View Single Post
  #4   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 14-03-2010, 10:49
Travis Hoffman's Avatar Unsung FIRST Hero
Travis Hoffman Travis Hoffman is offline
O-H
FRC #0048 (Delphi E.L.I.T.E.)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Rookie Year: 2001
Location: Warren, Ohio USA
Posts: 4,045
Travis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond reputeTravis Hoffman has a reputation beyond repute
Re: Congratulations 3138 - Awesome Showing in Pittsburgh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan 1038 View Post
I agree, though I must include some information some who saw the regional may not know... During the eliminations, 3138 suffered two wheel failures - the repairs resulted in them losing their ability to maneuver. Their drivetrain is a twin of ours; traction wheels in the front and omnis in the rear. They lost a tread on one of their traction wheels and sheared the sprocket bolts on one omni. Their repairs, due to parts and time constraints, were replacing the omni with a traction wheel and zip-tying a tread on the traction wheel. Losing the omni in the rear severely impacted their ability to turn, obviously! This was the cause of their lower performance in the finals, and a learning experience for sure! My guess is they will have a few spares on hand at Buckeye and the Championships!
The finals were not what they could have been - I was excited for a full-strength matchup against 1114's alliance (including another robot and drive team I was extreeeeemely impressed with - 63), but fate saw fit to intervene. Yet, even with a gimpy drivetrain, I loved how 3138 fought to the end, even scoring two balls while not being able to do much more than drive in a straight line. I also loved how the students rallied around the robot during their timeout, working feverishly yet under control to try and find a solution to the drivetrain issue, change their bumpers and battery out for the finals, etc. Reminded me of the operational organization 1114 typically displays - great things await 3138 down the road.

One of my highlights of the season so far has been the opportunity to meet and provide a little bit of assistance to 3138's students and mentors during their journey from FTC toward FRC. 1038 is largely responsible for the veteran support of this team throughout their rookie season, but 48 and 379 happily found a way to kick in a few extra resources for the rookies over the summer at IRI, as well as into the fall months ahead of their inaugural FRC kickoff.

I think it's cool that veteran teams from all over the state can work together to support a rookie team. I look forward to asking 3138 to share their experiences and best practices so future (and perhaps fellow) rookies can benefit from knowledge of their organized operations. It is these types of cross-state efforts which make me optimistic that we can unite all of Ohio under a single collaborative FIRST organization one day soon.

Throughout all my dealings with this team, they don't know how many times they literally put a smile on my face (very hard to do ) whenever we worked with them in person, spoke with them on the phone or exchanged emails. Innovators Robotics was in Atlanta last year as an FTC team, and in less than one year's time, they've doubled their FRC student ranks, added more sponsors than I care to note, and created what has become a powerhouse robot and program. Now, hopefully, they'll find a way to use that Rookie All-Star award to get to Atlanta and compete as an FRC team!

The most exciting thing is that 3138, 1038, 48, and 379 will all be together at the Buckeye Regional - I can't wait.
__________________

Travis Hoffman, Enginerd, FRC Team 48 Delphi E.L.I.T.E.
Encouraging Learning in Technology and Engineering - www.delphielite.com
NEOFRA - Northeast Ohio FIRST Robotics Alliance - www.neofra.com
NEOFRA / Delphi E.L.I.T.E. FLL Regional Partner

Last edited by Travis Hoffman : 14-03-2010 at 10:57.