Thanks, Paul, and thanks everyone! TLDR: Battlebots is awesome.
I am not an active of a poster here on CD, but I have been an active reader behind the scenes for about 10 years
I was super excited for this event to ask some of my friends and fellow mentors on the Cheesy Poofs to help me with this crazy project. I could not have done it without them! Travis, Cory, Colin, Andrew, and Mani were especially crucial Poofs which enabled my team to compete; they all worked hard for long hours, on a whim, and without question. Having Cory and Travis at the event was huge, really put me at ease and able to just drive the robot, and worry less about fixing it and getting it ready after having little to no sleep for weeks.
It was great to partner with VEX Robotics, and WPI for this event. I have used IFI control products, and speed controllers, in so many winning robots over the years. There is a reason I keep using them, super reliable, and tiny well made products. It was great fun getting to see Bob/Paul/Tony out in CA and cheering us on at the event filming! I am proud to have gotten their logos out on primetime TV! I was able to convince ABC to do some filming with us as FRC mentors with the Poofs, as some back story, and hope they use some of that footage.
I love Battlebots, and FIRST. I have been building combat robots for about 15 years now, since I was 13, competed all over the country, in official Battlebots events and Robogames, others, etc. It has been a fantastic journey, and taught me almost everything I know about engineering and building robots.
Combat robots introduced me to FIRST. At WPI, the lab I was given some space in also house Team 190, and I quickly became friends with those mentors and I tried my hand at mentoring with them from 2006 and on. FIRST was huge for me, because I loved working with the mentors and students. Competitive robotics is my passion in life, eat, breathe, and sleep robot events. After moving to the west coast in 2013, I knew I had to join the Poofs!
For anyone that dislikes Battlebots, I feel bad for you, you just don't "get it." It is OK to love FIRST, and Battlebots, Robogames, and whatever other competition pops up. It is all fun, and certainly all inspiring, and all very educational. My favorite part about Battlebots? When I was 13, I was calling industrial companies, sourcing parts, creating a budget, researching how to cut metal and drill holes, learning how to organize travel and shipment of a team and robot, and what can go wrong (everything). My favorite part, is that you actually learn those things the most when the project is a small effort, a 1 person or 3 person team for example. Nobody is just "along for the ride" or "part of the team", you are the team. I think there is much to be learned from working in teams, and team projects, but even more when you go out on your own some time for something you are truly passionate about.
I am a huge advocate of having students go out and try some projects on their own, I think it is the only part missing from FIRST. I would love to see kids going out to find sponsors, design their own machines, compete, make products, anything, on their own for a personal project, as the culmination of the FRC experience. Combat robotics is just one simple area which lets people try that.
If you want to follow along and learn more about my current team, this page will be the most active:
https://www.facebook.com/AptyxDesigns
Please respect that we have signed some very restricting documents, and the season is still airing on TV, so there are many things we cannot talk about. The rules and details around the event were made not public for various reasons, but I am sure more information will be available in the coming months.
-Paul Ventimiglia