Hi, Open Alliance teams!
This is 7492’s #openalliance post, as we just wanted to send out a recap of what we have been up. During the build season, we will be more active in posting on our 2023 season build blog. This post includes what we have been up to since the previous season ended.
Recruitment
One of our major goals this season was recruiting and training new members. We have attended many school events: including freshman orientation, open houses, and our own recruitment meeting, as a way to spread information and give students the opportunity to learn more about our team. Attending these events not only increased students’ interest in our team but also gave our leadership team (and rising upperclassmen) more opportunities to work on their public speaking skills.
Off-season Event: Remix
We competed at The Remix off-season event, which made our new members excited for our next competition season. Each of our rookies got to talk to other teams and learn from them, experience the fast-paced energy, and practice some simple scouting.
Our subteams →
Each of our subteam leads has taught the rookies the basics of their disciple. I am proud to say that a lot of our members have learned advanced techniques for their respective subteams.
Subteam Photos
Mechanical
During off-season, we designed and fabricated our new robot car to use for this upcoming season. Each of the new recruits got some hands-on experience working on the cart; fixing our 2022 season robot, Artemis; and learning CAD. We organized our tools and fixed our equipment, as well as started rough sketches of our new pit cart. Each member of the mechanical subteam was given a portfolio of what they will need to learn for their given year: from SolidWorks certifications, to operating machines, and basic assembly knowledge.
Programming
We started teaching the new recruits the basics of Java: from declaring variables and objects; and writing loops and if-statements; to creating methods. Once each member of the programming team understood the basics we went into more complex robot code: from the usage of subsystems and commands; and declaring motors; to utilizing limelight and other software. Then we challenged them to reprogram parts of the robot from nothing - which established confidence in their abilities. Each member of the programming subteam was given a portfolio of what they will need to learn for their given year.
Electrical
We rewired our swerve drivetrain to teach the new recruits the basics of wiring and what each electrical component is used for. We designed a wiring diagram of our drivetrain so if during competitions we have issues we are able to pinpoint the problems immediately. For the first time in the past four years, our electrical team relearned and nearly mastered pneumatics. Each member of the electrical subteam was given a portfolio of what they will need to learn for their given year: from soldering and crimping wires; to wiring PDPs, sensors, gyros, etc; and pneumatic plumbing.
Business/Outreach
Our business team worked hard on applying for grants for the 2022-23 season, as well as, writing a new sponsorship letter to send to companies in our area. We trained our new members on how to call business as a way to make more personal connections when asking for sponsorships. **We have worked hard to fundraise in our community and help our students lower their fees: from working at football concessions stands; to Facebook calendar crowdsourcing; and business matching programs.
Mock Kick-off
We had a very productive kick-off! We split our members into four groups, with both rookies and veterans, to develop ideas for an intake to pick up traffic cones off the ground (in all the positions a cone could be encountered) and orient it vertically. Our ideas were well thought out, the discussions were spirited, and the collaboration was some of the best we have ever seen.
We are truly excited about what our team can and will do next season!
