Bot Kit and was excited to learn more about it. RoboLoCo would like to partner with Team Geared UP!, to explore ways

in which we can bring more robotics programs, like the Craft-a-Bot Kit, to our community.


Review of Existing Solutions

For a detailed comparison, please refer to Appendix B.


Innovative Solution

Our “Innovative” Solution An Affordable, Customizable, Fun & Exciting, Standards Aligned

robotics kit called the “Craft-a-Bot” kit, that is exclusively designed for elementary aged children.

Top Ten Goals for our Craft-a-Bot Kit: Low-cost (improves accessibility) Customizable, Extensible & Adaptable (custom-made 3D designed parts) Fun & Crafty Open-source and flexible with all types of pieces Kid-friendly Standards aligned to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Elementary

Education Supports Project Based Learning Promotes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) Ecofriendly (uses recyclable material with multi-purpose cardboard

packaging and cutout templates) Easy to use; includes FREE workshops to enhance the “Craft-A-Bot”

experience Within the past decade, advances in technology, the Internet, open-

source design, and the introduction of 3D printing, have inspired Do-It-Your-Selfers (DIYr’s) around the world to create a learning-through-doing culture. Learning-By-Doing appeals to all learning styles because it engages, at different points in the learning process, all styles of learning: visual, aural, verbal, physical/kinesthetic, solitary, social, and logical. Our Craft-a-Bot Kit incorporates all of these elements in a fun, and exciting approach to learning STEAM concepts.

By spending the past few months analyzing existing solutions, we have

determined that all of these kits are very expensive! They range in price from $90.00 to $350.00! Educators and families find these prices to be too high and would like a more affordable option. Unlike all the other kits on the market, our kit is only $9.97!


Our innovative solution, the Craft-a-Bot Robotics Kit, serves as a low-cost and accessible option for students, schools, and families who are interested in exploring beginning concepts in robotics. Our kit is an improvement over existing kits because the Craft-a-Bot kit is:

• More affordable than other kits, Craft-a Bot has a $9.97 price point; • supported by our team’s FREE outreach events; • Customizable you can add to your kit by incorporating simple

materials that you have in your home (recycled items).

Furthermore, the Craft-a-Bot kit is innovative because, it: • is open source; • uses 3D printed pieces; • has a free, user library of 3D pieces on Thingiverse;

We have uploaded all of our 3D printed designs onto Thingiverse, an online universe of 3D designs created by users all over the world. Available designs can be downloaded from http://www.thingiverse.com/GEARED_UP/designs/. More than 300 of the 3D printed have been downloaded so far by different group of Thingiverse users. For more details about parts library and download statistics, please refer to Appendix C and Appendix D.

Team Geared UP! encourages everyone to upload their 3D designs to the

Craft-a-Bot’s 3D printed pieces library. So go for it! Share your brilliant ideas with the world! Once uploaded, Team Geared UP!, will review and approve your design, and then add it to the Craft-a-Bot 3D Pieces Library.

http://www.thingiverse.com/GEARED_UP/designs/


Sample Robot Models Built using the Craft-a-Bot Kit


Manufacturing & Implementation Plan Our manufacturing plan consists of the following phases:

Phase 1 - Continue Prototype Field Testing – Build-A-Bot Workshops

Phase 2 - Consolidate Prototype Feedback Phase 3 - Incorporate Feedback into “Craft-a-Bot” kit Phase 4 - Finalize Component Supply and Pricing (for

bulk quantities)

Phase 1 - Prototype Field testing (currently underway)

Build-A-Bot Workshops (2 sessions held at Rust Library, Leesburg, VA)


Build-A-Bot Workshops – Parents Information Sheets


Build-A-Bot Workshops – Kids Building the Robots

Pictures from Build-A-Bot Workshop at Rust Library, Leesburg, VA


Summit or Plummet – Game to test Craft-a-Bot and teach SOL topics


Phase 2 - Consolidate Prototype Field Testing Feedback

During the workshop the participant were tested with a simple Pre and

posttest standard questions about robotics, see the below one example for one

child.


Phase 3 - Incorporate Feedback into “Craft-a-Bot” We want to make our robot arduino compatible so kids have the feature of

programming their robot including controlling it with a controller In the future we want to partner up with a company which uses cardboard

everyday like amazon, we will ask them to have basic outlines of our robot on their packages so kids can explore with them.

We also want to partner up with a company to injection mold our 3D printed pieces so it will cut down the cost substantially.

We also want to make more lesson plans for our kit Design more 3d printable/ inject mold parts so we can make our kit

compatible with other famous ones so kids can expand. Try to convince the schools to use them in their current curriculum.

Future Plans for our Craft-a-Bot Kit As we look toward the future, Team Geared UP! has big plans for the

Craft-a-Bot Kit. In addition to continuing to add more 3D pieces to our 3D Online Library, we will also add more lesson plans with the goal of creating an Educator’s Guide to include in our kit.

Our plans also include an Arduino Edition of the kit, which will be affordable for families and educators alike. Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software intended for anyone making interactive projects. For more information on Arduino, go to www.arduino.cc

From our conversations with Mrs. Tosin Adetoro of Northern Virginia SySTEMic Solutions, NVCC, we are now considering opportunities to collaborate with Mrs. Adetoro and her team to help with robotics outreach in the Loudoun community.

Additionally, we would also like to partner with companies who use boxes in their shipping, or packaging process. We think having our Craft-a-Bot cutout templates on cardboard pizza boxes, shipping packages, and moving boxes would be a wonderful way to get kids started with our kit and with building robots! We will be focusing on creating these partnerships throughout 2014-2015, and hope to have a partner within the year.

Another exciting future plan is to exhibit our kit at the National Science and Engineering Festival Expo in Washington, DC, in April 16 & 17, 2016. The festival is the largest and only national science festival in the country and we think it would be a great way to connect our kit to students, families, and educators! Additional Expo info is at: http://www.usasciencefestival.org.

http://www.arduino.cc/

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/


Phase 4 - Finalize Component Supply and Pricing

Notes: 1. Control Switch (DPDT On Off On Panel Mount PC Terminal .4v@20 VAC/DC) – Pricing obtained for 100 units from http://www.jameco.com/

2. DC Motor - Pricing from China based e-Bay seller gloriadiy based on a quantity of 110 units 3. Electrical Snap Connectors – package of 5 for $2.99 radioshack.com/heavy-duty-9v-snap-connectors/2700324.html#q=snap%2Bconnectors&start=7 4. 3-D Green PLA filament pricing info from http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/

http://www.jameco.com/


Presentation

Sharing We shared the details of our “Innovative Solution” including a demonstration of our prototype with

Loudoun County Residents - In a Public education / Field Testing at the Rust library in Leesburg VA (2 sessions)


Dr. Nathalia Piexoto – Professor, George Mason University (GMU) Fairfax, VA

Mrs. Tosin Adetoro – STEM Coordinator NVCC, Sterling VA Shared all the designed 3D models with Thinkgiverse users Be-Go-Botics FLL team. Shared with FLL teams during Haymarket Regional

Tournament on Nov 22nd

Our team is invited by GIT to demo the Craft-a-Bot Kit


Appendix A – Additional Resources Used

Videos/Movies:

The Art of Tinkering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUa9ZSG80HE

Portfolio Tools http://www.slideshare.net/jasmith1113/a-showcase-of-open-source-portfolio-implementations

What Can Kids Learn By Doing Dangerous Things? http://www.npr.org/2014/08/01/335303653/what-can-kids-learn-by-doing-dangerous-things

http://www.tinkeringschool.com/

http://www.fiftydangerousthings.com/

Books:

Warwick, Sarah. What Is. S.l.: Rigby Interactive Library, 1998. Web.

Journal Articles:

Novkovski, Nenad. "PBL: Dilemmas and Questions." PROJECT-BASED LEARNING: DILEMMAS AND QUESTIONS! (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

2. "Literature Review on PBL." Literature Review on Project-Based Learning (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Resources. "50 Ways to Integrate Technology for PBL and Student Projects." 50 Ways to Integrate Technology for PBL and Student Projects (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Academic Competitiveness Council. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education, 2007. Web.

Professor, Associate, and UniversityE Of Virginia. "Examination of PLTW."AN EXAMINATION OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Arning., P21 Framework Definitions, Publication Date: 12/09, and Pag. "P21 Framework Definitions." 21st CENTURY STUDENT OUTCOMES(n.d.): n. pag. Web.

?. "Planning for You PBL Unit." Abpc (n.d.): n. pag. Web. With, Begin, The End, In Mind, and Craft The. "Introduction to

PBL."INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT BASED LEARNING (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUa9ZSG80HE

http://www.slideshare.net/jasmith1113/a-showcase-of-open-source-portfolio-implementations

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/01/335303653/what-can-kids-learn-by-doing-dangerous-things

http://www.tinkeringschool.com/

http://www.fiftydangerousthings.com/


Kiwi (Kids Invent With Imagination) Robotics Construction Kit Research Prototype. "KIWI (Kids Invent with Imagination) Robotics Construction Kit Research Prototype." What Is in the KIWI Set? (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

"Robot Kits." A Guide to the Best Robot Kits Available. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

3, Volume. "Robotics in Education." Robotics in Education EJournal (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Les, Robotics In Kindergarten:, Preschool Education Program, and March 2012. "Robotics in Kindergarten." Robotics in Kindergarten (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Journal Of Research On Technology In Education,. "Robotics as Means to Increase Achievement Scores in an Informal Learning Environment."Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(3), 229–243 Robotics as Means to Increase Achievement Scores in an Informal Learning Environment (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

1., 2., and 2. "Teaching Robotics to Primary School Children." The Engineers of Tomorrow Teaching Robotics to Primary School Children (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Amanda Sullivan, Elizabeth R. Kazakoff, And Marina Umashi Bers. "Robotics Curriculum in Pre-Kindergarten." The Wheels on the Bot Go Round and Round: Robotics Curriculum in Pre-Kindergarten(n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Default. "Teachers as Designers: Integrating Robotics in Early Childhood Education." Bers (n.d.): n. pag.

Web Sites:

O'Brien, Sara Ashley. "6 Things You Need to Know about STEM."CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"Five Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning." Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"IMEJ Article - Using LEGO Robotics in a Project-Based Learning Environment." IMEJ Article - Using LEGO Robotics in a Project-Based Learning Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

A Robot in Every Korean Kindergarten by 2013? N.p., n.d. Web. About BIE. BIE, n.d. Web.


"These Play-i Toy Robots Teach Kindergarten-Age Kids How to Code (VIDEO)." Headlines Global News RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

"Intel to Bring 3D Printed Robot Kits to Market This Year." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"Pro-Bot." Pro-Bot. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "Hummingbird Robotics Kit." Hummingbird Robotics Kit. N.p., n.d. Web.

03 Nov. 2014. "KIBO: Young Kids Programming Robots with Wooden

Blocks."Kickstarter. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "KinderLab Robotics Store." KinderLab Robotics, Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 03

Nov. 2014. “SuperEasy-A4S." Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "Educational Robotics." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct.

2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "What Is a Servo?" What Is a Servo? N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "A Robot in Every Korean Kindergarten by 2013?" Singularity HUB.

N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. "Robots in the Classroom: What Are They Good For?" MindShift. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "Design, Story-Telling, and Robots in Irish Primary Education." IEEE

Xplore. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "Computers and Education." Computational Thinking and Tinkering:

Exploration of an Early Childhood Robotics Curriculum. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"Robotics Teaching in Primary School Education by Project Based Learning." Robotics Teaching in Primary School Education by Project Based Learning for Supporting Science and Technology Courses. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

"SuperEasy-A4S." Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. "Educational Robotics." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct.

2014. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.


Appendix B – Detailed Review of Existing Solutions

Cubelets $519.95 - Robot with magnets to

connect to each other

for different functions

- Can be played as

blocks by kids

Matrix

Robotics Kit

$499.00 - Aluminum robotics

building system that is

fully compatible with

Lego Mindstorms

system

- Not for beginners.

Requires a lot of

programming.

Kinderlab

robotics kit

(KIBO)

$399

(KIBO 18

kit)

- KIBO is a robot kit specifically designed for young children aged 4-7 years old

- KIBO does not require any kind of electronics

- KIBO has a lot of designs but it is not completely open source


VEX $399.99 - Robotics kit made with

metal based of code

- Durable, sandbox,

universal

Mindstorms

EV3

$349.99 - Robot purely based off

of programming and

built with lLgo pieces

- Many ways to build it

Parallax

Boe-Bot

$159.99 - Kits with integrated

microcontroller

containing digital and

analog pins

- Autonomous - Touch,

light and infrared

sensors let the Boe-Bot

navigate on its own

Robotics

Shield Kit

(for

Arduino)

$129.95 - Programmable with

Arduino. Open platform

- Exposed circuitry

allows you to learn and

create your own

electronic circuits

- Additional sensors and

hardware expansion

kits are available


OLLO $79.90 - Has base robot frame but it is universally usable

- The robot is made out of blocks

- You can easily use the kit to build different objects which go along with your lesson

- For example to teach the principles of pulleys you can build a tower crane

PanyaBot $30.93 - For kids aged 7-18 who are curious about engineering, math, and science

- Its main frame is formed from an old USB PC mouse and the motors are recycled from old DVD players

- Without communications and computing, the robot is low as $7.55

Tin Can

Robot -

Green

science kit

$14.99 - Use a recycled can to

make a Tin Can Robot

- Does not teach robotics

http://www.amazon.com/OLLO-Starter-Kit/dp/B00797EJF4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414944263&sr=8-2&keywords=ollo+robot+kit


KIWI (Kids

Invent with

imagination)

Not

Available

for

Purchase

- Enables kids aged from 5-7 to engage in robotics activities

- It is not open source as there is a limit to what you can build with the kit

- The programming language used to program the robot is called CHERP ( Creative Hybrid Environment for Robotic Programming).

Play-i Toy Play-i Bo

$149

Play-i

Yana

$49

- It teaches kids programming concepts through stories at an early age

EngKey $8,700 - This robot helps teach English to older kids in South Korea

- Very strict - This robot’s only

function is to teach English


Appendix C – Our 3-D Printable Parts Library on

Thingiverse.com


Appendix D – Our 3-D Parts - Auto CAD / Repetier


Appendix E – Wiring Diagram for Craft-a-Bot Controller

team 168 geared up! – research...

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