2009 Microsoft Seattle Regional

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Dave McLaughlin

The Skunks are excited and will be out in full force come Thursday. We have tweaked our drive code, implemented target verification and developed an upgrade for our shooter to increase our accuracy. Our scouting plan has been updated and we will be posting our data for everyone’s benefit during the event. Be prepared for Friday, not only will the Skunkworks be cheering, but we will be backed up by 400 Aviation High School students!!!

WHO IS READY FOR SEATTLE!?

Our scouts have been nagging me to ask y'all if you'd be willing to share a dump of your finalized scouting data from Oregon. We're curious to see how our data stacks up to yours. Any chance that can happen?

[Dave McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Madison

Our scouts have been nagging me to ask y'all if you'd be willing to share a dump of your finalized scouting data from Oregon. We're curious to see how our data stacks up to yours. Any chance that can happen?

Madison, I will talk to our head scout and try and get an email to you asap.

[Caio]

Like Will said, SWAT will be in Seattle at full force. Any rookies that need help with anything from technical to non-technical questions, feel free to ask. We'll be located right next the pit admin table, so we're easy to find.

We'll be making an announcement during the driver meeting on Thursday as well as hopefully during the opening ceremonies on Friday. Any teams that want to offer out help, come visit our table and write your name down, team number, and area of expertise. We'll be sure to contact you the people signed up if we need the help.

Seniors! If you want to be part of SWAT next year, in either Washington or Oregon, we'll have a sign up list. We love to see people staying involved and providing help to all the rookies and needing teams during build and competition season.

Can't wait to see all you guys there!

~Caio

[Fred Sayre]

It is so strange to me that the group is called SWAT. Especially since there was a SWAT team from UW/Roosevelt high just a couple years ago (that I was on for a couple years before they lost funding and the lead mentor had a kid). I still wear SWAT shirts around and people approach me saying they were on the team before my time. Every time I see someone walking around the Seattle event with the SWAT stuff I have to double take.

On another note I am very excited about competing this weekend! I think there are a lot of good teams. We have some of the nicest, most helpful and selfless mentors and students that I think will help make it hard to believe the percentage of rookies we have attending the event. I have already seen some very impressive rookie machines that I am eager to play with. Its going to be a very strong event this year in the Key!

[sciencenerd]

Hey, does anyone know if they released a match schedule for the Seattle regional before the pits closed tonight? Our scouters were hoping to do some preliminary analysis, but it seems that no one remembered to pick up the schedule!

If anyone has a copy of that I would really appreciate it if you could post it in this thread or email it to me at kylecorbitt AT gmail DOT com. Thanks.

[Madison]

Originally Posted by sciencenerd

Hey, does anyone know if they released a match schedule for the Seattle regional before the pits closed tonight? Our scouters were hoping to do some preliminary analysis, but it seems that no one remembered to pick up the schedule!

If anyone has a copy of that I would really appreciate it if you could post it in this thread or email it to me at kylecorbitt AT gmail DOT com. Thanks.

They generated them really late, Kyle. We didn't get a copy until about 7:15.

Luckily, they're also up on the FIRST site: http://www2.usfirst.org/2009comp/eve...edulequal.html

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by Madison

They generated them really late, Kyle. We didn't get a copy until about 7:15.

There was a qualifying match schedule generated and printed right after lunch. After it left the Scorekeeper's hands we don't know where it went. It's entirely possible that the FTA did a new one after we left at 6:15, but I wouldn't now why, since there were no team changes that I know of.

What robots impressed you in practice? I thought some of the usual suspects were quite good (1280, 488, 1983, 1318). I have a piece of paper with some of the more impressive (to me) rookie teams, but I left it on the scorekeeper's table. 2865 is the only one I can remember offhand.

[pitzoid]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

There was a qualifying match schedule generated and printed right after lunch.

The FTAs have to activate the schedule to get it to print, that also post it to the FIRST Web Site.

I just went and looked, the only ones for this week that weren't up by tonight was Colorado and Long Island (don't know why NY wasn't up).

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by pitzoid

The FTAs have to activate the schedule to get it to print, that also post it to the FIRST Web Site.

If I wasn't clear before, I'm one of two Scorekeepers at this event. I sat at the table when the schedule was generated and we printed the first 70 copies. I even got to see the "out of paper" message on the computer screen.

[Rick TYler]

The Seattle Regional is over, and it was a smoothly-running machine. We finished Friday six minutes early, and everything Saturday was running on rails. We had one field crash Saturday morning that caused a 3-minute delay, and during Finals 2 (of course it was the last match ) the start button bounced and went from "off" to "start" to "pause." This caused about a 1-minute delay while the robots (which had moved about a foot) were rolled back into place and the match was restarted.

Alliances featuring 1280 and 488 made it to the finals, where 488 managed to win the clash of the Big Dumpers. Personally, I think it was smart defense that won the event for 488/1425/1569. 1294 and 2660 were not quite as good in their supporting roles (this time). If these two alliances played these finals ten times, I think there is a good chance they would go five-and-five.

It's such a pleasure working at an event that ran so smoothly. I <heart> the FTA team (three people) at this event, and the other volunteers were just great. Not as much dancing as some other FRC events I've attended, though, as there was very little reason to use up time.

If you like to watch the action, volunteer to be a scorekeeper. We are busy BETWEEN matches, but don't have anything to do during the competition except watch the robots.

[TKM.368]

Congrats to our friends 488! A well deserved and long time coming win for you. Good Fortune must have been upon you...

[Constance Wood]

Congratualtions to teams 1425, 488 and 1569 for their hard fought competition and winners of the Microsoft Seattle Regional....it was great to watch! I look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta....hopefully one or more of the teams on the same field!

And thank you to all the volunteers and everyone at the MSR....the competition ran smoothly,...although it would have been nice to have a couple of bleachers from last year for added noise...hahahaha...just kidding! I had a lot of fun and it was great seeing so many rookie teams doing so well. I look forward to seeing them next year when they are seasoned veterans...can we squeeze any more teams into Key Arena???

Connie