Today was a very good day
 

Today was a VERY good day! What made it so good was that our team was able to see the robot move under its own power UNTETHERED!!! For many, that's probably a no big deal kind of thing, and I'm inclined to agree on some levels, but to a rookie team who doesn't know the intriciacies of programming and has never had to work within a defined deadline and work together as an actual team this was great.

Personally, if we get to our regionals and can only move in teleop mode and have only one functional program thats great. Don't get me wrong, if everything is dialed in and all that, that would be even better. I have nothing but huge admiration for the long term teams and those who have had years to get things honed and do this like clockwork, because it is a lot to do.

Having said that, I look forward to the regional and seeing how to do this and that and what we could have done differently but for today I am savoring how well these students of mine worked together and worked with other classes here at our school to get this done.

I think I know what Dean was talking about during the video, and while the competitor in me does indeed want to taste victory and the kids really only see the prospect of winning something at regionals, its really NOT about that and thats what makes this even better.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Mike

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Congratulations! That's a huge step.

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Hey Mike!

I know exactly how that feels. I felt that as a freshmen 2 seasons ago. It was mid-3rd week and we had trouble figuring out all the interrupts and things of that nature. I remember "HEY LETS REMOVE THAT 0.5 FACTOR" (We put in a "0.5" mulitiplier so if it went too fast errantly, we'd be able to kill it without getting hurt. It was such an awesome moment I still have a picture of it.

I wish the best of luck to your team for the rest of the season!

Keehun

Re: Today was a very good day
 

It's glad to see your team had a good day.

These kind of days are the days that I call power surge days. Generally one good day can put all sorts of energy into your mind. 4-5 weeks of constant working come down to one happy moment of minute success.

It's good to see that you guys even have a robot. This time last year, my team, a six year veteran team, was still building our base. You're definitely on the right track for creating a good robotics program and having one heck of a time at regionals.

Re: Today was a very good day
 

This post tells me that you, as a mentor, have already won something. The beauty of true FIRST spirit. Actually - your team earned it for and with you. :) It only gets better.

I hope all of the teams celebrate with you at your upcoming competition(s).

Jane

Re: Today was a very good day
 

kudos

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Team 3286 (and Mike):
Congratulations! :D It IS a big deal even to older teams. It gives everyone a sense of accomplishment and remember, you will always have new kids on the team as your seniors graduate and your freshmen join the team. Yes perspective changes as you continue to compete but every season brings new challenges for every team. We are a small town 3rd year team and for us the first day we drive the bot EVERYONE is jumping for joy!

You are so right about what FIRST is about and don't forget that. It's easy to get caught up in the trophies etc but I know that at LoneStar the moment you walk into the pits you can feel the true meaning of FIRST everywhere. When you go to your regional you will see pits where there are 5 or 6 different teams working together to help one rookie/troubled veteran to fix/build/redesign/code whatever needs to be done for that bot to pass inspection and hit the field for that first match!

I will tell you now that after three years mentoring my team is one of the greatest and most stressful things I have ever done. I am the only coach/mentor/psychoanalyst/parent of a 30 student team so I may have a slightly different perspective than teams that have 3 or 4 coaches/mentors but these are my feelings about FIRST and the people involved.

Congratulations Team 3286 and welcome to your first FIRST Robotics Season!!

Team 2582
:)

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Thanks all...

Tomorrow I will adjust back to the fact that we havent TOUCHED any programming yet, but we will continue on and dig in, roll up our sleeves, and spend every extra moment that we can until they pry it out of our cold dead fingers on the 23rd to ship it off.

I mean....REALLY...how hard can it be to tell a compressor to turn on and off, make a pneumatic cylinder extend and retract on command, and make a camera turn where you want it to on command? ( DUCKING! )

Mike

Re: Today was a very good day
 

This is our source code, whenever you feel like you need it. Though we're not using the simplest format, bits and pieces of code will be valuable (like setting up Solenoid object and telling it to do something, etc).

http://github.com/keehun/TeamRobotCode

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Small things like this have big effects. These big effects are what keep us involved in FIRST. Thanks for the refreshing reminder. :)

Our code from past years is all posted here to download. You will find that Camera code from 05, 06, 07, and 09 is all there, and that pneumatics code from 04 and 07 is there as well.

Hope that helps. =)

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Ahhhh, I know that feeling. I'm mentoring a rookie team this year and the excitement they have as they complete each milestone is awesome.

Congratulations and here's to an awesome rookie year... and many years to follow!

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Congrats! I know every year when the robot first moves I cheer. This is my 7th season competing in FRC and my #1 goal is still "move".

Sir, you and your team obviously get it. Winning is great but the feeling of accomplishment and pride in seeing something you built with your own two hands out there competing is just something that can't be matched. Good Luck this season and in all your future seasons. (Sorry, you got bitten by the FRC bug, ask Richard, you can NEVER get out now)

Re: Today was a very good day
 

GREAT POST!! Congrats! We're rookies too and getting our bot to run teleoperated, hop the bump, secure all the electronics and do it consistently were the big things we did last week. I definitely am on the same page as you.

We're having a booger of a time with autonomous mode. Our strategy is to move in tele, be able to support our alliance members in either defence or offense, go under the tunnel, and try to defend as much as possible. We haven't figured out how to do the manipulator arm but are thinking we could climb on the tunnel top and help the alliance score some points.(?) Our thinking is to do several tasks well-consistently and we'll do ok in the Regionals. Are we crazy or just a little overwhelmed? We'll see....having fun anyway.

Steve Miller
Team 3355
Arlington, Texas

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Andrew's right. I'm infected, along with hundreds of other CDers and FIRSTers.

The challenge is addictive, and seeing society be better off for it is all the more rewarding. I've known several people who came through the program to go on to do great things, myself included.

Its always very rewarding to see the device you and your team designed and built tested for the first time and it works beautifully.

I know with my own team, I drew an idea on Inventor the night of Kickoff (I stayed up till 4am doing it!). It was decided that we would end up building that idea into our robot, and its coming together now. I can't wait to see it work, and even moreso, I can't wait to see this design feature work on the field in competition.

You and your team "get" FIRST. Now the trick is to not lose sight of the real goals of the program. Get out there. Change your team, change your school, change your town, change the world. Make a difference, and make the world a better place for all of us.

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Hi 3286 and pilum40

Well done getting this far! I know, it's a huge achievement when you get it to move the first time I remember writing a similar post. :)

We're a rookie team too (Team 3132). Please let me know if you need any help getting going. I can especially help if you're using C++, since that's what we're using, and have found various things out the long, hard way.

Keep it up!

Re: Today was a very good day
 

i remember our rookie year (2007)... we didn't untether the robot until a practice event the Saturday before ship. And last year, even after having two years under our belts, we didn't have the wireless working until at least the halfway point.

Of course, it was much easier for us this year, as everything was still set up from last year :p Driving the practice bot after a week!

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Congratulations, Last year we did not drive our robot till Saturday before shipping. We are ahead of last years rookie schedule but not by much. See you in Portland?

Team 3013

Re: Today was a very good day
 

Congratulations - Great News.

Good Luck with your first FIRST season. Many will say the first year is really the best and most memorable.

:)