Thursday, December
13, 2007
* We Visit
SURVICE Engineering
in Belcamp,
Maryland, to Share
Our Work
 Thanks
to the gracious
hospitality of
SURVICE
Engineering, in
Belcamp, MD, our
JFLL, FLL, and
FTC teams were
able to present
their work to a
group of
engineers and
analysts (and
their children!)
SURVICE is a
long-standing
and successful
technology
company close
associated with
the
Aberdeen/Edgewood
Proving Grounds.
They specialize
in survivability
testing. Visit
the website at
www.survice.com
for more
information.
The amazing part
was that it was
the first time
we had all three
teams in one
place and what a
group it was! A
sea of white
hats and red,
blue, and black
shirts. Each
team presented
their work and
deftly handled
questions. From
the youngest to
the oldest we
couldn't have
been prouder of
these kids and
how well they
did.
Click here for
our pictures:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071218Survice |
Thursday, December
13, 2007
* Ring lifting
prototype abandoned.
Highly automated
solution pursued.
 Build
session
1,345,678. We
continue the
challenge of
picking up those
rings.Our
team cat, Darcy,
found a home in
the middle of
our 'bot and
slept through a
long build
session.
Our original,
and operational,
ring flipper
device proved to
require too much
precision in
positioning. We
documented it
and went to the
next solution.
It is a killer
and of course we
tell you a thing
about it.
Matt and
Rachel continued
to refine the
lifting ramp.
Gotta love those
VEX chains.
Check out our
pictures...
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071213FTC |
Thursday, December
06, 2007
* Continuing to work
on the robot. New
drive system. Work
on alignment
devices.
 FTC
continued
working on their
device to lift
rings.They
continue
to learn
that putting
ideas into gears
is a difficult
task.
So now with
some extra time
during the
winter break
they will put in
extra hours to
finish 'the
build.'
See our
pictures...
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071207FTC |
Thursday, November
29, 2007
* Build Session:
Making ideas work is
hard work indeed.
 Everyone
returned from
the Thanksgiving
break ready to
work.As you
now know this
year's challenge
is largely a
materials
handling task.
Can you
pickup the
rings? Can you
move them up to
the poles? Can
you do it every
time.
We're now on
iteration 5 of
our ideas. Test,
fail, evaluate
refine. It's
hard work.
We now have
about 5 weeks to
get ready for
our first
tournament in
Delaware. And,
as you'll see,
our cat is back
and ready to
work!
See our
photos....
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071129FTC |
Thursday, November
15, 2007
* Continuing to work
on the robot. New
drive system. New
ring lifter.
 The
teams learns
that building
anything with
more than one
part is hard
work. Getting
the various
devices to
actually work as
imagined is very
difficult.We
continued work
on our ball
lifter for low
poles and the
unique ring
scooper.
If they work
together well
(next few weeks)
we'll be ready
for our state
chamionships and
hopefully,
Worlds.
See our
pictures:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071115FTC |
Friday, November 09,
2007
* FTC Digs into a
Solution
 We
can't show any
pics (without
giving away our
ideas). But
we're hard at
work.A new,
radical quad
drive base is
being developed
with innovate
wheel positions.
A unique
'ring lifter'
device is being
refined which
will be combined
with a transport
mechanism for
delivery to the
posts.
So now it's
time to buckle
down and get
ready for the
competitions. |
Thursday, October
25, 2007
* FTC Re-Strategizes
and Begins to Build
A Working Solution
 After
a scimmage and
some
restrategizing
the team began
to rebuild the 'bot
for maximum
scoring.We
discarded ideas
about flinging
competing robots
from the field
and shooting
rings at the
opposing teams.
Instead we
got to work
solving the real
challenge of
picking up the
rings and
getting them in
position to be
lifted to the
poles. This week
we refined our
top-secret ring
lifter. Next
week to the
poles.
Check out our
pictures:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071025FTC |
Saturday, October
13, 2007
* FTC Techbrick
competes in the Duel
on the Delaware
Scrimmage and places
third in rankings.
 On
Saturday,
October 13, 2007
our team joined
8 other teams in
our first
organized
scrimage.The
teams practiced
from 9-12 and
then started a
22-round
scrimmage. This
gave each team
10 runs allowing
for numerous
robot
modifications
and a real test
of the strategy
requirements of
the QQ game
play.
There were
some advanced
ring-lifters.
One thing was
very clear:
Handling the
rings is going
to be a real
challenge.
See our
photos
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071013FTCDE |
Thursday, October
11, 2007
* Our Second Big
Build Session
 The
team again met
from 3:30 to
9:00 to refine
their ideas.
They rebuilt
every component
to reflect their
research.A
new base was
constructed
along with some
novel materials
handling
devices.
As we all
know, the rings
in this year's
challenge are
harder than cats
to herd.
So now it's
time to finish
up and prepare
for the Delaware
Scrimmage on
Saturday,
October 13, in
Salem, NJ for a
learning session
for the new
members and a
review for our
alumni.
See our
photos:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071011FTC |
Thursday, October
04, 2007
* Our First Big
Build Session (And
we can't tell you
what we're doing)
 Today
we brainstormed
a few more ideas
about the robot.
We also worked
on our "ring
lifting device".
Today, Thomas
worked on the
programming and
we installed
EasyC Pro but it
did not fully
work. While
Thomas worked on
the programming
every one else
pitched in on
working on the
base of the
robot and the
"ring lifting
device".When
we were done
workng with our
"ring lifting
device", we
began to test
what we had
built so far. It
will need a few
improvments but
hope to have it
fully working
soon.
See our
photos...
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos071004FTC |
Thursday, September
20, 2007
* Review the
challenge and
prepare for saturday
 Today
we disasembled a
vex robot so
that we could
build a new
experimental one
. As a group we
discussed many
designs that we
could possibly
use in the quad
quadrant
compition, the
goal is to make
a robot that can
put rings on a
goal post . This
Saturday we are
going to the
Deleware open
house from 10:00
to 12:00.See
our pictures:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos070920FTC |
Friday, September
14, 2007
* FTC Meeting 2:
Review the System
 The
FTC team met on
Thursday. We did
our team photo
and individual
photos so we
could start our
log book.Then
we reviewed all
the components
and devices in
the VEX system
for our four new
members.
New members
were directed to
review the
robust on line
forums to get an
idea of the
range of robots
that have been
built with VEX.
Next week, of
course, we plow
into the
challenge!
See our
photos here:
http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2007/Photos/Photos070913FTC |
Thursday, September
06, 2007
* First Meeting of
FTC
|
Our team met for
the first fall
meeting today.
The goals: To
review our
summers, all the
key distinctives
of our program,
and all key
first documents
and literature.
Three of our
returning team
members have
worked together
for the past
three years
through FLL and
now a second
year of FTC.
Three are new to
our group (and
each other). We
had them each
share the
highlights of
their summer.
Mark traveled to
Texas and
visited the
'Museum of Texas
Culture.' Matt
went to sailing
and multi-media
camps. Brady
worked all
summer at our
local aquarium
and learned the
hard lessons of
being a public
representative.
Amy traveled to
Mexico to work
in an orphanage
and participated
in three-week
engineering
camp. Rachel
went to a games
convention for
her favorite
on-line game.
Thomas taught
tennis and won
an award for
woodworking at
our county and
state fairs.
We then
reviewed all our
key methodology
and the FIRST
Core Values. The
three returning
team members,
who had been in
Atlanta, shared
their thoughts
about the
competition and
some of the
nuances of pit
area, rounds,
and
eliminations.
Next week:
Review all VEX
systems
components for
the new members
and discuss
their various
roles for the
season. |
