The 16 teams competing in the scrimmage are members of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with science and technology to create a unique varsity sport for the mind. FIRST helps high school students discover the rewarding and engaging process of innovation and engineering.

“This showcase by FIRST gives visitors a chance to get an up-close look at real world robotics and what the possibilities and limitations are in a really fun and dynamic way,” said David Perry, OMSI lead educator for the Technology Lab.

Teams are challenged to maneuver their robot around a race course and lift a large Swiss-style exercise ball seven feet in the air over a cross bar. Robots must be less than five feet tall and approximately 2’ x 3’ on their sides and weigh less than 120 pounds, not including the 12V battery.

This OMSI event is a chance for parents, students, mentors, and sponsors to learn about FIRST and to get information about joining local teams or starting one of their own. Warning: Getting involved with FIRST can be habit forming! More information can be found at www.pnwfirst.org.

The scrimmage will be held in OMSI’s Auditorium from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. Admission to this event is free.

ABOUT OMSI
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums, a world-class tourist attraction, and an award-winning educational resource for the kid in each of us. OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. For general information, call 503.797.4000 or visit www.omsi.edu

[OMSI press release]

Our team members have been involved in a number of volunteer activities lately. To list just a few:

• Knights of Pythias Food Bank
• Oregon Food Bank
• FreeGeek
• VA Hospital
• Ivy pulling at Forest Park

We’re always seeking more volunteerism oppertunities!

No unfinished business that we know of. We still need to get the minutes for the previous meeting from Katmarie.

Tell people about the meetings – We need to post to the list before meetings. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Pronunciation of Mennenbach’s name. Mon-in-bought.

In the small engines room – We can leave projects out, but the tools need to be racked in an orderly fashion. The tools in the room we will mostly not be using, as they are not optimal for our task. There is a network hookup. We expect to have the whole auto shop (4 bays) in the second quarter or so.

Cleveland starting a team – Mr. Landers is panicking. Platt Electric, or someone in there, wants to have a team. Cleveland, as his alma mater, is the primary choice. CHS itself has found a teacher who is interested (Ms. Perky) but the school doesn’t seem to have the resources. There is interest, but not means.
We plan to meet with the teacher and the rep. of Platt to discuss pooling resources in to a single team. We will try to communicate to them the facilities and experience we have.
Mr. Swofford may be hired.

Knight in shining armor fell over.

Ivy cutting – team members should go. The people that gave us $3500 last year are very interested in seeing that we are involved in the community.

Article should go on website about the food bank, w/ pictures.

We discussed the letter to prospective sponsors. It needs better statistics, but is a good start. Mention how this is an international program.

Router will be very quietly mounted in the ceiling. We don’t know how it got up there. It’s a mystery to us. We will protect the network and disable SSID broadcast to avoid anyone noticing us.

Security is a definite concern in the shop downstairs. We should make personal IDs and keep an eye on who is there.

Budget meeting should be on not Wednesdays. Monday 5:30.

Presentation should be finished.

Pat has an issue with people and cuddling. No cuddling near big pieces of spinning equipment. Careful on the safety issue. Pat doesn’t want to see it.

Alec has no right to cuddling. Because he’s a vegetarian.

We’ll have a mini fridge soon.

This is progress!

jc

Alert to parents: We will need pool noodles next year for bumpers! Since they’re generally only on sale during the summer, we would appreciate it if everyone could buy one or two while they’re available, and donate them to the team so that we won’t have to attempt to find them in the dead of winter when nobody wants pool noodles.

The new controller board is almost finished and is looking beautiful. J/k. It’s actually looking a bit chunky and dangerous, but will be beautiful when it’s finished, or so says Jacob.

• Workshops and classes
• Team Classroom
• Team Photo
• Team Logo
• Thank You Letters
• New Team Name
• Recruiting

Minutes after the break

Minutes taken by Katmarie:

05.01.2008

Robotics Oversight Committee Meeting Minutes

Attending:
Cameron Frisby
Jakob Bandes-Storch
Alex Karp
Jesse Crawford
Fritz Staats
Alan Lohcamp
Pat Lohcamp
Kat Murray

Meeting Facilitator/Chairperson:
Cameron Frisby

Team Logo:
Jesse & Jakob said, “We Need A Team Logo.”

Thank You Letters
Thank you letters for previous Sponsors have been drafted, distributed for perusal
and approved by the representing teammates.
After they are mail-merged, printed, signed by teammates, accompanied by team
photo, the tentative timeframe for mail-out is next week.
Kat will be posting merged letters (.doc) & data (.xls) to the Yahoo Group, using
Word & Excel.

Suggestions for attracting new members:
· Pat suggested hanging honey outside the door.
· Jesse suggested placing an article in the Clarion.
· Jesse suggested Principal approval for hanging posters in Franklin H.S.

Summary:
□ Goals set to begin classes/workshops to build skills across the entire team.
□ Inquiry to be made regarding the availability of Classroom #106.
□ Team Photo tentatively scheduled.
□ Team Logo is needed.
□ Sponsor Thank You letters to be mailed out.
□ New Team name was shared with us that are unable to attend the daily meetings.
□ Suggestions made to attract/recruit new team members.

Cameron Frisby will be chairing our next meeting.
Thursday, May 15^th, 6-7pm
Roundtable Pizza
6250 SE Foster Road
Portland, OR 97206

• New FRC controllers
• Demo to Hankin’s Hardware
• Thank you letter with team photo
• Demo presentation Materials
• Changes in the school for wood shop and metal shop
• Letter to district about Mr. Swofford
• Jacob’s list of members
• Runnin’ Robots
• Being too busy
• Things to Do

Minutes as typed by Fritz Staats:

Attending:
Jacob Bandes-Storch (Crew Chief)
Jessie Crawford (Design Lead)
Alex Karp (Treasurer, representing Cameron Team Captain & Alec Pitt Boss)
Alan Loh Camp (Mentor)
Chris Loh Camp (Mentor)
Pat Loh Camp (Mentor)
Charles Landers (Mentor)
Dennis Swafford (Mentor)
Kat Murray (Mentor)
Frederick Staats (Mentor)

[ed: All attendees were in possession of, and in most cases actively using, at least one pair of pants.]

Oversight Committee next meets:

Camron Frisby Team Captain will chair the meeting
Thursday, May 1 6-7 PM
Round Table Pizza
6250 SE Foster Road
Portland, OR 97206

Discussion Items:
New FRC Controller will be used next year

New programming model
32 bit core, FPGA based IO, Wireless

Demo status

Pat talked to River and initial date didn’t work, Wednesday bad day for Hank’s family
Plan on next demo for Hank’s on Tuesday 29th
Cracked hubs have been an issue, we are OK for now but on our last part

Set screws
Want to have the steel
Too heavy and break easily
Gear cutter and make our own…

Long term new parts…
Need a sponsorship appeal back to owner of McGuire
Logo on robot needs to be better
Ask them if name contact on robotics site…

Thank you and team photograph send out next Tuesday April 22

Kat will draft the thank you letter
Jessie will add team photograph
Contact name and address of sponsors

Hanks
McGuire
Welder Anjula

Demo Presentation Materials

Jessie is working on computer graphics with Jacob

Jacob coordinates
Need full color and simple with low color count
Jacob will work with Amara for new offical logo on teeshirt
Juggling first symbols is an idea
Print it on cool paper and business cards

Price of 250 business cards is $15 dollars (cheaper on sale)
Jessie helps Amara has new machine for cad software

Change in the school distribution for Wood shop and metal shop

State and federal a new laptop
Asking for a scanner and copier

Jessie / pat Letter to the district Mr. Swofford (kind words) for the district by April 22

Leads into the district grant ($6K)

Jacob list of members to Mr. Landers by April 22

Jessie continue team census

Fritz List of stuff for donations (will start a thread on the web site)

Jessie with help get the CAD software to Amara Michaels

Runn’ Robots
Battery back for controller
Finish repairs (2 days) estimate
Need more work than Matt drilling holes
Need basic knowledge in physical skills and writing programs

Talk about being too busy (led by Jacob & Jessie)

Monday Democratic party of Oregon DNS failed (all evening)
No excuse
Wednesday / Thursday / Friday future business leaders of America…

Things to do

CVS for the robot
Design something and make it on the CNC machine
Metal shop next year is recommended
Excuses and organization of uses

Web design didn’t work
Minutes… Jessie will publish on team site
Feedback on forms… Kat will talk to Steve Matthews
Temporary metal beaver swoosh is ok for now

Pat has no clue, will update next meeting

Next steps

Nathan / Jessie polish presentation
Jessie’s Dad Alex and business plan
Lesslie’s (8th grader) is on the sheet on the first list

Set some kind of date (start doing classes)

Programming
Wooding
Metal shopping

Electronics room 106 (cleanup help) set dates next Oversight committee meeting