How are Awards won at Championships?

[waialua359]

Forgive us for not knowing, since we hardly have attended the championship events in the past.
Our team received 3 awards at VCU which we've never won in the past.
Does that mean our team has a chance at winning those awards at CMP against 40 other potential candidates from the other regionals since there are 41 regionals total? Do judges at CMP specifically only look at the winners from regionals for each specific category?
Our team was so naive in the past as to not try for these awards at regionals. When judges came around, we answered questions, but informally or even told them to come back as we were too busy competing in matches.

This year, we separated the students answering questions for judges with the actual drive team who were too busy competing, so that any time a judge came, we were prepared. We like our results.
Many of these awards are the ability to convey completely and concisely about our team's efforts as stated during the awards ceremony. Too bad we learned that after 8 years.

[Kyle]

Anyone is able to win most of the awards given, other then Chairmans, EI and Woody Flowers and web site, if there are more someone please correct me. Unless you won one of those at another regional. Winning that award at a regional dose help but mostly they are up for grabs if you can wow the judges.

Good luck if you have any questions about awards PM me.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Kyle

Anyone is able to win most of the awards given, other then Chairmans, EI and Woody Flowers and web site, if there are more someone please correct me. Unless you won one of those at another regional. Winning that award at a regional dose help but mostly they are up for grabs if you can wow the judges.

Good luck if you have any questions about awards PM me.

Not that'd I'd have any insider information, but judges know who won at their respective regionals for awards, and will look at them closely and will be at the top of thier "must see" list, but if they hear about or see another team that is excellent, they will consider them and put them on the list.

EI is more fluid than the other "ridged" award, as sometimes it goes to Chairmans teams, teams that didn't "enter" per say, and sometimes to teams that really did win EI on the regional level.

All decisions are usually made before lunch on Saturday, with the judges doing all of their work on Friday (they really don't get in till Thursday night, remember these guys have jobs too!). Just sit tight in the pits, and watch for them on the field.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

Not that'd I'd have any insider information, but judges know who won at their respective regionals for awards, and will look at them closely and will be at the top of thier "must see" list, but if they hear about or see another team that is excellent, they will consider them and put them on the list.

I'd agree with that.

In 2006 when we won CMP Innovation in Control, the judge who interviewed us at CT (where we won at the regional level) brought over about 5 other judges on Friday afternoon and asked us to explain the system to all of them. There was no 'beating around the bush'. We simply got right into explaining the system in question.

[waialua359]

thanks for the insight. I'm sure not everyone knew this.
I knew about the website one, since our fellow Hawaii robotics team, 368 won it all last year for best website.
We are trying to do the same this year.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Kyle

Anyone is able to win most of the awards given, other then Chairmans, EI and Woody Flowers and web site, if there are more someone please correct me. Unless you won one of those at another regional. Winning that award at a regional dose help but mostly they are up for grabs if you can wow the judges.

Good luck if you have any questions about awards PM me.

Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Visualization are determined from a pool of three finalists selected by judges. Since there is no regional AIA, you obviously don't have to win a regional there. The AVAs don't have to be a regional winner (as 1625 proved last year) either, but more likely than not they will be.