Gilford's F.I.R.S.T Robot Team - Progress!
Just getting back from another biz trip - and the Citizen had this story about the Gilford High F.I.R.S.T. Robotics team. If you haven't heard, this is the school competitive program that pits different school groups in building robots that will try to fulfill a mission. This year, it is competing with two other groups as part of your team in racing around a closed loop circuit (think traditional race car), getting a ball from an on-high retainer, shephard it around the course, and put it back if you can.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me wish I was back in high school!!!
Building a competitive robot, team
The parts are coming together. The Gilford FIRST Robotics team is making some headway on its latest robot, having already constructed the chassis that make their invention mobile.
"Good, bad and ugly," said Team Advisor Chris Drever, describing the progress of the group thus far.
Amy Drever explained that some setbacks have come because of the weather. When snow falls and school is canceled, so are the group's work sessions, which are held almost every night of the week.
This year's task requires that teams maneuver a 7.3 pound ball around a track. The restriction is that any robot cannot be more than five feet tall in its starting position.
To aid in their mission, the students have designed an extendible arm that will be able to direct the ball whichever way they choose. They also built their bot with Mecanum wheels that will allow the robot to move in any direction, which is expected to be handy in the competition.
"The design came through just the way I envisioned it," said Team Captain Lucas Doyle.
Doyle used a high-tech computer program called Solid Works to bring the pencil renderings of the robot to life.
"I spent three days just learning how to use the program," said Doyle.
Read more - this is an excellent program in that it takes some of what the kids learn in the classroom and applies it directly to a project!
In fact, Solid Works is similar to the common design software CAD. However this new program has become the cutting edge of the industry, with many who can use the program receiving top jobs in the market.
"It's close to last year. I would almost say we are a little ahead of where we were last year," said Billy Hunt, who is one of two home-schooled students that has been a part of the team.
"We can already maneuver the ball around without the top half of the robot," said Eli Cilley.
In addition to the functional aspects of the new robot, Doyle incorporated some of his past competition experience into this year's design. He made sure that each one of the major parts, like the wheels, are encased in their own framework. This way they can be easily attached to the whole frame and swapped out if one breaks or needs a repair.
"That way we only have to get around this one cell," said Cilley, noting that last year repairs involved turning the entire robot upside down. "Simplicity is key."
"I'm expecting great things from this robot," said Doyle.
For the group, many said the hardest part about building a robot is the whole trial and error part of it. Just last week the team was ironing out the driving capabilities of the robot.
When the construction is finished, hopefully sometime this week, the team will strap on a different kind of construction hat. It will then have to program the robot, feeding it commands, which can be just as labor-intensive as building it, if not more.
"We dial it in as they say," said Mike Anderson, the lead adviser to the team.
The 2008 FIRST competition has made a new rule, allowing each robot to have four preprogrammed actions. Doyle describes this as setting your remote control — whenever a button is pushed it does an action.
This aspect is modeled after the ability incorporated in the Mars Rovers, as they have a similar preprogrammed command structure.
"These kids are doing things that will help in the real world," said Drever.
With things well on the way, the FIRST Robotics program has drawn in many new participants, both male and female.
Freshman Mariah Smith said her interest was piqued when she was talking about it with some friends. Now she has discovered some talents that she never really knew she had.
"Mariah took to welding like a duck to water," said Drever.
Last year, students graduating who participated in the FIRST program were offered up to $58,000 in scholarships as a result of the skills they gained from the program.
More than that, Anderson said real world projects like FIRST are what will draw a new generation into the limitless possibilities of technology and the sciences.
The 'Grok wishes them lots of luck and success at the competition in Manchester!
Comments
Some graduates who participated on the Gilford FIRST team in past years have gone on to study engineering, math, or science in college. It's a great program.
Posted by: Steve Snow | February 18, 2008 06:14 PM