Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

I must say, this competition was wicked awesome. :D

This afternoon made me so happy to be from New England.

There's nothing quite like chanting "wicked awesome" and getting your awesome alliance partners (1189 and 931) to do the same.

I feel that our team was welcomed by everyone else. We got many compliments from volunteers saying that we are one of their favorite teams... ever. It feels so nice to hear that from someone after walking into a regional of strangers.

We had people asking for our "Wicked Awesome" t-shirts. We had extras and we gave them all out. We traded shirts with alliance parters (and I am currently wearing team 1189's shirt).

If anyone notices a sudden rise in the use of the word "wicked", please tell me. This would be outstanding news after wearing "Wicked Awesome" shirts, chanting "wicked awesome" and replying with "Team 166 thinks it would be wicked awesome to play with you guys" after being selected for the elimination rounds.

Also! We don't normally get a team social. GSR doesn't have one. This has definately the best I've seen. It totally beats the Atlanta after party.

More people referred to us as "Chop Shop" than "166". So many people congratulated us and applauded us. This has been an incredible experience.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Here's a pic after the match of 1501 lifting 45 and 1990.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Here is the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIWh4F_3jjk

P.S.: Sorry about the yelling you'll hear ...... it was a bit wild of a moment.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

The tipping in both of the referenced cases was due to entanglement with the rack. The bot that completely flipped tangled in the rack which lifted it's wheels and, in the refs words, "drove up" the defensive bot resulting in it's turn-over. The second case was similar. Offensive bot tangled in the rack and got pushed into a tipping position. The defensive bot did back off once they realized the offensive bot was helpless, but it did take them too long to realize it. They did receive a verbal warning from the head ref at the end of the match.

I also can't let this match go with mentioning the phenominal alliance play that got the second bot out of the rack and back into the game... wicked awesome.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

It is a fine line between "agressive play" and "overly agressive play" and tough to call. This is a reall challenge for the referees.

We got hit so hard in one match that the schock stopped the RC and we were disabled for about the last minute. No wires pulled, not lost connections - the RC just stopped. That is a brutal hit. IFI has only seen it happen 2 or 3 times.

We were havily defended, which is good because it means we were a threat for scoring and that is a part of the game. I am all for defense, pushing and shoving and blocking, but the hard hits from across the field cross the line.

Luckily, we survived the hits, but i know some other teams that were basically taken out of the competition after being crashed into by totally defensive robots and that is a bad way to have to end a season.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Congratulations to the BMR winning alliance teams:
Cyber Blue 234, Pulse 1555 and Team Driven 1730!!

Also congratulations to the runnerup alliance teams:
Westside Boiler Invasion 461, Bedford Express 1023 and Harrison Boiler Robotics 1747!

The final rounds were exciting and competitive to the final second! It was a pleasure watching you compete!!

Stuck in 2004????
 

It is my impression that the Indiana FIRST group that puts on the Boilermaker regional still thinks the theme is "Raising the Bar". Here's my understanding of the history of this event: In 2004 the people responsible for IRI and the incredible Indiana teams figured out that "Raising the Bar" meant they should have their own regional the next year. The 2005 event was a great event, but when asked for suggestions on how to improve it the list was quite long. 2006 BMR generated a much shorter list and was a great event. Still not satisfied, the committee and all those smiling volunteers pulled off one of the smoothest FIRST events I've ever attended.

Earlier in this thead I predicted a great time. What an understatement. All of the staff bent over backwards to make sure things were done right and on time. To the helpful and patient inspectors, those visiting team pits making sure we were heading to our matches, the pit announcers, and all those behind the scenes: Thank You.

As I sat in the stands at Friday's opening ceremonies I couldn't help having doubts about the young people on the committee, doing MC, and play by play. These doubts were obviously unfonded. In fact, the play by play announcing was perhaps the best I've heard at any event. Which field will he be doing in Atlanta?

Unless they get a bigger venue, I'm really curious to see how they keep "Raising the Bar" in 2008.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Congratulations to the winning alliance of 234, 1730, and 1555.

461 and 1747, you guys were awesome alliance partners. I don't think I could have been able to find a better match of teams to work together with. Good luck at ATL if you're going, it not...you may see 1023 at Boilermaker next year again.

1189, no hard feelings. My team mates and I decided early on in the regional that if we were in a position to pick, that we would take full advantage of it. Sorry again though.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

On behalf of Warren Robotics 829, a BIG congratulations to Cyber Blue 234 for winning the Chairman's award!! You are a class act and well deserving.

It has been an honor and privilege to be associated with you. Good luck at Long Island and see you in Atlanta!!

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

I think the Boilermaker Planning Committee and all of the teams encourage and really welcome teams from around the country (and world) to come to this event! We really think it adds to the excitement and flavor of the event to have so many "non-local" teams. Some regionals (intentionally or unintentionally) don't create such a welcome atmosphere and it really makes a difference.

Hope to see you at the Indiana Robotics Invitational in July and the Boilermaker Regional in 2008!

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Congratulation to the BMR planning committee!

As usual it is a fun event. It's great not having to walk a long distance between the pits and the playing field.

I look forward to returning to Purdue every chance I get and the BMR is no exception! Having the awards in the Elliott Hall of Music and bringing the Purdue Mini Special on stage was a great addition to the event!
I was hoping to hear "Hail Purdue":D

It was a great event and I am already looking forward to 2008!

Go Boilers!!

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

The Boilermaker regional was awesome, and I had a great time watching the matches.

I think one of the most awesome things that happened that I saw though was our team helping out our alliance partner during the quarterfinals. We managed to right them and keep them from falling over... great teamwork there.

BMR Panorama
 

I got this idea from somebody who made one for the 2004 GTR regional (on Wikipedia).

http://www.technokats.org/gallery2/m...serialNumber=2

It's a panorama of the Armory during competition, hastily photographed and then hastily assembled at home. There are pieces missing, but the overall view is there.

The original panorama is something like 33MP.

Find the original in the TechnoKats gallery.

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

Very nice. I like the way it shows everything

Re: 2007 Boilermaker Regional!!!
 

I will hopefully have video up in the next couple days on SOAP. I recorded all friday and saturday minus maybe 2/3 matches when record didn't initialize.

-Mike