Competition Over

Posted by Jesse on 6 March 2010 | 0 Comments

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The 2010 competition season is finally over. Despite severe mechanical trouble, we had a good time at competition with a robot that we are proud to say succesfully moved in multiple matches. We look forward to our out-of-season activities, which will commence soon.

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FRC "Coopertition" Scoring Program

Posted by Nathan & Jacob on 6 March 2010 | 0 Comments

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Today at the Oregon Regional while evaluating our team rankings, we took a look at the rules regarding seeding scores. Seeds are determined not by the raw score outcome of each match, but by a convoluted system involving bonus points, "coopertition" and the other alliance's scores. In order to visualize this, we created a LabVIEW VI which shows the raw score and calculated seeded score for each alliance, based on the total points and penalties for each alliance. Both the source code and a windows installer for the compiled executable can be downloaded from our website. If you have any suggestions for improving this VI, please comment!

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2010 Competition Update

Posted by Nathan on 6 March 2010 | 0 Comments

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Our second day of qualification rounds was a mixed bag. The robot was able to compete in all of its matches, however we continued to experience serious mechanical malfunctions which limited its functionality. Unfortunately, we did not qualify or get selected for the semifinals. The robot has been packed up will be returned to the shop. We are currently watching the semifinal eliminations, which is very exciting. 

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2010 Oregon Regional Competition

Posted by Nathan on 5 March 2010 | 0 Comments

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Here we are at the AutoDesk FIRST Robotics Oregon Regional Competition. So far we have had to deal with a few problems, but the robot competed well and we have done well in some of our matches. We are currently fixing a broken axel, but otherwise the robot is in workiong order. As of our most recent match, we were ranked in the middle of the pack. Tomorrow we will find out if we will advance to the semifinals, so stay tuned!

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Field Elements Under Construction

Posted by Jesse on 21 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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We're currently in the process of building the key field elements, including the tower and the bumps (which we have christened the Viper Landing Tubes). Amusingly, the carpet we got for free to cover the carpeted field elements is what can only be described as... hideous. It has bowling pins. and bowling balls. and "Strike" randomly written throughout.

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Parents' meeting synopsis

Posted by Rebecca LohKamp on 15 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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The following is a message from PR Mentor Rebecca LohKamp summarizing the Parents' Meeting of Thursday the 14th.

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Build Progress

Posted by Jesse on 14 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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As of today, we've finalized our robot design and are beginning construction of the chassis and drivetrain. We'll be going back to an older design this year, which will be a nice return to comfortably familiar territory. Things are proceeding well, we're happy to say.

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Competition Manual

Posted by Nathan on 11 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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When brainstorming design ideas, keep in mind that there are many rules governing what the robot can and cannot do. Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the Breakaway Rules, particularly Section 8 (The Robot). Below are some of the major rules which we will have to be aware of. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so before implementing anything major, check the official rules.

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2010 Competition Announced: Breakaway

Posted by Nathan on 9 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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This morning, FIRST officially announced the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition challenge, called Breakaway. This year's competition entails various new challenges, including climbing dividers and lifting robots onto platforms. There is also the standard ball manipulation component. Find out more about this year's competition by watching the 2010 game animation or kickoff video, available from NASA's robotics page. Stay tuned for information detailing our upcoming meeting schedule and other important information.

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Game Hint Two

Posted by Jesse on 7 January 2010 | 0 Comments

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The 2010 competition season Game Hint Two has just been released. It is included below.

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