Pre-Season
Hello everyone! We would like to share our progress during the pre-season and our process of preparing.
Offseason (pre-season) Review:
In the months leading up to the build season, our team dedicated significant effort to pre-planning activities, marking a substantial improvement from the previous year. The infusion of numerous new members, many without prior experience in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), heightened the importance of this preparatory period. Utilizing this time became crucial for facilitating learning and growth among our diverse team.
The continuity of leadership played a pivotal role in our success, as most captains remained, and those who graduated had effectively groomed competent successors. This smooth transition ensured a wealth of experience persisted within the team, contributing to effective collaboration between captains and returning members. Together, they shared insights and expertise, covering a spectrum of skills essential for FRC, ranging from mechanical and electrical techniques to programming skills, outreach strategies, and CAD-based prototyping. Notably, efforts were also invested in refining our previous robot, extracting valuable specifications crucial for the upcoming competition.
Most prominently, our entire team was tasked with a fully-fledged LEGO robot competition. Our members were split into groups of 4 and given a set of LEGOs to construct a successful robot. Apart from being a successful analogy to the actual FRC competition, it taught our team the importance of creating a design quickly and efficiently, as well as how to execute the design in an optimal time. It made vital the pressure of time constraints and how fundamentally important time was to the competition as a whole.
The culmination of these endeavors resulted in an exceptionally productive pre-season. Members, both new and returning, experienced a holistic understanding of FRC, fostering a sense of preparedness and enthusiasm for the impending challenges. As we approach the competition, the collaborative spirit and knowledge exchange within our team lay a solid foundation for a promising and competitive season ahead.
When reaching out to potential sponsors like HAAS, SHI, BASF, and Picatinny Stem for our robotics team, our email strategy focused on simplicity and clarity. We began by expressing genuine interest in their company and its alignment with STEM initiatives. We then highlighted our team’s achievements and goals, emphasizing the positive impact their support could have. We edited our message in each email to showcase how a partnership could be mutually beneficial, addressing specific areas where their expertise or products would be useful. Additionally, we attached a concise sponsorship proposal outlining sponsorship levels and associated benefits. Regular follow-ups and a personalized touch in our communication helped establish meaningful connections, ultimately securing valuable sponsorships.
To fund our projects/builds, we found ways to make money through sponsorships and sales.
Sponsors:
SHI -
SHI- The privately-owned IT company specializes in providing essential services such as IT infrastructure, end-user computing, and cybersecurity. Offering a range of solutions, they play a crucial role in supporting businesses and individuals with their technology needs. The company’s expertise spans various aspects of information technology, contributing to the smooth operation and security of digital environments. They also were the ones to help sponsor us to help the club run more smoothly.
BASF -
BASF, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is dedicated to creating chemistry for a sustainable future. The company focuses on developing innovative solutions to contribute to environmental sustainability and address global challenges. BASF strives to make a positive impact on various industries while promoting a more sustainable and strong world. They also were the ones to help sponsor us to help the club run more smoothly.
Picatinny Stem -
Picatinny STEM plays an important role in promoting STEM education from kindergarten to high school graduation. By recognizing schools as valued customers, the organization motivates students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Additionally, Picatinny STEM supports teachers in transitioning to digital communication methods, fostering an engaging and tech-friendly learning environment for both educators and students. They also were the ones to help sponsor us to help the club run more smoothly.
Week 0-2 Goals
- We’ve discussed and debated design ideas for our upcoming competitions. We shared our thoughts on how we could make the robot better. We were all having fun and as we worked together; we were able to create amazing ideas. We specifically inspected RiSD designs from the Unqualified Quokkas, the Cranberry Alarm, as well as designs from the University of Minnesota and Penn State
- Deepak, our Electrical Captain, and the Business team surveyed our equipment to see what we needed and our current inventory. They worked on different areas to identify what we required and what we already had. This collaboration helped us be more well-prepared for our robotics activities and have a more flowing work system. Additionally, our business team managed a budget.
- We organized our weekly goals at the beginning of each meeting. Together with the advisors, we discussed things that would need to be done so that we could be on top of our goals and have a successful year.
Accomplishments
- The team has finished the final design and has now started to build the robot’s new aspects to suit the competition.
- The Mechanical team has finished building the mic so that other members of our team can start to practice note-throwing.
- The CAD model of what Mechanical potentially wants to do has been completed and given a mechanical view of what they want to change or adjust.
- The programming team was able to finish coding the sensors of the robot.
- The electrical team was able to fix the electrical board with minor changes and adjustments.
- The programming team was able to add some code to our robot and we were able to make it move and move at different paces using the controller.
- The team was able to make a wooden amp to mimic the arena which would be helpful when we are testing the robot.
Preview week 3-
- Mechanical will be starting to build the Chassis for our robot to help it become more stable.
- The CAD team is starting to integrate electrical components into our CAD design to see where we can advance in the design process.
- The programming team is starting the process of completing the code for proper vision for the robot.
Overall, over the last couple of months during pre-season, we were able to get through the learning stages of what it will take to build our robot. The three teams’ Mechanical, Electrical, and Programming captains prepared the new members and showed them the skills they would need to have a good season.
