SCRIW (South Carolina Robotics Invitational and Workshops) II - 2012

[Billfred]

Things are really heating up now--welcome FRC 3459, Team PyroTech to the SCRIW II lineup!

281 - EnTech GreenVillains
342 - Burning Magnetos
587 - Hedgehogs
1102 - M'Aiken Magic
1287 - Aluminum Assault
1293 - D5 Robotics
1319 - FLASH
1398 - Keenan Robo-Raiders
1553 - KC Revolutionists
1758 - Technomancers
2655 - The Flying Platypi
2059 - The Hitchhikers
2815 - Los Pollos Locos
3196 - Team SPORK
3459 - Team PyroTech
3489 - Category 5
3976 - Electric Hornets
4074 - Robosharks
4083 - The Iron Wolverines
9999 - FIRST Noble Team (Prerookies)
9999 - Wando Advanced Robotics (Prerookies)

3 spots left! Get in soon if you're going to--register at http://scriw.org![/quote][/quote]

[Billfred]

Here's the email blast that just went out, including the announcement of SCRIW T-shirts!

Hello, teams!

First, an update on registration--the past two weeks have been crazy, putting us at 21 teams with 24 our limit. Currently signed up are:

281 EnTech GreenVillains
342 Burning Magnetos
587 The Hedgehogs
1102 M'Aiken Magic
1287 Aluminum Assault
1293 D5 Robotics
1319 FLASH
1398 Keenan Robo-Raiders
1553 KC Revolutionists
1758 Technomancers
2059 The Hitchhikers
2655 The Flying Platypi
2815 Los Pollos Locos
3196 Team SPORK
3459 Team PyroTech
3489 Category 5
3976 Electric Hornets
4074 Robosharks
4083 The Iron Wolverines
9999 FIRST Noble Team
9999 Wando Advanced Robotics

(Those last two 9999s are pre-rookie teams that will be competing for the very first time at SCRIW!)

If you know of any teams who'd want to get in, get them to register online at scriw.org ASAP. We would love to have a completely full bracket this year!

New for 2012: SCRIW T-Shirts! They were asked about last year, and this year we're coming through with official SCRIW T-shirts! The shirts are red and feature the SCRIW logo with our tagline "The Road to St. Louis Starts Here". You can see the design on the pre-order form attached to this email; the form will reserve shirts for your team members so we can ensure there's enough for everyone. (You can get it here too.) Shirts are $10, can be had in adult small through 2XL, and you pay at the event. Pre-orders are due back by 5:00 PM on next Friday, September 28th; even if only a couple of your team members are interested, please be sure to email it back to us so we can get an accurate number to order. Nothing's worse than being a medium that has to wear an XL.

Wanna do lunch? Lunch pre-orders are still in the works; we hope to have more information to you next week.

We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks! Go Teams!

--Billfred Leverette
SCRIW Planning Committee

[ELucas]

Hey guys, I know it's kind of late to be signing up but our team finally decided they wanted to do something productive before build season. We'd like to participate but odds are we won't get the money until the fourth (broke school, broke team), and I don't want to register until I know we can actually pay. Is there any way we can get a spot reserved, or would it be easier to just register and pay whenever we get the money before the 13th - and if we don't, to cancel? Just want to make the least amount of hassle for you guys.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by ELucas

Hey guys, I know it's kind of late to be signing up but our team finally decided they wanted to do something productive before build season. We'd like to participate but odds are we won't get the money until the fourth (broke school, broke team), and I don't want to register until I know we can actually pay. Is there any way we can get a spot reserved, or would it be easier to just register and pay whenever we get the money before the 13th - and if we don't, to cancel? Just want to make the least amount of hassle for you guys.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Sent you a PM.

And SCRIW teams received this email today:

Greetings, SCRIW II teams!

First: As of this writing, we still have three spots left. We'll still take registrations through next week until we hit 24 teams; point your sister teams to http://scriw.org/ to sign up!

Got a spare robot? If you have a practice robot you were thinking about bringing in as a B-team, we are allowing them in gratis to ensure a nice, full field. This is on a space-available basis, behind the regular, prerookie, and paid B-team entries, and we'll take teams first-come-first-served. If you're interested, please email me.

Lunch pre-orders are out! We've attached the order form to this email. (ChiefDelphi-ers: PM me and I'll get it to you.) Submit your pre-orders and enjoy a painless lunch process!

Reminder on SCRIW T-Shirts: The deadline to pre-order SCRIW T-shirts is this Friday at 6:00 PM. We'll be submitting the order that night, so don't be left out!

Last call for workshop ideas! We've got a pretty awesome lineup of workshops coming together, including programming, pneumatics, and team-building. If you've got a topic you'd like to present on for 30 minutes to an hour, we'd love to hear from you!

Fact: Volunteers get the best seats in the house. If you've got parents that hate just sitting, odds are we can find a volunteer position for them. Volunteers get lunch on us and the super-cool SCRIW Crew T-shirt. The signup is here: http://scriw.org/volunteer-sign-up-form/

And finally, THANK YOU! We couldn't put SCRIW on without teams like you supporting us. We're looking forward to putting on the best off-season event in the South in two and a half weeks. If you have questions, please drop us a line.

Happy fix-up-the-robot season,

Billfred Leverette
SCRIW Planning Committee

[Billfred]

A sorta-kinda-update: 1102 has had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict, both our pre-rookies have gained numbers so I can quit putting down 9999, and we've gained two reserve robots from 1319 and 1553. (Considering these two fielded B robots last year that got silver and gold, respectively, I'm excited to see what happens.)

As such, the current lineup is:

281 EnTech GreenVillains
342 Burning Magnetos
587 The Hedgehogs
1287 Aluminum Assault
1293 D5 Robotics
1319 FLASH
1398 Keenan Robo-Raiders
1553 KC Revolutionists
1758 Technomancers
2059 The Hitchhikers
2655 The Flying Platypi
2815 Los Pollos Locos
3196 Team SPORK
3459 Team PyroTech
3489 Category 5
3976 Electric Hornets
4074 Robosharks
4083 The Iron Wolverines
4452 FIRST Noble Team
4533 Wando Advanced Robotics

Reserve Teams
3371 Flash Reserve
1554 KC Rev'sts Reserve

Nominally, 4 spots left! We'll take teams through the end of this week at http://scriw.org !

[Billfred]

The time between 4:00 and 4:30 PM today was absolutely faaaaaaantastic for me as one of the organizers of SCRIW, probably one of our top moments?

Why, you ask?

First, we had the registration of FRC 2640, the Hotbotz, which reunites all four members of the alliance that won Palmetto this year. Cause enough for celebration, I say.

But then came FRC 4261, Raptors Robotics, which brings us to 24 robots in the competition!

281 EnTech GreenVillains
342 Burning Magnetos
587 The Hedgehogs
1287 Aluminum Assault
1293 D5 Robotics
1319 FLASH
1398 Keenan Robo-Raiders
1553 KC Revolutionists
1758 Technomancers
2059 The Hitchhikers
2640 Hotbotz
2655 The Flying Platypi
2815 Los Pollos Locos
3196 Team SPORK
3459 Team PyroTech
3489 Category 5
3976 Electric Hornets
4074 Robosharks
4083 The Iron Wolverines
4261 Raptors Robotics
4452 FIRST Noble Team
4533 Wando Advanced Robotics

Reserve Teams
3371 Flash Reserve
1554 KC Revolutionists Reserve

Now, the two reserve teams are subject to be bumped if another team were to sign up, so technically: 2 spots left! The field will be locked in Friday at 5:00 PM.

I look forward to seeing a full bracket in two weeks!

[Billfred]

And now, the update that just went out (and it's a biggie!):

Greetings, SCRIW teams!

A few more updates as we get closer still to SCRIW this Saturday.

First, the schedule in full! We had hit the biggest points, but here's the full list:

0800: Pits open to teams
0801: Practice matches/sync checks. (Make sure your robot connects to the field at least once.)
0925: Check-in closed (Once we make the schedule, that's it.)
0930: Mandatory Driver's Meeting, Qualification Match Schedule Released
1000: Opening Ceremonies
1010: First Match
1200: Lunch Break
1235: Resume Qualification Matches
1500: End Qualification Matches
1505: Alliance Selection
1530: Elimination Rounds Start
1730: Elimination Rounds End (approximate)
1740: Awards & Breakdown

We plan to run on a relatively slow 8-minute match cycle (FRC events run 6-minute cycles). By our math, that works out to about eight matches per team, plus everyone should make the elimination rounds. Come ready to have a lot of fun!

Also note, we'll be playing straight-up Rebound Rumble rules. No tweaks this year.

Second, we have our workshop schedule secured:

10:15-11:15: Pneumatics in an FRC Robot - Kevin Thorp, FRC 3489 (Category 5)
11:30-12:30: Team Building for FRC - Linda Whipker, FRC 3459 (Team PyroTech)
12:45-1:45: FLL and JrFLL - Get in the Game! - Mary Graves, SC FLL/JrFLL Affiliate and Operational Partner
2:00-3:00: Getting Started in LabView and Java - Fred Krenso, FRC 3489 (Category 5)

We've got a great group of workshop presenters lined up; they will be presenting in the cafeteria just upstairs from the gym. Check the diagram below for a sense of the facility, and we'll have signs up too. Note that we won't be using the cafeteria for dining space this year; with a forecast for the upper 70s, the courtyards will provide plenty of space to get some fresh air.

Traffic Flow Diagram

Check the diagram out here: http://scriw.org/wp-content/uploads/...ow-IrmoHS.jpeg

Teams will load in and out via Emory Lane--if you come in via Harbison Boulevard, keep going straight. Buses will unload in the traffic circle, while robot-carrying vehicles will unload directly behind the gym. Team vehicles should then go back out and park in the student parking lot on the other end of the campus--take a left out of the driveway, then a left onto Harbison, then a left into the parking lot. (Be patient, left turns take some time off of Emory Lane.) If someone on your team needs accessible parking, have them turn left at the light just past the main building on St. Andrews.

The Final Final Revised Final Lineup

This morning, we had one more team ask to get in. We had the field set at our limit of 24, but the KC Revolutionists graciously yielded their reserve team spot to let in FRC 415, RoBoCRAFT. As such, our lineup is now (and, so help me, will be):

281 EnTech GreenVillains
342 Burning Magnetos
415 RoBoCRAFT
587 The Hedgehogs
1287 Aluminum Assault
1293 D5 Robotics
1319 FLASH
1398 Keenan Robo-Raiders
1553 KC Revolutionists
1758 Technomancers
2059 The Hitchhikers
2640 Hotbotz
2655 The Flying Platypi
2815 Los Pollos Locos
3196 Team SPORK
3371 FLASH B-Team
3459 Team PyroTech
3489 Category 5
3976 Electric Hornets
4074 Robosharks
4083 The Iron Wolverines
4261 Raptors Robotics
4452 FIRST Noble Team
4533 Wando Advanced Robotics

Reminder on lunch pre-orders: Have them in by 5:00 PM on Wednesday. Bring the cash or check with you to registration.

And thank you again! We love how excited your teams have been about SCRIW, and can't wait to blow the roof off this Saturday. Please contact us if you have any questions.

See you Saturday!

--Billfred Leverette
SCRIW Planning Committee

[Billfred]

One more email blast:

Teams,

Last night's email blast had a map laying out the traffic flow, including directions to accessible parking near the gym. Turns out that the images are out of date*, and you can't turn that way anymore. To reach it, you'll go into the team parking lot as usual and follow the driveway behind the tech center to the parking spaces. The map has been updated here: http://scriw.org/wp-content/uploads/...ow-IrmoHS.jpeg

There are stairs between the marked Human Unloading area and the gym floor level that contains the field, pits, and concessions. (The workshops in the cafeteria are on the same level as Human Unloading.) If this poses an issue for anyone on your team, please drop us a line and we'll do our best to accommodate them.

We want to ensure everyone can have a great time at SCRIW this Saturday, and we apologize for any confusion.

--Billfred Leverette
SCRIW Planning Committee

*And for the record: no, we didn't use Apple Maps.

[Kevin Thorp]

We're having a little trouble getting the Wando RookieBot to shoot. Can you lower the bottom goals about 6"?

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Kevin342

We're having a little trouble getting the Wando RookieBot to shoot. Can you lower the bottom goals about 6"?

I checked with AndyMark*, and I think we can make this happen if you bring along a wire stretcher, a left-handed screwdriver, and a bottle of magic smoke in case something happens to the ball counters during this process.

All kidding aside, have you considered the Bomb Squad's approach to What To Do If Your Shooter's A Dud? Seemed to work out okay for them...

Spoiler for Disclaimers:

*This is a fabrication.

[Kevin Thorp]

Thanks... I think.

Were you planning to update the SCRIW website? Workshops, traffic flow/parking, agenda, etc.?

I assume you sent information to team leaders, but sometimes it doesn't filter down to everyone. Plus unregistered visitors might be interested.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Kevin342

Thanks... I think.

Were you planning to update the SCRIW website? Workshops, traffic flow/parking, agenda, etc.?

I assume you sent information to team leaders, but sometimes it doesn't filter down to everyone. Plus unregistered visitors might be interested.

Yep--if you see it in the thread here, it was pasted from email blasts that went to the registered contacts. The webmaster is just a slacker. I'll whack him with a pool noodle next chance I get.

Also, if you looked at the traffic diagram on Monday night, note that it changed a bit--there's a closed-off section that Google Maps hadn't updated in the satellite photos. It only really affects those using the accessible parking area, but we want to ensure everyone has a good time at SCRIW.

[Billfred]

I just now opened my laptop for the first time since Friday afternoon; I barely touched the internet on Saturday (which had me at Irmo High from 6:45 until after 10:00 PM). I barely moved this morning...but judging from my email today, I think SCRIW II was a great success.

First, thank you to all the teams. To grow by nearly a third year-over-year is a challenge for any organization, and we ran into a few quirks (not the least of which was our late start for sync checks). I want to thank all of you for your patience and gracious professionalism throughout the day, both towards us and towards other teams.

And holy crap, what a set of elimination matches! Congrats to the champions, [b]FRC 587 (Hedgehogs), FRC 2640 (HOTBOTZ), and FRC 2059 (The Hitchhikers)[b]. Considering the latter two won Palmetto with us (and 587 won Peachtree with us around), I think we might have them hooked for coming down to South Carolina.

I want to thank all of our volunteers, but singular praise is due to Jacob Paikoff from 2059 (ha, I got it right this time!). He was there to help with setup, refereed the event, and then stayed for tear-down nearly as long as I did; where I had to be there, he sure as heck didn't.

Further thanks to Greg and Brandon from AndyMark, who were immensely helpful in getting all 24 teams to shake off summer-induced ring rust and get everyone running. Their grace under fire is just one of the many reasons SCRIW springs for their services each year.

On a somewhat personal level, thanks to the FIRST Noble Team for picking 2815. It was a rough day for them, seeding dead last after a code issue made them miss matches, but it's still nice to see them not the last pick of the draft. (Further thanks to their mentor Tina Drake for serving as head referee.)

Thanks to WLTX and Carolina News for coming out to cover the event.

And finally, thanks to all the students, parents, and mentors of Los Pollos Locos and D5 Robotics. The SCRIW planning committee is just three people, the budget a shoestring. We couldn't do it without the help of these great kids.

Now to shake off the last of these aches and start planning for SCRIW III! The date will be announced shortly after the release of USC's home football schedule.

[Jacob Paikoff]

Billfred, thanks to you, D5 robotics, and Los Pollos Locos for putting on another great event. I'm definitely looking forward to SCRIW III, and I know that 2059 will be back to try and continue our winning ways in South Carolina.

[Greg Young]

Thank you to Billfred, Los Pollos Locos and D5 for putting together a great event. The Hedgehogs had a wonderful time.

Thanks to the Hitchhikers for inviting us to hitch a ride to eliminations with them and to Hotbotz for helping us pull off the win.

We're going to register for Palmetto as soon as second registration opens. I hope we can get in. I look forward to seeing you all again.

Greg