Boy Scout airfest 2014 - romeoville, il - august 9th, 2014
The Rainbow Council of the Boy Scouts put on a new event on the grounds of Lewis University in Romeoville, IL on August 9th. It was called Airfest 2014
Air Fest 2014 is an aviation focused Scout Camporee. It hosted 3265 scouts at this inaugural event. The event was held the weekend of August 8-10, 2014, - welcoming scouts and scouters from, across the Midwest. The purpose of the event is to expose scouts, ages 8-21, to all that the field of aviation has to offer.
Partenering with the Lewis University to expose the scouts to higher education as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and how both are essential to a career in aviation. As part of the STEM education component, FIRST was contacted and asked to field some teams for a robotics program demonstration. FLL, FTC and FRC were represented at this event by the following teams:
FLL: FTC: FRC:
Titanium Ducks Crazy Eights Huskie Robotics
Toyminators Cyborg Eagles Porter Bots
We were set up on a tennis court under a tent provided by BSA Troop 107. The young scouts filtered through the FIRST display throughout the day. One member of the FRC teams also brought out his personal quadcopter which provided an added level of interest.
Partenering with the Lewis University to expose the scouts to higher education as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and how both are essential to a career in aviation. As part of the STEM education component, FIRST was contacted and asked to field some teams for a robotics program demonstration. FLL, FTC and FRC were represented at this event by the following teams:
FLL: FTC: FRC:
Titanium Ducks Crazy Eights Huskie Robotics
Toyminators Cyborg Eagles Porter Bots
We were set up on a tennis court under a tent provided by BSA Troop 107. The young scouts filtered through the FIRST display throughout the day. One member of the FRC teams also brought out his personal quadcopter which provided an added level of interest.
Airfest 2014 pictures
MILAN'S MACHINING - CICERO, IL - AUGUST 9TH, 2014
Jeff McKay, a machinist at Milan's Machining spoke with us at the State competition and invited us to take a tour of where he works. He told us how he started at Milan's when he was very young, as a floor sweeper. Over the years he's worked his way up, taking on various jobs and now works as a machinist. He commented that he was one of the youngest machinist working there, explaining that since the trade school's have been closing down, it has been difficult for the company to find young people interested in the field. This comment struck a chord with us since FIRST also came into being as a result of shrinking populations in the science and technology fields.
3D printers are very popular right now, but the affordable ones will only print in plastic. As a robotics team, we often wish we could make something from metal to accomplish a special task. Our tour today showed us what it takes to make make very precise pieces in metal. They were holding tolerances less than 1/3 the width of a hair on pieces the size of large garbage cans, weighing about as much as our car... very impressive!.
We were met by Jeff McKay and Mike Rizzo outside of the plant. We brought our robot and put on a demonstration for Jeff, Mike and the Milan's employees. The tour started in their quality control inspection lab where their manufacturing tolerances are verified. We saw some examples of the finished pieces and the drawings that the machinists work from. We learned that not all pieces are made from solid stock. Where possible material is kept to a minimum by constructing sub-assemblies which are welded together and then machined as a whole. It takes a whole team of people with various background and training to determine the size of the stock, the method that will be used to machine it, the order of work necessary so that the machining can be done, the amount of time the job will take, and how much material will need to be ordered. All of these processes are typed up, cataloged, estimated and then provided to the machinist as a list of procedures to follow. The bar code the procedure and scan it at the beginning and end of each step. Time is tracked and the procedure is modified as problems or solutions are discovered.
We learned how much control each machinist has over the process. He is an integral part of the team, providing feedback to the engineers who perform the initial calculations.
The work environment is very clean and organized. While some of the work is still done manually on the lathes, repetitive processes which involve a lot of tooling changes are sent to the CNC machining centers. It may take several weeks to set up a machining process, write the code and optimize all the various factors such as tool head speed, but once done, the machine can take over and machine the entire piece in a matter of hours. This increases productivity and reduces cost. The results are impressively repeatable. Sometimes, however, the raw material isn't consistent enough to cooperate with such a repeatable process. They frequently mentioned the need to heat treat the material before the process begins to eliminate stress in the material or after any welding. With such tight tolerances, these stresses can actually cause the machined part to change shape after material is removed.
We also saw examples of machines which grind or polish the finished pieces. They are able to put a mirror finish on the metal at extremely tight tolerances. The size of these machines is impressive.
During the walking tour, we learned what the difference is between a lathe (where the material turns) and a mill (where the tool turns). We saw many examples of pieces undergoing both processes. It was particularly fun to see the process move from raw material through the various operations, and turn into a finished product. There is a beauty to the final piece, but like anything, the more you know, the more you can appreciate. We spent some time looking at the finished pieces at the beginning of the tour and then again at the end, but the most time was spent at the end, with each of us examining the final product with a critical eye as we reviewed the steps involved to create it.
Toward the end of the tour, we saw their welding facility as well as their cutting capabilities. Able to cut metal by heat or abrasion, they listed Oxygen cutting, Plasma cutting, Water Jet and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) as part of Milan's capability. Each process has its benefits and limitations. To our surprise, the Water Jet was cutting some nameplates for our team when we arrived, so we could see the process in action. This was very exciting! We are going to add some plates to our robot's shipping crate and once we find out this year's game, they may even become part of the new robot.
Mike and Jeff were great hosts. They were very generous with their time and gifts. Thank you guys!
They sent us home with a brief history of their company and their desire to attract young people to the industry.
3D printers are very popular right now, but the affordable ones will only print in plastic. As a robotics team, we often wish we could make something from metal to accomplish a special task. Our tour today showed us what it takes to make make very precise pieces in metal. They were holding tolerances less than 1/3 the width of a hair on pieces the size of large garbage cans, weighing about as much as our car... very impressive!.
We were met by Jeff McKay and Mike Rizzo outside of the plant. We brought our robot and put on a demonstration for Jeff, Mike and the Milan's employees. The tour started in their quality control inspection lab where their manufacturing tolerances are verified. We saw some examples of the finished pieces and the drawings that the machinists work from. We learned that not all pieces are made from solid stock. Where possible material is kept to a minimum by constructing sub-assemblies which are welded together and then machined as a whole. It takes a whole team of people with various background and training to determine the size of the stock, the method that will be used to machine it, the order of work necessary so that the machining can be done, the amount of time the job will take, and how much material will need to be ordered. All of these processes are typed up, cataloged, estimated and then provided to the machinist as a list of procedures to follow. The bar code the procedure and scan it at the beginning and end of each step. Time is tracked and the procedure is modified as problems or solutions are discovered.
We learned how much control each machinist has over the process. He is an integral part of the team, providing feedback to the engineers who perform the initial calculations.
The work environment is very clean and organized. While some of the work is still done manually on the lathes, repetitive processes which involve a lot of tooling changes are sent to the CNC machining centers. It may take several weeks to set up a machining process, write the code and optimize all the various factors such as tool head speed, but once done, the machine can take over and machine the entire piece in a matter of hours. This increases productivity and reduces cost. The results are impressively repeatable. Sometimes, however, the raw material isn't consistent enough to cooperate with such a repeatable process. They frequently mentioned the need to heat treat the material before the process begins to eliminate stress in the material or after any welding. With such tight tolerances, these stresses can actually cause the machined part to change shape after material is removed.
We also saw examples of machines which grind or polish the finished pieces. They are able to put a mirror finish on the metal at extremely tight tolerances. The size of these machines is impressive.
During the walking tour, we learned what the difference is between a lathe (where the material turns) and a mill (where the tool turns). We saw many examples of pieces undergoing both processes. It was particularly fun to see the process move from raw material through the various operations, and turn into a finished product. There is a beauty to the final piece, but like anything, the more you know, the more you can appreciate. We spent some time looking at the finished pieces at the beginning of the tour and then again at the end, but the most time was spent at the end, with each of us examining the final product with a critical eye as we reviewed the steps involved to create it.
Toward the end of the tour, we saw their welding facility as well as their cutting capabilities. Able to cut metal by heat or abrasion, they listed Oxygen cutting, Plasma cutting, Water Jet and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) as part of Milan's capability. Each process has its benefits and limitations. To our surprise, the Water Jet was cutting some nameplates for our team when we arrived, so we could see the process in action. This was very exciting! We are going to add some plates to our robot's shipping crate and once we find out this year's game, they may even become part of the new robot.
Mike and Jeff were great hosts. They were very generous with their time and gifts. Thank you guys!
They sent us home with a brief history of their company and their desire to attract young people to the industry.
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Techweek chicago - first booth - june 27th, 2014
FIRST had a booth for FLL, FTC and FRC on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at TechWeek. It was a huge area in a great location. Cyborg Eagles brought their robot and demo'd during the entire show on Friday. Crazy Eights set up the game field on Thursday and left their robots at the show, so we positioned one of their robots on the chin-up bar and the other at the flag. Although the robots weren't energized, this was great for answering questions about the game and how points are earned. Of course we drove our robot around the field and picked up blocks to attract attention.
The crowd at TechWeek consisted mostly of 20 and 30 year old adults. Some were parents who asked questions because they are interested in providing a STEM experience for their children. Others thought robots were cool and had a more general interest in the program. We encouraged all to find a team and volunteer as a mentor, coach, or special skill volunteer.
The Expo was interesting and had a very high energy level. The floor was set up with many bar height tables for impromptu meetings and social gatherings. The buzz and excitement of the attendees was evident. There seemed to be a great deal of networking happening throughout the show. It is always fun to hear about the new ideas and then seem them become a reality during the upcoming year.
The crowd at TechWeek consisted mostly of 20 and 30 year old adults. Some were parents who asked questions because they are interested in providing a STEM experience for their children. Others thought robots were cool and had a more general interest in the program. We encouraged all to find a team and volunteer as a mentor, coach, or special skill volunteer.
The Expo was interesting and had a very high energy level. The floor was set up with many bar height tables for impromptu meetings and social gatherings. The buzz and excitement of the attendees was evident. There seemed to be a great deal of networking happening throughout the show. It is always fun to hear about the new ideas and then seem them become a reality during the upcoming year.
Boy Scouts STEM-O-rama at kane county fair grounds - May 17th, 2014
FIRST was represented at STEM-O-Rama. Tents and fields were set up for FLL, FTC and FRC. Cyborg Eagles shared a FTC booth with GotRobot? for the day. It had been raining all week so we were a little concerned going into Saturday. The weather was cool with a light breeze and the sun was out, so everyone was in good spirits. Not bad for an outdoor event.
This was the Three Fires Council first STEM event of this kind. Many different speakers were brought to the presentation stages. Our favorite was meeting Dr. Bob Ballard and hearing him describe how he used technology and robotics to develop a "telepresence" for both education and research.
In the past, when his team performed deep sea searches, the travel time down and back up could take up to five hours. By developing remotely controlled vehicles and improving communications, they have been able to eliminate the "commute" and just keep the unmanned submersible on the bottom doing its job, while teams of researchers man the controls in four hour shifts around the clock. If something is found, a specialist in whatever field is required, can be brought on-line within thirty minutes from anywhere in the world, by using satellite communications, conferencing and remote video feeds. This minimizes down time or "hang time" where a specialist might otherwise be brought on board the ship, only to be waiting for a discovery to be made.
Dr. Ballard also uses this technology to broadcast, in real time, all of the data and video feeds back to his grad students at his research facility. Students can follow along with what is happening on the ship and add their own perspective to the activities.
In honor of his own fortunate internship opportunity when he was 17, which is what ignited his passion, Dr. Ballard has instituted a scholarship program for an Eagle Scout who is in his Junior year, to be brought to the Oceanic Exporaton Trust for an all expenses paid internship with the Ballard Team and a $5,000 scholarship. The program is called the 2014 Robert Ballard Sea Eagle Award.
http://calumetcouncil.org/Documents/2014/BSAF%20Sea%20Eagle%20Award.pdf
http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/#!jason-learning/cvxf
On June 11th, the Nautilus will begin live streaming as the Nautilus begins exploring off the coast of Florida. The've set up a website where you can explore the ocean LIVE with Dr. Robert Ballard and his Corps of Explorers aboard E/V Nautilus. For more information see their website at: http://www.nautiluslive.org/
This was the Three Fires Council first STEM event of this kind. Many different speakers were brought to the presentation stages. Our favorite was meeting Dr. Bob Ballard and hearing him describe how he used technology and robotics to develop a "telepresence" for both education and research.
In the past, when his team performed deep sea searches, the travel time down and back up could take up to five hours. By developing remotely controlled vehicles and improving communications, they have been able to eliminate the "commute" and just keep the unmanned submersible on the bottom doing its job, while teams of researchers man the controls in four hour shifts around the clock. If something is found, a specialist in whatever field is required, can be brought on-line within thirty minutes from anywhere in the world, by using satellite communications, conferencing and remote video feeds. This minimizes down time or "hang time" where a specialist might otherwise be brought on board the ship, only to be waiting for a discovery to be made.
Dr. Ballard also uses this technology to broadcast, in real time, all of the data and video feeds back to his grad students at his research facility. Students can follow along with what is happening on the ship and add their own perspective to the activities.
In honor of his own fortunate internship opportunity when he was 17, which is what ignited his passion, Dr. Ballard has instituted a scholarship program for an Eagle Scout who is in his Junior year, to be brought to the Oceanic Exporaton Trust for an all expenses paid internship with the Ballard Team and a $5,000 scholarship. The program is called the 2014 Robert Ballard Sea Eagle Award.
http://calumetcouncil.org/Documents/2014/BSAF%20Sea%20Eagle%20Award.pdf
http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.org/#!jason-learning/cvxf
On June 11th, the Nautilus will begin live streaming as the Nautilus begins exploring off the coast of Florida. The've set up a website where you can explore the ocean LIVE with Dr. Robert Ballard and his Corps of Explorers aboard E/V Nautilus. For more information see their website at: http://www.nautiluslive.org/
The purpose of this website isn't to evaluate outreach events but I would have to give kudos to Three Fires Council for putting on a great showing of STEM related topics and products in a fun and educational way. In addition to a "learn to fly" exibit, there were quadcopters, robotic insects, SWAT robots, underwater robotics presented by the Shed Aquarium and an indoor display area that had the flavor of a grown-up science fair. It was a lot of fun and much to play with.
STEM-O-Rama
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Scouts, their families and the general public are invited to STEM-O-Rama held at the Kane County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm showcasing over 100 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math exhibits. Special guest appearance by Dr. Robert Ballard, National Geographic Explorer - discovered the Titanic. The event will include over 100 exhibits, & a representative from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate will discuss the NASA STEM Outreach
• The Shedd Aquarium with demonstrate underwater robots
• The University of Chicago’s Neuroscience Lab on Wheels. Dance to brain-generated music and colors.
• Fermi Lab’s own Mr. Freeze. His “A Real Cool Show” – demonstrates Cryogenics
• Challenger Learning Center’s hands-on space science activities
• Mad Lab Industries’ UAV (drone) demonstrations
• SciTech Hands-On Museum’s testing of flight designs using a NASA-designed wind tunnel
• Experimental Aircraft Association’s display of an aircraft
• Loyola University’s hosting Doodle (robotic) cars races
• St. Charles Fires Department’ display of a Fire Truck
• 1st Division Museum at Cantigny’s display of historic Military vehicles
I'll close this update with another STEM resource link: http://www.jason.org/
Jason embed's exciting STEM professionals and cutting-edge research into award-winning, standards-aligned in and out-of-school curricula. Live webcasts connect students with inspirational STEM role models.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Scouts, their families and the general public are invited to STEM-O-Rama held at the Kane County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm showcasing over 100 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math exhibits. Special guest appearance by Dr. Robert Ballard, National Geographic Explorer - discovered the Titanic. The event will include over 100 exhibits, & a representative from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate will discuss the NASA STEM Outreach
• The Shedd Aquarium with demonstrate underwater robots
• The University of Chicago’s Neuroscience Lab on Wheels. Dance to brain-generated music and colors.
• Fermi Lab’s own Mr. Freeze. His “A Real Cool Show” – demonstrates Cryogenics
• Challenger Learning Center’s hands-on space science activities
• Mad Lab Industries’ UAV (drone) demonstrations
• SciTech Hands-On Museum’s testing of flight designs using a NASA-designed wind tunnel
• Experimental Aircraft Association’s display of an aircraft
• Loyola University’s hosting Doodle (robotic) cars races
• St. Charles Fires Department’ display of a Fire Truck
• 1st Division Museum at Cantigny’s display of historic Military vehicles
I'll close this update with another STEM resource link: http://www.jason.org/
Jason embed's exciting STEM professionals and cutting-edge research into award-winning, standards-aligned in and out-of-school curricula. Live webcasts connect students with inspirational STEM role models.
Museum of Science and Industry - chicago, il - April 5th, 2014
Cyborg Eagles spent a wonderful day at the Museum of Science and Industry as part of their National Robot Week where local student and amateur robotics teams were invited to participate in the celebration of robotics and inspire Museum guests about the fun and excitement of robotics.
Saturday April 5th was titled Robot Block Party. Crazy Eights and Cyborg Eagles shared a corner of the top floor of the Museum where we set up a FIRST FTC field and demonstrated the Block Party game from the 2013 / 2014 season. The museum attracted record crowds, giving our team a chance to talk to hundreds of children and parents throughout the day.
Saturday April 5th was titled Robot Block Party. Crazy Eights and Cyborg Eagles shared a corner of the top floor of the Museum where we set up a FIRST FTC field and demonstrated the Block Party game from the 2013 / 2014 season. The museum attracted record crowds, giving our team a chance to talk to hundreds of children and parents throughout the day.
During breaks from the action, the team had a chance to explore the museum and talk to other organizations that brought the interactive displays. There were several bio-medical applications on display, a six legged robot which takes its design from insects for multi-terrain capability, a animated gesture capable cardboard mannequin and some cute comfort robots which reacted to touch. The blink expression was endearing.
In the pictures below where Sarah and Noah are holding their hands in odd positions, look for the prosthetic hand which is mimicking their grips. A sensor band was placed around their forearms to detect muscle movement. The computer senses the signal coming from them and makes the prosthetic hand copy their movements. It was good enough to pick up objects and drop them in a cup.
The Museum of Science and Industry does such a great job pulling together these innovative and talented individuals. We were proud to be part of the program!
In the pictures below where Sarah and Noah are holding their hands in odd positions, look for the prosthetic hand which is mimicking their grips. A sensor band was placed around their forearms to detect muscle movement. The computer senses the signal coming from them and makes the prosthetic hand copy their movements. It was good enough to pick up objects and drop them in a cup.
The Museum of Science and Industry does such a great job pulling together these innovative and talented individuals. We were proud to be part of the program!
The following three videos are very short examples of the hand and the comfort robot.
Nice thank you letter from the Museum of Science and Industry.
DesPlaines Valley Council - BSA - Underwater Robotics (ROV) Judging
We stopped by the Oak Brook pool a few weeks ago to check up on a local underwater robotics team that formed through the local Boy Scout Council as part of their STEM initiative. The club had been meeting for a few months now and had build their ROV's. They were testing them in the swimming pool, so we stopped by.
It was fun to see what they did. As it turned out, we knew a few of the parents and boys. Their robots are remotely controlled from the surface. Some have video cameras on the ROV so you can do some "remote" viewing. Built of PVC and using bilge pump motors, they are very nimble. The contest does not have a size restriction, but in talking to the boys, every team that made a large structure had to rebuild the ROV into a smaller configuration. At some point, the size / stability function gets greater than the motors ability to control and move. We spent the evening comparing robots and exchanging notes with them on FIRST and the FTC competitionis.
After our visit, we received an email from the coordinator, Celeste Pearson asking if we would like to judge their competition try-outs. The judging was similar to a FIRST tournament. The teams made their presentations and explained the design of their ROV to a panel of judges (us). We asked questions and gave them feedback. It was interesting to be on the judges side of the table. We could see better what was effective and what wasn't working in the presentations. It was a valuable experience to have.
In the pool, the teams performed the competition tasks and were timed. Each team had strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the night their strategy was discussed and new teams formed to take advantage of the best robot and the best presenters. Their competition will be held at the Shedd Aqarium on April 27th, 2014. We wish them luck.
It was fun to see what they did. As it turned out, we knew a few of the parents and boys. Their robots are remotely controlled from the surface. Some have video cameras on the ROV so you can do some "remote" viewing. Built of PVC and using bilge pump motors, they are very nimble. The contest does not have a size restriction, but in talking to the boys, every team that made a large structure had to rebuild the ROV into a smaller configuration. At some point, the size / stability function gets greater than the motors ability to control and move. We spent the evening comparing robots and exchanging notes with them on FIRST and the FTC competitionis.
After our visit, we received an email from the coordinator, Celeste Pearson asking if we would like to judge their competition try-outs. The judging was similar to a FIRST tournament. The teams made their presentations and explained the design of their ROV to a panel of judges (us). We asked questions and gave them feedback. It was interesting to be on the judges side of the table. We could see better what was effective and what wasn't working in the presentations. It was a valuable experience to have.
In the pool, the teams performed the competition tasks and were timed. Each team had strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the night their strategy was discussed and new teams formed to take advantage of the best robot and the best presenters. Their competition will be held at the Shedd Aqarium on April 27th, 2014. We wish them luck.
Boy Scout Merit Badge University - york High School - March 1st, 2014
Anyone familiar with the Boy Scouts knows about Merit Badges. For those who don't know, I can sum it up as the "Cliff Notes" to careers and life skills. The boys sign up to study a topic which is covered in a pamphlet. Requirements are laid out in the book and on a worksheet which accompanies the topic. The boys read, study and do projects to fulfill the requirements. When they are ready, they meet with a Merit Badge Counselor who reviews everything and discusses the important elements of the topic. Once everyone is comfortable with the knowledge and accomplishment, the Merit Badge "Blue Card" is signed off.
To make this easier, some council's gather Merit Badge Counselors in one spot for a concentrated day of focus on Merit Badges. For the Three Fires Council, this is called Merit Badge University or "MBU" for short. It happens once a year in March at York High School in Elmhurst. It attracts approximately 2000 boys between the ages of 11 and 18, where they can choose from 102 classes in order to earn Merit Badges.
We brought our robot and field to the MBU on Saturday, March 1st, so that we could introduce FIRST to this group of boys. There was a great deal of interest. We arrived early and set up before the Scouts started arriving. We stayed through their lunch period until the early afternoon. giving hundreds of Scouts a chance to drive the robot and hear about FTC.
We encountered a fair number of Scouts who were already competing in either FTC or FRC. It was fun to share the experiences and compare notes on how each team operates. We keep coming back to a common theme which is the degree of success is proportionate to the level of adult engineering involvement and to the level of funding that the team's are able to secure.
The organizer of MBU asked us to come back again next year, so I think the event worked out well for everyone.
To make this easier, some council's gather Merit Badge Counselors in one spot for a concentrated day of focus on Merit Badges. For the Three Fires Council, this is called Merit Badge University or "MBU" for short. It happens once a year in March at York High School in Elmhurst. It attracts approximately 2000 boys between the ages of 11 and 18, where they can choose from 102 classes in order to earn Merit Badges.
We brought our robot and field to the MBU on Saturday, March 1st, so that we could introduce FIRST to this group of boys. There was a great deal of interest. We arrived early and set up before the Scouts started arriving. We stayed through their lunch period until the early afternoon. giving hundreds of Scouts a chance to drive the robot and hear about FTC.
We encountered a fair number of Scouts who were already competing in either FTC or FRC. It was fun to share the experiences and compare notes on how each team operates. We keep coming back to a common theme which is the degree of success is proportionate to the level of adult engineering involvement and to the level of funding that the team's are able to secure.
The organizer of MBU asked us to come back again next year, so I think the event worked out well for everyone.
FTC Batavia Qualifying Tournament - Sunday Feb 9, 2014
Crazy, I know, but here we are at another event, this time to help out the Robot Lions from the Lyons Township High School, Team 7534.
Their team receive their Tetrix and Lego Education order super late, which was difficult on moral for the team, so they started their season feeling behind. Employing critical thinking, adaptive behavior and strategic decision making, they parlayed their end of October order into a decision to not compete until the last available opportunity, which happened to be this event. As a result, they had three full months of build time, if you don't count a week off for Thanksgiving and two weeks off for Christmas and about a week of weather related school closures, plus club cancellations... OK, they really only had two months to work on their robot, but you learn to adapt, right?
Since Sebastian has done some outreaches with us, we're in communication with him on a regular basis and have offered him whatever help he needs, so when it came down to just a week left, we combined forces to help him get to a competition. He needed a Samantha module, so parts were donated from our robot and kit of parts. When it came down to competition day, he was the only one available to go. Noah and Jonah stepped up to serve as his crew during the competition.
They had a blast. It was fun to help someone out and play the game. The robot, being so "newly minted" was undergoing some intense revisions in the pit. In addition, the Rotolo Middle School's wifi was interfering with the Game Field wifi causing many matches in the morning to go crazy when the connection was dropped by the field controller and the robots kept executing their last instructions. That got sorted out by the field manager, but one of our communication cables developed problem causing much the same behavior in later matches. Reseating all of the cables fixed that problem, but all of this kept us hopping. We even had a gearbox failure to contend with.
When you have to modify or rebuild between matches, the day becomes non-stop excitement. Some good, some bad. What really helps though, is when you finish the fix, go play the next match and have a better bot. That is just a great feeling.
One of the afternoon matches was memorable for Sebastian's defensive play. The Alliance decided to have the Robot Lions just play defense against the Pink Technobots, Team 7007, which had a much larger and heavier robot. Sebastian is normally very laid back and gracious, so we were amazed to see him display a virtuosity of aggression and defense. All fairly done, but so effective and frustrating!
The Robot Lions finished 15th out of a field of 30, which was a solid showing for the first game ever on this robot. It was only ten hours old when we showed up and underwent major surgery between each of it six matches.
We were glad to help Sebastian out. He had fun and learned to never give up, even if it comes down to the last day before competition.
Their team receive their Tetrix and Lego Education order super late, which was difficult on moral for the team, so they started their season feeling behind. Employing critical thinking, adaptive behavior and strategic decision making, they parlayed their end of October order into a decision to not compete until the last available opportunity, which happened to be this event. As a result, they had three full months of build time, if you don't count a week off for Thanksgiving and two weeks off for Christmas and about a week of weather related school closures, plus club cancellations... OK, they really only had two months to work on their robot, but you learn to adapt, right?
Since Sebastian has done some outreaches with us, we're in communication with him on a regular basis and have offered him whatever help he needs, so when it came down to just a week left, we combined forces to help him get to a competition. He needed a Samantha module, so parts were donated from our robot and kit of parts. When it came down to competition day, he was the only one available to go. Noah and Jonah stepped up to serve as his crew during the competition.
They had a blast. It was fun to help someone out and play the game. The robot, being so "newly minted" was undergoing some intense revisions in the pit. In addition, the Rotolo Middle School's wifi was interfering with the Game Field wifi causing many matches in the morning to go crazy when the connection was dropped by the field controller and the robots kept executing their last instructions. That got sorted out by the field manager, but one of our communication cables developed problem causing much the same behavior in later matches. Reseating all of the cables fixed that problem, but all of this kept us hopping. We even had a gearbox failure to contend with.
When you have to modify or rebuild between matches, the day becomes non-stop excitement. Some good, some bad. What really helps though, is when you finish the fix, go play the next match and have a better bot. That is just a great feeling.
One of the afternoon matches was memorable for Sebastian's defensive play. The Alliance decided to have the Robot Lions just play defense against the Pink Technobots, Team 7007, which had a much larger and heavier robot. Sebastian is normally very laid back and gracious, so we were amazed to see him display a virtuosity of aggression and defense. All fairly done, but so effective and frustrating!
The Robot Lions finished 15th out of a field of 30, which was a solid showing for the first game ever on this robot. It was only ten hours old when we showed up and underwent major surgery between each of it six matches.
We were glad to help Sebastian out. He had fun and learned to never give up, even if it comes down to the last day before competition.
FLL State Championship - Saturday Feb 8, 2014
We brought our field to the FLL Tournament at Forest View Fieldhouse, 2121 Goebbert Road in Arlington Heights, IL and joined forces with teams from North Chicago and Highland Park to put on a demo for the FLL teams. Throughout the day, parents stopped by to ask questions about how to get into FTC and what it takes in terms of time and money. We handed out over 50 brochures and spoke to around 200 parents.
Kids who were interested in driving the robot were given a chance to try their hand. A pretty steady stream of kids were available during the day, but the later we stayed the greater the traffic in our booth with both the parents and the kids.
We are burning through gear motors at a rate of one per outreach. The gearboxes keep failing. There are a couple of pictures of our Team replacing the wheel motors, re-tightening wheels and doing other various maintenance on the robot during the day. 9 hours of continuous use is above the duty cycle of this hardware, but it does present a challenge.
Kids who were interested in driving the robot were given a chance to try their hand. A pretty steady stream of kids were available during the day, but the later we stayed the greater the traffic in our booth with both the parents and the kids.
We are burning through gear motors at a rate of one per outreach. The gearboxes keep failing. There are a couple of pictures of our Team replacing the wheel motors, re-tightening wheels and doing other various maintenance on the robot during the day. 9 hours of continuous use is above the duty cycle of this hardware, but it does present a challenge.
Sebastian Hall from the LTHS Robot Lions came with us to the FLL outreach. He is competing tomorrow at the Batavia FTC qualifier and needed to finish up a few builds on his robot.
Noah spent his downtime helping Sebastian. They made a lot of progress. For fun he brought his Lion Mascot who kept an eye on the build.
Noah spent his downtime helping Sebastian. They made a lot of progress. For fun he brought his Lion Mascot who kept an eye on the build.
Community outreach at the Oak Park Public Library - Friday feb 7, 2014
We took a chance on a Friday night pop-up demo at the Oak Park Public Library. What a beautiful facility. They have a huge lobby with a multipurpose space behind the circulation desk, which is where we set up our field. The slide show makes it look like we didn't have many visitors, but you know how it goes, when you have time to take pictures, your not busy and when you're busy, you don't have time to take pictures.
We were interviewed by Judy from the Suburban Life / Shaw Media for a newspaper article. She was delightful to talk to. Judy confessed that she didn't have any prior knowledge of robotics, so she came to this website to get some background on our team and FIRST before the interview. She heard the story of our team and what it takes to function as a robotics team. Since she didn't have any preconceptions, it was fun to get some feedback from her before she left. I am looking forward to reading her article.
We had quite a few knowledgeable parents stop by to talk about robotics competition. We found out that we are in VEX territory. One of the young girls who stopped by was telling us that their Middle School has a robotics club. With her interest, she was able to ask very specific questions. We also fielded questions from parents who home-school their kids. A community based team like ours is the perfect way for home-schoolers to get involved with robotics.
We had a fun and productive evening and would like to come back in the future for a longer weekend engagement.
We were interviewed by Judy from the Suburban Life / Shaw Media for a newspaper article. She was delightful to talk to. Judy confessed that she didn't have any prior knowledge of robotics, so she came to this website to get some background on our team and FIRST before the interview. She heard the story of our team and what it takes to function as a robotics team. Since she didn't have any preconceptions, it was fun to get some feedback from her before she left. I am looking forward to reading her article.
We had quite a few knowledgeable parents stop by to talk about robotics competition. We found out that we are in VEX territory. One of the young girls who stopped by was telling us that their Middle School has a robotics club. With her interest, she was able to ask very specific questions. We also fielded questions from parents who home-school their kids. A community based team like ours is the perfect way for home-schoolers to get involved with robotics.
We had a fun and productive evening and would like to come back in the future for a longer weekend engagement.
Community outreach at the Lagrange public library - weekday feb 6, 2014
The previous Library demo was so successful, we decided to try it during the week to reach the after school crowd. The Library had some other program going on in Youth Services so we set up in the Dierkes Room B which is located on the lower level.
Jane Michaels from the Sun-Times Media and The Doings Newspapers came by to interview the team, take pictures and see the robots in action. We had some children come down to try driving the robots. As always, they are fascinated and focused.
You can read Jane Michaels Sun-Times article by following this link:
http://lagrange.suntimes.com/news/robots-LAG-02102014:article
She also put together a nice video which can be watched here: http://video.suntimes.com/Cyborg-Eagles-Robotics-Team-Demonstration-in-La-Grange-25607023#.UvuuJ_ldXGI
Parents are always surprised about how young JrFLL starts. These girls are kindergardeners and are at the starting age for a JrFLL program. Jane was telling us about the FLL program at the Spring Ave. Elementary School. The parents there are very excited about the benefits of the program.
Jane Michaels from the Sun-Times Media and The Doings Newspapers came by to interview the team, take pictures and see the robots in action. We had some children come down to try driving the robots. As always, they are fascinated and focused.
You can read Jane Michaels Sun-Times article by following this link:
http://lagrange.suntimes.com/news/robots-LAG-02102014:article
She also put together a nice video which can be watched here: http://video.suntimes.com/Cyborg-Eagles-Robotics-Team-Demonstration-in-La-Grange-25607023#.UvuuJ_ldXGI
Parents are always surprised about how young JrFLL starts. These girls are kindergardeners and are at the starting age for a JrFLL program. Jane was telling us about the FLL program at the Spring Ave. Elementary School. The parents there are very excited about the benefits of the program.
Community OUtreach at the LaGrange public Library - Saturday jan 11, 2014
The team set up a partial Block Party field at the LaGrange Public Library in the Youth Services Department on Saturday, January 11th. It was a "pop-up" surprise demo, without much advertising, with the intent of introducing LaGrange to FIRST and our team. We invited the LTHS team 7534 to participate in the event with us.
Everyone had a great time. The youngsters who took a turn at driving the robot were given a robot drivers license which they all seemed very excited to receive.
Everyone had a great time. The youngsters who took a turn at driving the robot were given a robot drivers license which they all seemed very excited to receive.
There is definitely a strong connection between the children and this technology. Even the youngest of children gave the robots a very serious form of respect and put their complete concentration into mastering the driving skills.
We were glad that Sebastian was able to bring the LT robot. Their is smaller than ours and a little easier for the younger kids to control. We ran through a couple of batteries between 11 AM and 3:30 PM.
Close to the end of our stay we had a close call. The flag pole became bound up and we experienced some "magic smoke" rising from the Tetrix DC motor that drives the flag winch. It was sizzling hot. Although we had been limiting motor power for all of the other motors during the day, this one was set to produce full torque. After cooling off, the motor still worked, but we're wondering if we can depend on it for the future. I guess our good deed kept the bad electrical demons at bay.
We talked to many families who owned NXT controllers and the Mindstorms kits but didn't really do much with them. There is a lot of interest in the community for this type of technology and experience. My feeling is that our village could easily field several FLL and JrFLL teams with the proper guidance.
We were glad that Sebastian was able to bring the LT robot. Their is smaller than ours and a little easier for the younger kids to control. We ran through a couple of batteries between 11 AM and 3:30 PM.
Close to the end of our stay we had a close call. The flag pole became bound up and we experienced some "magic smoke" rising from the Tetrix DC motor that drives the flag winch. It was sizzling hot. Although we had been limiting motor power for all of the other motors during the day, this one was set to produce full torque. After cooling off, the motor still worked, but we're wondering if we can depend on it for the future. I guess our good deed kept the bad electrical demons at bay.
We talked to many families who owned NXT controllers and the Mindstorms kits but didn't really do much with them. There is a lot of interest in the community for this type of technology and experience. My feeling is that our village could easily field several FLL and JrFLL teams with the proper guidance.
Grayhill
One of our donors, Gerrel Fountain (of LaGrange Park, IL) invited us to a tour of Grayhill. The Team passes Grayhill every day since it is located right in our neighborhood. The tour was very educational. Behind the brick exterior we found not only engineering offices, but an entire electronics manufacturing and assembly facility.
I think the fact that we really had no idea that the facility is a manufacturing site is a strong testament to what a "good neighbor" Grayhill has been all these years. The building is attractive and quiet on the outside but a powerhouse on the inside.
We brought our demo robot along to show Mr. Fountain. Next to the industrial versions, our little bot was humbled, but hopes to grow up in the FIRST system to be a real competitor.
I think the fact that we really had no idea that the facility is a manufacturing site is a strong testament to what a "good neighbor" Grayhill has been all these years. The building is attractive and quiet on the outside but a powerhouse on the inside.
We brought our demo robot along to show Mr. Fountain. Next to the industrial versions, our little bot was humbled, but hopes to grow up in the FIRST system to be a real competitor.
Grayhill was started in the 1940's as a manufacturer of dip switches and rotary switches, they've stayed in La Grange and grown to be one of the world's leaders in the manufacture of human interface devices. To quote from their website, the "manufacturers intuitive human interface solutions that make life simpler, safer and more efficient. Standard products include optical encoders, rotary switches, keypads, joysticks and pushbuttons; all with finely tuned haptics." They also manufacture assemblies such as "ergonomic panels and product shells that integrate various interface technologies, including displays, touch technology and motion sensing."
We couldn't take pictures in the manufacturing area, but did find that they use a lot of robotics in the process for repetitive or very exacting work. Much of the assembly was still done by hand. These photos were taken in their product display room, which does an impressive job of showing the evolution of their products as well as the variety of applications, from simple interface devices like switches, to medical, industrial, agricultural and military applications.
We couldn't take pictures in the manufacturing area, but did find that they use a lot of robotics in the process for repetitive or very exacting work. Much of the assembly was still done by hand. These photos were taken in their product display room, which does an impressive job of showing the evolution of their products as well as the variety of applications, from simple interface devices like switches, to medical, industrial, agricultural and military applications.
We're still trying to snap a picture of the entire team. Jonah had surgery on his knee today, so he couldn't come. Left to right: Denisse, TJ, Nate, Lucas, Mr. Fountain, Noah and William. The blue smocks were required in the manufacturing area. Static electricity is a big concern around the electronics.
Thank you Mr. Fountain for your generous donation and for taking time to provide our Team with a tour of Grayhill. We enjoyed the experience.
Lyons Township High School - Co-curricular Night
Wednesday, August 21, 2013, Team 7089 attended the Lyons Township High School (LTHS) Co-Curricular night to help draw attention to the "Technology Club" and FIRST Robotics. We brought three NXT robots to demonstrate. Each one ran a slightly different program to show how the robots interact with their environment.
The Tetrix Mantis took on the job of carrying the banner. Since we were on a basketball court, we found it entertaining to have it follow the court lines through the crowds. Even though the gym was "crazy busy" our little guys were never stepped on, or accidentally kicked. It was a bit of an endurance test though for the Lego parts. Toward the end of the evening, we kept finding screws and plastic lego pieces on the floor.
In past years, the Technology Club has not had a robotics team. Although we're an independent team, we felt that the High School could benefit from fielding a FIRST team. After seeing our 'bots, and hearing what is involved, their club voted to join FIRST and start their own team. It was a good feeling to help bring another team on board.
We also had discussions with the Science Olympiad club about helping them with their robotics segment. Science Olympiad competes in a wide variety of competitions relating to different areas of science. They did quite well last year but would have placed higher in the ranking with a more successful robotic arm. We hope to be a resource for them.
The Tetrix Mantis took on the job of carrying the banner. Since we were on a basketball court, we found it entertaining to have it follow the court lines through the crowds. Even though the gym was "crazy busy" our little guys were never stepped on, or accidentally kicked. It was a bit of an endurance test though for the Lego parts. Toward the end of the evening, we kept finding screws and plastic lego pieces on the floor.
In past years, the Technology Club has not had a robotics team. Although we're an independent team, we felt that the High School could benefit from fielding a FIRST team. After seeing our 'bots, and hearing what is involved, their club voted to join FIRST and start their own team. It was a good feeling to help bring another team on board.
We also had discussions with the Science Olympiad club about helping them with their robotics segment. Science Olympiad competes in a wide variety of competitions relating to different areas of science. They did quite well last year but would have placed higher in the ranking with a more successful robotic arm. We hope to be a resource for them.