As part of the MoonBots competition, we have also been working with other organizations to spread the word about what we are doing, and learn from the experts.

The LegoAces have had a long-standing working relationship with the Google Lunar X-Prize team Team Frednet. When the GLXP was announced after SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X-Prize, we were eager to get involved and learn more. 

As an open source team with a goal of engaging the world in Moon 2.0, we have been working directly with Frednet Engineers, Scientists and Mission Managers since 2008. We participated in collaborative discussions on rover design, mission control and remote operations. We even created a robot called PicoLego, our robot in a fishbowl:

We also created other Lego rover mock-ups to simulate the dynamics and control of moon exploring robots. This interaction has helped us learn about the many challenges that come with the real world of lunar exploration. Our collaboration on a remote operations demonstration using Lego Mindstorms helped lead to our current MoonBase Lego project. 

We're looking forward to continued collaboration with Frednet so we can be a part of the return to the moon. We have the opportunity to place our work as a demonstration platform with the International Lunar Research Park that is being built in Hawaii. We will be unveiling MoonBase Lego as a great possibility for teaching people around the world about remote rover operations and the future of lunar exploration in a fun and exciting way.

The Frednet webpage:

http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/frednet