CalGames 2009
 

Who's pumped? :D This is gonna be a very competitive event!

3 Regional Finalists, 4 Regional Champions, 1 World Champion, and 1 IRI Finalist.

As of today registration is full with 36 teams! (1678 is on the waiting list)

Can't wait to see everyone there! :yikes:

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I believe 9999 has recieved the team number 3129.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Unfortunately, the IRI Finalist (Team 980) had to withdraw from the event (we lost our drive team to SAT tests).

Re: CalGames 2009
 

604,100,971 alliance again, anyone? Haha.

Our team can't wait.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Yeah we lost a massive chunk of our team to SAT's this year as well. Bad timing I guess.

We'll have rookies driving for Cal Games.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Where does this take place?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Sounds like fun :) We'll have to see how things play out. I think this year's bot might seed a bit higher than last year's so it would be harder to get together...

I'm definitely excited! 971 has been working hard on training a new driver for Calgames and making the bot even better.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Location:

Woodside High School
October 10 199 Churchill Avenue
Woodside, CA

Schedule:

Qualifying matches: 8:30am – 12:30pm
Playoff matches: 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Award Ceremony: 4:30 pm

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I'm 99% sure your bot this year will seed higher than last year's, too. Haha.

Nice hopper addition, by the way ;)

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I'd wager 99% sure that 971's robot will not only do better than last year, but win the event.

Changes? Worked fine before :P

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Meh. It was hard for the human player to throw balls in the hopper. And the hopper jammed some, so we didn't always collect as many balls before dumping as we could have. I guess the moral of the story is that you can always find something to fix up if you have time. And if the students are excited about working on the bot, why not?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

"Fine" is not perfect.

There's always improvements that can be made.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I meant that as a bit of a joke, that their uchanged robot "did fine" being World Champions and all. :) I guess I should explain myself better late at night. Best of luck to you guys!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

That sucks :( We'll miss having you guys here! Its always great when Out-of-state and SoCal teams show up to CalGames.

Hopefully we can play you guys again in the finals some time ;)

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Yeah, it was a big disappointment when we realized that we weren't going to be able to compete this year. Woodside is an awesome facility and this year's team list is amazing. Team 980 has had an epic time at CalGames over the years. It's a fun event and especially intense in the elimination rounds. I'll be up there to enjoy the action!!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I'm pumped! I'll be a ref for my third year and I'm excited to see many new faces and old friends! See you all in less than a week!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Any chance of a webcast of this event?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I don't think so. There's never been one before and I've heard no word of one being in the works for this year.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

IMHO, off-season events are the place for rookie students to drive, wrench, and program; the only way to understand competition is to do it, and it's the place where rookies can take their first step toward becoming veterans.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Oh of course and we mix rookies with veterans every year, but if something breaks, the few people that know how to fix it aren't there.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Who is driving for each team? are you guys using expirienced drivers or letting rookies get the hang of it? Human player?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Does anyone know the final rankings and/or elimination alliances?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

HUGE THANKS to 604 and 254. We could not have done it without you guys.

Good job to the other teams. You all did great :D

We had rookie/freshmen drivers until our experienced drivers got here from SAT.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Er, hopefully someone will step in and add on to my list, but here's what I remember.

100, 971, 701 - first alliance, finalists
604, 254, 2854 - second alliance, champions.
I don't know beyond this. Hopefully someone who's more on top of this can fill in from here.

The finals were exciting for 971 when the bolt holding the bearing in for the intake roller disappeared (One theory is that the impact with 254 snapped the bolt, another is that the bolt was long gone, but 254 applied the correct force in the impact to knock the roller out of place, but we'll never know), the roller partially fell out, and the chain tangled up in the transmission. A couple team members realized this 1/2 way through the match, and scrambled out to the pits to get tools to fix the bot. We rushed the bot off the field when the match ended, and then had to take apart our intake roller gearbox all the way and the reassemble it in about 6 minutes.

Thanks to 100 for picking us. It was a lot of fun, and I was surprised at how far we got after seeing all the balls in our trailers after one or two of the matches. Thanks to 701 for joining us. It was fun to see how excited you guys were when you guys were picked.

Thanks to 254 for offering to give us your timeout, even though the Cal Games staff wouldn't let us daisy chain 2 timeouts in a row. And also thanks for staying clear of our reassembled but vulnerable intake roller during the next match when we informed you guys of the situation, and checking in afterwords to make sure that you guys successfully stayed clear. Also thanks again for helping us make the unjamming roller that Scott and some other students thought up and had been working on for a while. You guys are a definitely a team that embodies Gracious Professionalism and that 971 looks up to. It's been a lot of fun getting to know everyone on 254 over the last year and spending time with you guys.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

The 2009 CalGames were played according to the official Lunacy rules with only two exceptions:

1) <G14> was eliminated and
2) a 10-point bonus would be given for a robot scoring moonrocks in autonomous.

The CalGames staff correctly applied <T19> by not allowing two timeouts to be cascaded. The opposing alliance exhibited GP to offer their timeout, but Lunacy rules forbid more than one timeout to be granted between elimination matches.

Kudos to the GalGames organizing committee for another awesome event. The event ran smoothly and right on schedule, a testimony to the planning and execution by the WRRF and other volunteers.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Alliance 1: 100 971 701
Alliance 2: 604 254 2854
Alliance 3: 1351 2073 3045
Alliance 4: 1280 766 256
Alliance 5: 114 675 1868
Alliance 6: 2144 846 668
Alliance 7: 3129 8 952
Alliance 8: 2489 692 1072

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Thank you teams 254 and 2854 for being such great alliance partners! We hope to work more with with you guys in the future.
Teams 100, 971, and 701, it was great playing against you in the finals.

Finally, thanks to all the volunteers and team 100 for hosting the tournament. We had a great time!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Congrats 604, 254, and 2854 on your 2009 Cal games win!
Go poofs!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Congratulations to 604, 254, and 2854 – 2009 CalGames Champions!

604 – You have a great all around team and your machines are always competitive. Despite our schools natural rivalry, we always like to see local teams do good - congratulations on a well deserved win.

254 – As a former mentor all I can say is that I am extremely proud of where this team has been and where it is going. Keep up the good work. You are one of the real class acts in FIRST.

2854 – You guys came on like gangbusters in your rookie season. Try to keep that momentum going and you will surely accomplish some great things!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I'm in college and nobody on my team was answering their phone. Did anyone pay attention to how 1351 did?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

I got home last night around 8p, fell down on the bed and didn't get up until midnight. Then I ate some dinner and went back.

You think it's easy having 36 teams and running matches almost non-stop from 8:45a till 4:15p?

:yikes:

Thanks to JeffChan for the elimination alliances.

1 beat 8 (three matches), 2 beat 7, 3 beat 6, 4 beat 5 (three matches)
1 beat 4 (three matches), 2 beat 3
2 beat 1 and emerged victorious as our 2009 California Robot Games Champions.

I kept the award scripts with me yesterday. Unless anyone beat me to it, stay tuned for the 2009 CalGames Awards.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Thank you. Like you mentioned to our mentor, our teams should definitely have some team activities together. I hope it happens!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Congrats to 604, 254, and 2854 for winning Calgames.

Also, teams 100, 971, and 701, thanks for providing us with some intense quarterfinals matches, and congrats on getting to the finals

Team 668 had a great time at Calgames thanks to all the teams there and the volunteers who put this event together.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Thanks to everyone who made this an awesome event! We loved having everyone here!

It was really cool seeing team 3129 do well. As an alumni of Rolling Hills 4-H its gratifying to see the program evolve and develop to match the times. The most technologic thing I had in 4-H was wood-crafts! GL next season!

Also thanks to 971 and 701 for joining our alliance. We got through some very hairy matches with you guys!

I'm excited for the season now! :) See yall at CalGames 2010! One Love

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Congratulations to Quixilver, a wonderful team with a wonderful history.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

All right, here are the results:

Highest Seeded Rookie: Team 3129, the Green MacHHHine from 4-H

Autonomous Mode Challenge Award: Team 2073, Eagle Force from Pleasant Grove High School

BLADE Entrepreneurship Award: Team 604, Quixilver from Leland High School

Lead Volunteer Recognition:

Western Region Robotics Forum Board of Directors
Dr. Eugene D. Brooks, III, President
Michael (Mike) Schmit, Vice-President
Alvin Cheng, Secretary
Cecilia (Ceal) D. Craig, Treasurer
Deborah Epperson, BOD Member
Mark Epperson, BOD Member
Dr. Chris Kitts, BOD Member

Field Supervisor, Jayne Sonnenschein
Lead Inspector, Mark Epperson
Head Referee, Dane Boulton
Volunteer Coordinator, Deborah Epperson
Team Queuing, Ken Mitchell
Field Technical Advisor, Gary Koerzendorfer

And

CalGames 2009 Event Manager, Ryan Epperson!

WRRF Director's Award: Southern California Region Robotics Forum (represented by David Brinza)

Judges Award: Team 100, the Wildhats from Woodside, Carlmont, & Sequoia High Schools

BAE Design Award: Team 604 Quixilver from Leland High School

2009 California Robot Games Lunacy Tournament Finalist:
Team 100, the Wildhats from Woodside, Carlmont, & Sequoia High Schools
Team 971, Spartan Robotics from Mountain View High School
Team 701, Robovikes, from Vanden High School

2009 California Robot Games Lunacy Tournament Champion:
Team 604, Quixilver from Leland High School
Team 254, Cheesy Poofs from Bellarmine College Prep
Team 2854, The Prototypes from Evergreen High School

Volunteer or Volunteer Group Award, Presented by WRRF President Dr. Eugene D. Brooks, III:

"This FAMILY has supported FIRST events and the WRRF CalGames for many years, first supporting a team: the Apes of Wrath,
then supporting the WRRF in the CalGames,
and now also FIRST regionals,
and the SCRRF Fall Classic.

Join us in honoring...

2009 CalGames Volunteers:
The Epperson Family!"

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Big congrats to teams 604, 254 and 2854 on their Calgames win; it was an incredible competition.

Thanks to team 100, 971 and 701 for making the quarterfinals a blast, and another thanks to team 100 for hosting the event!

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Also hoped Eric from Team 2854 had a great birthday song yesterday!

Did anyone happen to catch that moment on tape?

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Thanks a bunch to 100 and 971 for the pick - while we didn't have much offense to offer, we did our best to try and slow down the opponents. We so much appreciated the help and patience you showed to our rookie driver. I can't think of a better way to break in new talent than to have them working along side such professional teams like 971 and 100. Those were some nail biting rounds! Congrats again to the winning alliance of 604, 254, and 2854.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

This was the test of fire for the 604 new rookie drive team. They drove the whole time, and showed us that we've got a lot to look forward to.

Congrats to you, 2854, and 254 as well. Pretty cool that your team numbers are so similar, too.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

CalGames pictures are up!

Many thanks to Tim Craig!

http://picasaweb.google.com/calgames2009/

Re: CalGames 2009
 

This odd coincidence is made even more interesting by the fact that 254 mentored 2854 this season.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

And a few members from each of the three teams interned together over this past summer ;)

Re: CalGames 2009
 

And in fact, it was 604 who contacted 2854 around Sept. 2008 and encouraged us to register for FIRST. They helped us get in contact with potential sponsors too.

Re: CalGames 2009
 

Congratulations on a great Calgames. We had some awkward situations, but it all ended up alright. Thanks to 254 for offering us their timeout. Everybody, keep up the GP.
Great Job

Re: CalGames 2009
 

First, a slightly belated congratulations to all six teams who made the finals (I'm not on here very often). You exemplify the high level of competition at Cal Games.

Second, congratulations to the rookie drive team for 1351 for making it to the semi-finals. You made us proud. Also, a "well done" to the mechanical, electronics and software groups for improving the reliability of the robot from last spring and keeping us in the game.

Thank you to Woodside and the WRRF for putting on a first-class event!