Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Anyone else stoked for this regional? Last year was great as always and I expect to see a lot of quality teams make an appearance once again: 33, 47, 65, 66, 67, 70, 279, 451, 469, 494, 548, 830, 1023, 503, 1015, 573.

Team 573 is hard at work and looks forward to another exciting competition. Who else is pumped?!?!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

After being a two regional finalist last year, we are looking to go all out this year. And everyone believes we have the robot to do it with.

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You guys were great competition last year, I'm sure you will come up big this year too.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Thanks a lot.

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So I see that this is gonna be a two team competition to the death and the other 61 teams are just gonna watch. Sorry, smart mouth remarks are specialty of mine but serious, where are the other 61 teams?

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Team 1732 will be ready for the Great lakes Regional as the only team from Wisconsin there. We went to the Midwest regional for the past two years, but wanted to see what Great Lakes had to offer.

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team 27 is in the house this year
hoping for a tough competition

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after two years of great lakes being not much more then a chance to work on bot, it is going to be nice to come in with one regional done.western first this year. after last years double cap, iri six, and atlanta curie,i don't know what surprise the team could pull off this year. maybe we will let the drive team take some matches off this year. ;)

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Mr. R, you're putting a lot of pressure on me aren't you.... I think we might be able to pull that off... Well, if all goes well, our drive team can bring some lawn chairs and a cooler of mountain dew to the matches... :D

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sorry, didn't mean to put pressure on you. how about just a hurdle during auto? that shouldn't be to hard.:D

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i am part of a rookie team for 2506. i guess we will be joining you guys this year. Im super stoked though. Trying to get our own cheering section and stuff

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All three Purdue teams (461, 1646, 1747) will be making an appearance at this one. We'll bring a taste of Indiana for you guys :D

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461 is really pumped about going to Great Lakes this year! You can find people walkingaround saying "Ypsilanti" to themselves... :)

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Well, team 1334 is going to be there, and we finished 2nd in the round robin last year, so hopes are high. We lost our founding memebers but things are going better than ever.

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2591 is goin to be there hopefully to win the rookie all star award

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326 is making another apperance and see if we cant better that quater-final finish that we got last year..

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Don't forget 240.. you can't forget the crazy kids with the electronic pigs!
~Joyce~

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217 is very much looking forward to GLR, and playing with all of you. It is going to be an incredible time.

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Oh man, it seems like this years GLR is going to be amazing, I hope there's some way I can go. Gah! Being at college makes things so much harder!! I wish every team going the best of luck!!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

1114 will be missed... I guess

Anywho, the talent at this regional simply blows me away every year and I'm sure this one will be no different. So, after one week of regionals down anyone care to guess what the high score will be at this event. My guess, I doubt any alliance will score 200 points but maybe somewhere in the 160 to 180 range is doable.

Also please any teams that want to share a picture of their robot should do so, it would be nice for everybody to get the ability to start scouting out the competition ahead of time.

Team 573: The Mech Warriors

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

This is going to be harder than atlanta since all the teams are good.

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I don't know if I'd say harder than the championship event, but it will definetly be one of the toughest regionals. Thats why I'm pressing for teams to share their designs and offer their robot specs, I think everyone would benefit from getting an idea of what the competition will look like.

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Well, with GLR as a week 5 regional now, many of the teams going in will have had at least 1 other regional under their belts. This is going to be very intense.

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It'll be different having GLR as our second regional instead of our first. I'm looking forward to it. Lot's of good teams to compete with.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I predict that there will be a rookie team on the winning alliance this year!
(And hopefully a 2-3 digit team :P )

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

History tells me a team sponsered by GM will win the regional. Most likely Team 67, they've won this regional 4 times! I have to disagree that a rookie will win the regional but you never know.

http://greatlakesregional.com/?page_id=2

Some people think this will be a slightly competitive regional. I don't know why.

http://greatlakesregional.com/?page_id=24

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GLR will definitely make up for having to miss St. Louis last weekend!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

that first link has the champions of 07 incorrect, it was 573, 503 and 1015

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Does anyone know if it will be webcasted?

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That second thread is off too. It should be 11 division champs---2007---910 ---foley freeze.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Someone really should report this stuff or something.

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Maybe they are making predictions for this year. :yikes:

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Sure, maybe this year a new partnership is in order? We showed you our robot, you show us yours.

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I dont have any photos, lol. :yikes:

I'd have to get some to show you...besides the cad stuff, but I don't think my pc will open the files anyways.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

As my fellow caffeine crazy said above, TEMPEST 240 will be there.

Also, everybody wish the Chileans luck: http://www.corazondechileno.cl

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Hi! i'm trinidad, and i'm of the Chilean team "Corazón de Chileno" or "Chilean Hearth ", the first team of our country, and this is our first year in FIRST.
We are the 2576.

We are very excited about the competition!
I wish luck to all!

See you!

Bye!:D

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Good luck, you definitely picked the right regional to test your robot's potential.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

see you all at great lakes (thats west michigan right)?

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Detroit is this weekend at Wayne State. West Michigan is the following week at Grand Valley. Great Lakes is the week after that at Eastern Michigan.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

On behalf of Team TEMPEST 240, Welcome to our side of the globe. We'll see you at the Convocation Center. Yay, EMU!

(tweeeeeet, tweet - GO GREEN!)

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

After seeing the teams at detroit and not trying to take anything away from wmr, this regional really REALLY needs to be web cast.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Oh I'd be surprised if it wasn't, I'm sure that some team with the resources and initiative will make it happen.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Here is a picture of our robot if you havn't seen it:

[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Mihai\My Documents\roboc\Pictures\st. louis\2008.jpg[/IMG]

Can't wait for GLR!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Um...let's try this again:

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

GLR looks like its gonna be great, last year was amazing, but this year with all the teams that have won this year, its gonna be a battlefield:D :D :D

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The 2008 Great Lakes Regional is going to be a blast!!!! The elimination matches here are going to be scary and exciting:) see everyone there.

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The question is not who will win the regional, but who the play by play announcer will be. Will Joel Zumaya be making a return apperance at the Great Lakes Regional? Can GL keep the best MC and PbP duo in FIRST (IMO) together?

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

My drive team says there is no way I am announcing, but I am still the announcer of record for the 2008 GLR.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Is it just me, or does it seem like the GLR is probably the hardest regional this year? Obviously there are a ton of good ones, I just think that this is the one with the most experienced teams overall. Any thoughts?

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

The time is close at hand and I'm sure that with all the power teams in this regional along with complete new comers this will arguably be the most competitive regional of the season (but honestly, hasn't it been like that for years). I think we need to compose a list analyzing all the teams coming into this competition. Speaking from experience, good scouting will make or break a teams shot at winning this regional. Last year our team put a major focus on scouting and it paid of big time. This year we are stepping our game up on all fronts and are ready for another intense competition.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Team 67 HOT is pumped for GLR!! We wish luck to our Chilean friends (we are in the process of making you guys some buttons).

I agree with the importance of scouting. It has always been a key part of our past successes, and as the organizer of our scouting squad, I'd like to get a head start on this (really, really big) endeavor. It would be really amazing if teams could post a picture, stats, capabilities, etc. I'm not a tech person, so I will get more difinitive facts/info when I can, but for right now here's what I have about us:

We attended the Finger Lakes Regional, and lost in semi finals because our partners died. Our record was 5 hurdles per match, and we are in the process of perfecting/writing our hybrid mode. We won the Delphi Driving Tomorrow's Technology Award for our end-effector's roller design. Here's a link to our pic:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/30680

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

hey I'm just wondering how teams use their arm to knock off the ball from the overpass in hybrid mode. (My team has an arm that works really well as far as quick pick up and quick release, but my only concern is that we dont have a way to knock the ball off other than "spearing" it with our arm. This is fine during teleoperated period, but during hybrid I'd prefer a way to knock it off from under the overpass so we don't have to worry about close lining ourselves). Do you teams that knock it off with your arm have a command on your IR control board that tells the arm to raise a certain distance, or do you have that written in the autonomous mode? Any advice here would be great because I'm hoping our robot has an efficient way before friday of GLR. Thanks a ton

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

first off, daf, our team uses plexiglass placed at the top that knocks the balls off from the bottom and it works farly well for us.

Now on to the scouting question from the post before that. Here is a picture of what our robot looked like at the end of Pittsburgh Regional and what we intend on keeping it as.



We may perfect the herding design we have right now, but beyond that I don't expect any alterations.

Specs: -6 wheel drive with omni's in the front
- Top speed of 19ft/s, although our motors were slightly out of whack so that number could go up
- Capable of knocking of the ball in both hybrid and teleoperated
- Averages approximately 8 laps a match
- Hybrid is being perfected but we expect to be able to do a whole lap

Previous Competion Record: We made it to the semifinals at Pittsburgh Regional as a first round pick of the number four seeded alliance and lost to the number one seed.

If things go as we anticipate we will be averaging 32 points or more a match.

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There is no doubt in my mind that the teams will make this regional one of the best ,if not thee best,after now seeing both detroit and west michigan,BUT, and that is a big but, i am not to sure about this field. At wmr the field went down at about the same time on both friday and saturday. Is there some kind of enternal clock that tells this jinxed field to break? Also our best mechanical mentor was gone for some time to help weld the field on friday . I hope this field doesn't wreck a great regional.
Also teams make sure you have one member watching your scoring. In the semis they missed a end bonus in one match and we think a hurdle in another. If your watcher is absolutly positive they missed something go to the head ref. Remember, video doesn't count.
Perhaps atleast during the finals they could add six refs to just watch the scoring. There is just to much going on in this game.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I think I heard it also went down at Kettering around the same time too. Self destruct mode must be set around 3-4pm......

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

What do you mean "the field went down"?

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Any news on a webcast yet?

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

If it went down, I imagine the servers running the field components crashed. Judging from MARC, where I ran the field, where we went down to reboot, that process takes quite a while.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Team 470 Alpha Omega
Home Team Baby!
Striaght outa Ypsi
It's my rookie year
I"m only in seventh grade!
I am stoked this is so rad.
Sucks I can't be on the drive team.
:yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:
Anyways it looks like your goona have some younger competition.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I can't believe its this week already. ATL will REALLY sneak up on GLR folks who normally have twice as long between this competition and Championships.

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As I understand it, an arena controller was replaced on Friday, then on Saturday the red alliance data would not advance from the semi's to the finals in the scoring computer, they ran the first match of the finals with o,o,o as the red alliance, but the scores were erased when they tried to post 'em up. Thus they had to rerun the first match.

Oddly enough, well maybe not so odd, but the field has history. At the rookie regional at Kettering two arena controllers were fried.

As usual the next week at Detroit, it ran flawlessly. Then at WMR strange days occur again. (Same field kit at all 3)

I've been field manager at both Detroit and Great Lakes for the past 4-5 years, usually Great Lakes comes first and we have have a number of issues , then at Detroit, we run without issues with the same field kit. In the past I've put the cause down to infant mortality / debug failures. This year, with the order of the regionals mixed up, I'm beginning to think it might be related to power quality. The difference is that at detroit we run lights, pit power, sound system etc... off generators, but the field controllers are run off house power. At Great Lakes everything comes off house power, the arena controllers just might be a little sensitive to power fluctuations.

Just a guess. See ya at GLR.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

That makes a lot of sense though. I guess we'll see what happens. Usually GLR doesn't have too many issues besides working out little things on Thursday. :)

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

The same field that is being used at GLR is the same one they used at both Detroit and the Kettering Rookie Event. At the Kettering Event a driver station would not disable during the qualifying matches on Friday causing a delay. Fur the time being they made a bypass system until they could replace the arena controller for that station. There were no such problems (that I know of) at the Detroit Regional, there may have been a few minor delays but nothing major.

-Sam

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I'm starting to get nervous as to whether or not this regional is gonna be webcasted. I haven't heard any word on it but I would be quite suprised if it wasn't.

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it probably wont.
Teams are the ones that webcast it.
The only time i remember it being webcast is when 111 was there.
So idk. If its not webcast, all you will hear in the chat rooms
"Any updates on GLR??"

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

There was a webcast last year if I recall correctly.

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Good luck to all teams attending!
Get pumped up everyone!

Can't wait to see so many good teams at a week 5 regional!

3 More Days! :D :D :D

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I really want to see "Looking Forward's" preview of this regional.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

lol, same here.

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Yeah...I doubt Us (326) and 573 are gonig to be metioned since we were out at pittsburgh instead of doing something local lie detroit or westmichigan

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Well we did win last year, and our team, along with yours both made it to the semifinals at Pitt.

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More than less a tough fought semi-finals..just like any other event this season...but our semi-finals at pitt will be quailifing matches at Greatlakes... comeon just loo kat some of the scores put up at westmichigan..i just glad that Team Hammond doesnt feel like coming along to win back to back regionals this year..

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Agreed, our team had to do some last minute adjusting over not being able to use our appendage, luckily we are fast! We expect to be putting up twice as many points at GLR because we will hopefully have our autonomous working.

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Question... you use the plastic piece to get the ball off of the rank right? We are doing some tinkering with ours too... maybe w will be able to run the inside line

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Yeah man, all we did was put two pieces of plexiglass on the top sides of our rails, actually seeing as how they still move up and down I guess we technically have an appendage! ;)

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Tech Fusion - Team 279 is wishishing good luck to 451 and 1023 - two teams we started many years ago. We're especially looking forward to a fast paced and fun comptition. See ya in Atlanta ya'all.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Team 1732 The Hilltoppers from Milwaukee, WI is excited to be part of the Great Lakes Regional. We chose Great Lakes because of all of the experience and expertise of the teams that compete there and...wow....it should be an amazing weekend.

If it isn't too much to ask, the Hilltoppers have a favor to ask of the teams competing at Great Lakes. Basically, we are asking you to do what you do best - talk about your teams!

First some background: Adult involvement in our team is limited to a few parents (as mentors and administrators), an occasional college mentor, and a faculty adviser who helps to manage the team finances. As the son of the team's founding mentor/team administrator enters his senior year in high school, some parents are concerned about the sustainability of the program (rightfully so) and will meet following Great Lakes to make decisions about the future of Team 1732.

Two or three of these parents will be traveling with the team to the Great Lakes Regional. What we would like to do is to send them to the pits for an hour or two to gather information about how teams have planned for the future - how you are organized, how you recruit and maintain mentors and members, how your team members balance the rigors of FIRST and the rest of their high school experience, etc. We know that we can show the parents all of the great documentation teams have shared here on Chief Delphi and on their websites, but that won't be nearly as effective as having them experience your passion first hand!

Now, we realize that everyone is extremely busy in the pits and we don't want to interfere, but if you could please direct these parents in the Hilltopper shirts (perhaps looking a little lost) to someone on your team who might have a few minutes to share, we would forever be grateful.

Thanks from the Hilltoppers for your help!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I'm always that guy in the pits who talks up a storm with anyone whow visits. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you guys ;)

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Great News...

Team 291 has been in contact with the regional coordinators for GLR and we a excited to announce that Team 291 CIA will be hosting the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Webcast!!!

The webcast will be available at...


Feel free to distribute this link to anyone you believe would be interested. Can't wait to see everyone there!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Hey pufame.. i was woundering do you hae the matches from pittsburgh saved at all because i my team would really like that if you either put them up on soap or send a copy of them to us

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

I plan to archive Pittsburgh on team291.org as soon as possible - These last few weeks have just been crazy with regionals, homework, and everything else (I think everyone in FIRST knows how that goes :rolleyes: ) so after GLR I will archive both regionals as quickly as I can.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

cool.. i was just woundering thats all

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Team 245 also plans on doing a webcast. We'll provied more information when we get confirmation from the regional director. I guess we'll be a backup since CIA asked first.

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

:D Team 1732 The Hilltoppers are a great team and would be a crying shame to lose you as competitors in First. Team 910 knows this first hand because you were aginst us last year for the Currie division championship and was the top seed. Then teamed up with us at the MARC competition to take first place. PLEASE come see the Foley Freeze and we would be honored to help you with what ever information you might need. Hopefully we will be able to play a few matches together too. See you soon!!!!

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Thanks to Mark, David, and those of you who sent me private messages with offers to help Team 1732 by speaking with some of our parents. We'll send them your way on Thursday or Friday.

The trailer is packed and we'll be on our way to Michigan tomorrow morning. We can't wait!

Thanks again.
Sue

And yes, Mark, it was lots of fun competing with and against Foley Freeze last year. The MARC tournament was a blast and we hope to be there again this summer. Wow...that double ringer in autonomous was just amazing.

Coming to GLR
 

Keep your eyes peeled for these bad boys at GLR



1646 foam fingers are awesome.

Re: Coming to GLR
 

Will you be giving any of those out?

Re: Coming to GLR
 

that is obnoxiously awesome:D

Re: Coming to GLR
 

It's a possibility... not until Saturday and only in limited quantities :)

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Dibs!

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Double dibs!

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Lol.. i want a freakin foam finger.. if i do get one my robot will get one out of you :)

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Come now Mr. Looking Forward, predict the future in your "ripple of regionals".

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I hate to argue. But we might have an even better give away that every teams gets one, and only one of, tomorrow morning. :ahh:

Re: Great Lakes Regional 08
 

Interesting, I know how you guys like to keep your stuff secret but would you mind just spoiling it for us.

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Everyone gets their own choo-choo-train? Save some for the refs, judges and crew, would'ja?

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I dont know if i am just hearing things but i heard that 469 is totally changing their robot form their roller-intake-arm to a launcher. I am both scared and worried. With a launcher, guerillas could be fast and dont have to stop to hurdle. But with not alot of time to assemble and attach it, i dont know if they will be as competitive. I am rooting for you guys though. Lets see if we can have another repeat of detroit except, can you let us be on the winning side:D

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TOMORROW!!!!!!1!!!!11!!!11!!!1!!!

It's gonna be an outstanding regional, good luck to all the teams!

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Hey Hilltoppers! Hang in there! I'll be wearing my Hilltopper teeshirt that I got at IRI '07, celebrating your team efforts.

Rock on!
Jane