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FIRST Robotics Competition
The Robot and Game
Team Mentoring
How we run our team
MMRA
FIRST, (For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
The program involves
teams of
mentors and high
school
students that
collaborate to design and build a
robot in six weeks.
This robot is designed by the group to play
a game that is
designed by
FIRST
and changes from year to year. The game is announced at a world wide simulcast
kickoff event in
January. Regional competitions take place around the
United States,
Canada, Mexico and
many other countries.
FIRST has a multinational following
that further includes the
United Kingdom,
Brazil, and
Israel. For more
information not covered in our website, visit
FIRST.
 FRC,(Full size
Robots). Our team has built some award winning, competitive robots that have ranked high, many times.
We
are proud of our student built robots and continue to strive to have our students build as much of the robot as possible. We
accept high school
students from our area and any school in our area including home schooled
students, as
long as they follow our rules of safety and respect of others. Our students
are able to fix almost anything and are more than willing to help other
teams in need. The game is competitive and even though winning is fun, learning and
helping others is more important.
We build the robot in
the garage of the mentors, Joe and Kim, and you would think that would not be
a good place to build a robot, but compared to some schools that don't even
have a place to build a robot, their garage is great. The garage is finished, painted, heated and well
lighted. They have a metal lathe, band saw, drill presses, table saw, welder,
hand tools of all types and cordless drills. We have machined all
parts of the robot in the garage and rarely have to send it out. This cuts
down on the build time and also allows the students to see and work on all
aspects of the build. Their also is a carpet that can be rolled out to test
the robot with.
In 2011 Our team helped start and mentor two new FRC teams. One in
Hartland High school called the
Electro Eagles Team 3536
and one in Linden High School team 3568. We visited both teams every week
during build and was available to answer questions at any time through
email and telephone. We loaned out CIM motors, 8 inch skyway wheels, and our
programmer to them. We showed them how to build their bumpers, and gave them
suggestions to help them with the build. We also took our robot to each of
the
schools for demonstrations to help them with acquiring new students.
In 2008 Our team helped mentor the
team 2145, Lake
 Fenton HAZMAT: With our information they
were able to receive funding from the State of Michigan and then they
received additional funding from a sponsor that they acquired. We took our
team and robot to their school and gave a demonstration. We also discussed
items that they would need to know during the build of the robot. There were
even times our group stopped by
their school to assist with their build and answer any questions they had.
We offered use of our work shop and donated items for their use on the
robot. Our mentors even traveled, (at their own expense), to their teams first
event to help them through the inspection period. During their competition
they also helped with tips on strategy and teamwork.
When school started
later that year, their robot was in pieces and needed to be rebuilt for a
local competition that they had entered. With only a few day's left to
rebuild, they brought their robot to our work shop and we were able to help
them completely rebuild their robot, just in time for competition at the
Kettering Event. We installed our pneumatics in their robot, they where
unaware that they were suppose to order the cylinders during the original
build.
Other items our team
helped with was the formation of the MMRA
Mid-Michigan
Robotics
Alliance. We
thought that if a group of teams could get together, they could help each other and also help
make the community better. We also found that local sponsors were more willing to give money to a large
group of teams rather than a single team. The MMRA helps put on the
Kettering University off season event "Kettering Kick-Off", the Lego
practice event, the Lego Fever event, and the State Championship Lego event.
We assist Kettering University with the season Kick-Off by selling food and
helping to set up the competition field.
The MMRA is looking forward to help with more events in the future and to
help with other community events.
2009 Years Game
The 2009 robot was
designed to collect balls from human
players and then shoot them into our trailer, which is attached to the other
teams robot. The robot will be driving on a slippery surface, which on its
own adds a different dynamic than we are use to. We score from how many
balls are in the trailer at the end of the game. The theme of the game is
space and the moon landings of the Apollo missions.
Our Game
Stats
Pictures
The
Beginning
Omni Drive
System
Awards |
