Inaugural 2011 Texas Robot Round-up!

[Pjohn1959]

Thanks for all the updates Jess. I like the scoring and rules changes. This will be a fun event. I can't wait to be there!

[JaneYoung]

Hi everybody,

The NEMO (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) meeting has been scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. It is scheduled for an hour but, if folks are interested, we can visit a little longer. Please pass the word to the adults on your teams that fill the non-engineering mentor roles. This could include technical mentors who also fill those roles and feel that you need some help in areas such team organization, fundraising, promotion and marketing, community outreach, team travel - and the list goes on and on.

We'll announce the meeting place at the event and signs will be posted. It will be in one of the classrooms in Anderson High School.

Can't wait to see everyone!

Jane

[JaneYoung]

Back again. The Central Texas Robotics Alliance will have a meeting on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Anderson High School. It is scheduled for an hour and is an opportunity for the members to touch base and prepare to welcome our visiting teams. Signs will be posted at the event with the classroom number where the meeting will be held.

Jane

[Michael Blake]

WELL... here it comes in 3 DAYS!!

We're excited... our first off-season scrimmage... AND we'll _finally_ have a working arm/gripper... can you imagine that... ;-)

ANYONE else _excited_?!

See you there...

[jessjank.]

Team Leaders, make sure you check your email for updates! Here are the contents of my email to teams today:

PLEASE RESPOND (jessjank@gmail.com) IF INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES:
1. If any of your team members would like to sing the National Anthem on Saturday.
2. If your team is interested in participating in Friday's Mentor Tournament* (See Below).
3. If you have an extra 2011 robot available and can bring it to the event.
4. If anyone from your team will be in Austin/available on Thursday night and/or Friday morning to help with set-up.
5. How many people involved with your team will attend Intermediate/Advanced LabView Training provided by National Instruments (no computers needed) at 10:30am on Saturday.


ADDRESS & PARKING:
Anderson High School
8403 Mesa Drive
Austin, TX 78759

Anderson High School is on the corner of Steck and Mesa in North Austin, near MoPac (Loop 1).
The main entrance for the event is off of Steck Avenue. ONLY park in the student parking areas, DO NOT park in the street. There will be signs indicating where to enter.


TEAM LOAD-IN:
Parking spaces by the main entrance to the event will be reserved for temporary drop off of robots and supplies. When you arrive, you can begin unloading your vehicles, but please first send in a representative to pick up your registration packet and find your pit location. If necessary, at checkin you can request to drive your vehicle closer to the entrance and will receive a pass to do so. There is not a limit to the amount of equipment you bring in to the facility, however please be mindful to respect the space of others and keep your things within your pit space (10' x 10'). Pits will be in the cafeteria.


TEAM CHECK-IN:
Teams coming in on Friday can checkin starting at noon. On Saturday morning, doors will open at 8:00am. Teams who did not checkin on Friday will need to make sure to do so then. Opening ceremonies are scheduled to start promptly at 9:00am. At checkin, your team will receive a packet which will include information about the event, driver passes, awards ballot**, etc. Match schedules will be placed on your table in the pits on Saturday morning.


UPDATED SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 29, 2011 (OPTIONAL DAY)
11:00 AM - Volunteer Check-in (for those not assisting in morning set-up)
12:00 PM - Doors Open
1:00 PM - Practice Matches Begin
3:00 PM - Central Texas Robotics Alliance Meeting
4:00 PM - Practice Matches End
4:30 PM - Mentor Tournament*
6:30 PM - Pits close
7:00 PM - Team Social

Saturday, July 30, 2011
7:00 AM - Volunteer Check-In
8:00 AM - Doors Open for Teams
9:00 AM - Opening Ceremonies
9:30 AM - Matches Begin
10:30 AM - NI LabView Training
12:00 PM - Lunch Break
12:00 PM - Skills Challenge
1:00 PM - Matches Resume
1:00 PM - Non-Engineering Mentors Organization (NEMO) Meeting
3:00 PM - Matches End
3:00 PM - Alliance Selection
3:30 PM - Eliminations Begin
6:00 PM - Eliminations End
6:00 PM - Awards**
7:00 PM - Pits Close

NOTE: Please remember that there are a few important rules changes that we feel will benefit teams. See my previous email/posts for more details.


*MENTOR TOURNAMENT:
If your team is interested in participating in the mentor tournament, please make sure to respond ASAP! We need to make sure all interested teams are accounted for. Reminder, we will be holding a CANNED FOOD DRIVE at the event. Alliance selection order will be based on the number of canned goods your team donates. Please turn in your canned goods when you checkin on Friday (or Saturday).


**AWARDS:
Reminder: the event will not have Judges, however, teams will help decide who will be recognized. Upon check-in, your team will receive an Awards Ballot on which they will be able to nominate other teams for specific awards (you may not nominate your own team). In order to be eligible for an award, you must submit an Awards Ballot (signed by both a mentor and a student) to Pit Administration before finals on Saturday. You will be asked to include the team number and a brief reasoning as to why you think the team should receive the award. Full details of the awards will be provided with the ballot.

Team Judged Awards will include:
- Gracious Professionalism - Recognizes outstanding sportsmanship and gracious professionalism in the heat of competition, both on and off the playing field.
- Team Spirit - Recognizes extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, and exceptional teamwork.
- Play of the Day - Recognize a team that did something really exciting on the field during the competition. (This is an "old-school" FIRST award that we were interested in bringing back.)
- Creativity in Design - Recognizes a team who thought outside the box when developing their robot, creating a component or overall design that is really cool, unique, etc.

Non-Judged Awards will include:
- Champions
- Finalists
- Mentor Tournament Champions
- Skills Challenge Champion
- Most Canned Food Donated

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by jessjank.

**TEAM SOCIAL:

The Team Social is being hosted by the Lady Cans, team 2881. This will be held on Friday, July 29th from 7pm to 11pm across the street from the high school at St. Matthews. The event may include food, games, music, prizes, and more! Please contact Susie Rich at schrich@swbell.net if your team plans to attend!

Any events on Saturday night are still TBA.

Jess,

Would you or Susie post the street address of St. Matthews? I'm not not sure which 'across the street' it is.

Thank you.

Jane

[jessjank.]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Jess,

Would you or Susie post the street address of St. Matthews? I'm not not sure which 'across the street' it is.

Thank you.

Jane

I'm not involved in planning the Social in any form. Susie can confirm this and any other details, but I believe the address is:
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
8134 Mesa Dr.
Austin, TX 78759-8615

[jessjank.]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Hi everybody,

The NEMO (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) meeting has been scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. It is scheduled for an hour but, if folks are interested, we can visit a little longer. Please pass the word to the adults on your teams that fill the non-engineering mentor roles. This could include technical mentors who also fill those roles and feel that you need some help in areas such team organization, fundraising, promotion and marketing, community outreach, team travel - and the list goes on and on.

We'll announce the meeting place at the event and signs will be posted. It will be in one of the classrooms in Anderson High School.

Can't wait to see everyone!

Jane

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Back again. The Central Texas Robotics Alliance will have a meeting on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Anderson High School. It is scheduled for an hour and is an opportunity for the members to touch base and prepare to welcome our visiting teams. Signs will be posted at the event with the classroom number where the meeting will be held.

Jane

Jane - Just wanted to also say thank you for your efforts in planning these two awesome meetings that will certainly benefit everyone who attends! We're thrilled to be able to have a NEMO meeting and to continue building our Central Texas Robotics Alliance at TRR.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by jessjank.

Jane - Just wanted to also say thank you for your efforts in planning these two awesome meetings that will certainly benefit everyone who attends! We're thrilled to be able to have a NEMO meeting and to continue building our Central Texas Robotics Alliance at TRR.

Thanks, Jess. I've gotten a lot of help with each of them from awesome mentors. I plan on thanking all of these mentors after the event but, I'd really like to thank the amazing Jenny Beatty for her help today! Thank you, Jenny!
--
Thanks for the help with the street address - I can get lost in a teacup.

Rock on, Jess Jank.

Jane

[familyguyfreak]

Just curious, will there be a webcast?

[jessjank.]

Originally Posted by familyguyfreak

Just curious, will there be a webcast?

Not this year, unfortunately. It simply wasn't a priority with everything else going in to planning this event. If there's an easy way for a team to set this up and run with it, it might still be possible, but for the time being, no.

[jessjank.]

LOAD-IN UPDATE:

We have some changes for load-in instructions due to potential conflicts of space being utilized by the marching band and for general ease of load-in. On both Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, please send any vehicles carrying your team's robot or heavy supplies to the entrance on Cima Serena Drive. Signs will be posted. Once vehicles are unloaded, you will be asked to move your car to the parking lot on Steck Avenue. Vehicles carrying passengers should still plan to park and enter the building off of Steck Avenue. I've attached a basic map for your convenience (not to scale).

[jessjank.]

For your convenience, ausTIN CANs mentors prepared a map that includes potential places and businesses (restaurants, fast food, hardwares stores, pharmacies, etc) of interest to your teams that are close to Anderson High School:
2011 Texas Robot Roundup Map

During the event, please feel free to ask any members of ausTIN CANs, and other locals, for directions!

[jessjank.]

RULE CHANGES:

Attached you will find a document listing all the specific rules and scoring changes, same as the changes utilized at IRI (other than alliance selections). Please make sure to review it!

[jessjank.]

We're all so excited to see many of you tomorrow and Friday. Basic set-up for the event began tonight with the arrival of AndyMark and the field. We'll be continuing set-up tomorrow morning and expect to have things ready to go when doors open at noon!

I'm attaching a TRR Event Map (teams will receive this in their packet when they check in). This shows the layout of the area in Anderson HS where the event will be taking place, as well as useful things like the queuing pathway and the location of charging stations (we're unfortunately not able to provide power directly to each pit, but hope to find a way to make this happen next year!). If you have a chance, please look over that map to familiarize yourself with the facilities.

See you all soon!