Highlights from our Ultimate Ascent Season in full HD!
Category Archives: Build Season 2013
Early Week 8 Updates: Weeks 1 and 2 Regionals
Hello! I’ll try to keep it short and sweet this week, since things have been slowing down. I will also start posting the weekly updates on Mondays (and will do more during weeks 3 & 5 regionals). Finally, we will slowly be releasing detailed pages on our robot components (ie. drive train, climbing system, shooting system, etc.). This week, we are releasing our Bumpers!
Monday night was the first time we met since last Tuesday (Bag & Tag Day). We have been busy finishing our practice bot, along with building Kraken during our five work days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). We got ~ 8-9 inches of snow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thank goodness we only got one big storm during build season.
Today I found this really cool app called FRC Megaphone built by Zach Orr of 2337. This app lets you receive updates via text message (and coming soon, email) that lets you know how we did after each match at our 2 regionals during weeks 3 and 5. To receive updates, follow us on Twitter or Facebook!
Regionals
Since this is Week 1 Regionals, I figured I might share where you can watch FRC matches from the comfort of your own home (aka in your pajamas in front of the fireplace staying warm) tomorrow and Saturday, along with Week 2 Regionals that start on 2/8 and go through 2/9. You can find all the listed details on TBA’s Event page, along with watching live video (and other cool widgets like results and social feeds) on their Game Day page.
Week 7 Updates: Open House and Bag & Tag Day!
WOW! It’s hard to believe that Bag & Tag day was yesterday Tuesday. Poof! The six week build season went by like the speed of neutrinos. I’m kind of sad that it went by that quick, but I learned so much that I look forward to sharing with my new team next year down in Missouri. As @frcproblemz tweeted yesterday “10 months, 15 days, 9 hours, 8 minutes, and 22 seconds until the 2014 build season #countdown #frcproblemz” we too are counting down to 2014! 🙂
This week’s update is shorter then usual, as the shop is closed until next Monday to allow students to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep.
Sunday
Today we drove the robot around, our driver and button monkey got practice driving and shooting. In Auton, we scored a perfect 7 frisbees (of course that had to be the one time when no one was recording it). We also had human defensive bots sliding around on chairs (which was very, very fun).
Monday
Tonight we had our open house for our parents, sponsors, and community to see the work we have been doing the past 6 weeks. We also gave tours of Boyd Lab and Mechatronics Lab to those who attended.
Tuesday
Bag & Tag night! We continued driver practice tonight along with our shooter angle. The shop was also busy, making spare parts to be included in our bag.
Saturday
We are getting a tour at our sponsor Sauer-Danfoss today.
Week 6 Updates
COUNTDOWN!
I actually got this written in time (and as such, scheduled it to be posted!) I shocked even myself!
Are you counting down the days till bag & tag? We have a count down in the top right hand corner on every page! Can’t wait to see what bag & tag day brings! Also, we are posting teasers on the Teaser page every Sunday or so, up until KC. Check it out here!
Until Tuesday (when I’ll post updates from our open house), keep it safe out there!
-David
Sunday
We worked on prototyping the hopper chute. We also did outreach at the Story County Fairboard Dinner. A press release was also sent out about our open house next Monday.
Monday
Award writing started tonight. We met with a leader of the Flying Monkeys who assisted us in starting the writing process. The programming team have started working with the practice bot and the pickup mechanism on it.
Tuesday
Programmers continued working with the pickup mechanism. The 2nd pickup mechanism for our competition bot was completed as well.
Wednesday
Our bumpers were assembled and hand-crafted tonight. We lugged the pyramid and the goal over to Howe where the programming team started driving the robot and debugging and finding some software bugs & hardware issues in our pickup mechanism and hopper. A prospective drivers meeting was held tonight to be able to pick a driver and button monkey out.
Thursday
We worked hard to get the robot in complete working order tonight, so we can turn it over to the drivers to practice with tomorrow night.
Friday
Chairman’s Award editing started today while we continued writing the rest of it. We also gave the robot over to the driver tonight to be able to drive around before we took it to the scrimmage on Saturday.
Saturday
We made our way up to Cedar Falls Saturday morning for a scrimmage against 525 in the afternoon. We had lots of fun, and got to meet new people (& robots). When we got back, we worked on our pickup mechanism.
Press Release: Team Neutrino Open House Event on February 18th
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: February 11th, 2013
Contact: Dori Pinkerton, Coach
E-Mail: dori@teamneutrino.org
Web Site: www.teamneutrino.org
Ames, Iowa – Story County’s FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) 4-H Team Neutrino will host an open house on Monday, February 18 at 7 pm in Howe Hall Atrium on the ISU Campus to reveal the robot they designed and built to compete in this year’s FRC Challenge, Ultimate Ascent. The 120 pound robot that will compete in the competition that will retrieve and shoot frisbees into goals almost 8 feet in the air and climb a 7 ½ foot pyramid among other things during regional competitions located in Minneapolis and Kansas City in March.
To learn more about this Story County Team Neutrino 4-H Club visit www.teamneutrino.org or email leader Dori Pinkerton at dori@teamneutrino.org. For additional Story County 4-H Program information, contact Mary Wilkins, County 4-H Youth Coordinator, by phone 515-382-6551, email mwilkins@iastate.edu, or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/story.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs are available to all without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran.
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About the 2013 Ultimate AscentSM challenge
The 2013 game, ULTIMATE ASCENT, is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many flying discs into their goals as possible during the two-minute and 15-second match. Discs scored in higher goals score Alliances more points. Matches end with robots attempting to climb up pyramids located near the middle of the field.
About FIRST®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $16 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.
FRC is an annual competition that helps students to discover the excitement of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and the rewards a career in STEM can bring. Approximately 51,000 high-school students from 16 countries will participate in the 2013 competition.
In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams and a single 14-by-14-foot playing field in a New Hampshire high-school gym. This season, a projected 2,550 teams – including 375 rookie teams – will participate. Fifty eight Regional competitions in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, plus 17 District competitions, one State Championship, and one Region Championship will culminate at the 2013 FIRST Championship at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, April 24-27. FIRST programs are spearheaded by more than 120,000 dedicated Volunteers worldwide, most of them professional engineers, scientists, and teachers who mentor the next generation of innovators.
FIRST and the FIRST logo are registered trademarks of the United States Foundation For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group.
NOTE: A public information flier can be downloaded here.
Media Note: Please let us know if you are planning on attending our open house event. The 2012 Rebound Rumble – Team Neutrino photo can be found here.