Posted by Mark Garver at 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST
Student on team #68, Truck Town Terror, from Waterford Kettering/OSMTech Academy and General Motors Truck Group.
What teams do you think will really stand out? Will these teams be able to do everything or one specfic thing?
Posted by Becky Allen at 02/27/2001 5:50 PM EST
Other on team #356, The Enigma, from North Little Rock High School and Pulaski Academy and UALR/BEI/Controlled Automation/Hendrix College.
In Reply to: Power Houses
Posted by Mark Garver on 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST:
Well, I suppose that I’m going to have to go wtih my favorites and the teams that I know and have seen preform year after year.
#111–Is there ever a doubt that Wildstang will preform well?
#47–An powerhouse in FIRST, Chief is always a threat.
#71–Hammond always has a quality, well thought out machine.
#68–After being a member of team #16, I know that T3 is always a threat in the finals. We had the chance to be allianced with them more than once.
I know that there are many more awesome machines out there; however, I’m just listing the ones that automatically pop into my head.(I could spend hours listing and debating, but I have finals approaching.) These machines have had dramatic impacts during my FIRST career. (Yes, I’m choosing the easy answers.) There are also many teams on the east and west coasts which are wonderful; however, being mainly exposed to the Michigan and Midwest regionals, I feel that those are the teams that I can without doubt vouch for.
As for the second question asked, I’m not sure. I really don’t think that success will nescessarily ride upon whether a team does one function or many, as long as the tasks that the robot can preform are done well and consistently. I really believe consistency is going to be a major factor in this competition. Is your robot reliable, and can your drivers manipulate your robot with perfection?
These questions will see answers very soon. I can’t wait.
Good Luck!
Becky
: What teams do you think will really stand out? Will these teams be able to do everything or one specfic thing?
Posted by Mike Soukup at 02/27/2001 11:52 PM EST
Engineer on team #111, Wildstang, from Rolling Meadows & Wheeling and Motorola.
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by Becky Allen on 02/27/2001 5:50 PM EST:
: #111–Is there ever a doubt that Wildstang will preform well?
It makes me feel good to hear that people respect & acknowledge what we’re doing at 111, but I always cringe when I hear people say we’re a “powerhouse” or words to that effect. I don’t want comments like that to go to the heads of students on the team. The last thing I want is for any of the students on 111 to think that we’re better than any other team. It goes against everything gracious professionalism stands for.
At our invitational, team 664 lost a caster & was hobbling around the field on 3 wheels, and doing a remarkable job considering the handicap. A student behind me started laughing because they were struggling to move in a straight line. I told him that the robot was broken and all he said was “oh.” Instead of being impressed at the abilities of 664, he only saw their deficiency. I believe it’s because he’s new to the team and hears from vetrans and people on other teams that Wildstang is always a contender. From that he thinks that we’re perfect and any team less than perfect is no good.
I wish he was around for our rookie season in 1996 (when I was a high-schooler on the team). It’s fair to say that we were awful in New Hampshire. We completely re-designed the drive system on Thursday because it kept breaking. And I don’t think we scored a big ball until our last match at Nationals. We were humbled.
I just wish I knew of a way to get the students on 111 to be a little more humble.
I almost forgot, thanks for the compliment Becky.
Mike
Posted by Becky Allen at 02/28/2001 2:06 AM EST
Other on team #356, The Enigma, from North Little Rock High School and Pulaski Academy and UALR/BEI/Controlled Automation/Hendrix College.
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by Mike Soukup on 02/27/2001 11:52 PM EST:
First of all, you’re very welcome. The compliment is very much deserved.
Second,it is natural for a team that is on top to be extremely proud of their robot. This is not an easy aspect to eliminate. However, I believe that last year as a member of the Bomb Squad, it would have been easy for me to have a large ego about my team’s preformance. However, there was a huge stress of gracious professionlism from our engineers, teachers and parents. Students were always informed that the object of FIRST was to design and build a robot, not to win medals and trophies. After our robot was built, any medals and awards were just icing on the cake. Make sure none of your students get too big of a head; however, make sure they are proud of what they have done and grateful for the resources they have. If the majority of your students, understand that they are a blessed team with resources that others teams are not lucky enough to have, there will be a change in the attitude of the team. Hopefully the students will share in the responsibility for their teammates actions.
However, I do know a large number of the students on your team, and you should be proud. They are one of the most generous and enthusiastic teams I know.
Hopefully your rookie members, will learn and see the true spirit of FIRST. I have faith that they will.
Good luck!
Enjoy your fine piece of machinery this year. I’ll be rooting for you at the Midwest Regional!
Becky
Posted by David Kelso at 02/28/2001 7:55 AM EST
Coach on team #131, C.H.A.O.S.-, from Central High School and OSRAM SYLVANIA/ Fleet .
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by Mike Soukup on 02/27/2001 11:52 PM EST:
: : #111–Is there ever a doubt that Wildstang will preform well?
Mike: Excellent reply. Veteran teams were once all rookies. There is one factor that gives this year’s game some real merit. Any team, even a rookie could have chosen to be a specialist of some aspect of the game.
I hate to hear someone put down anyone else’s robot. All are built with dedication and dreams of a gold medal. Some student who joins a veteran team does not understand what it is like to be a rookie.
Posted by aTm at 02/28/2001 12:54 PM EST
Student on team #111, Wildstang, from Wheeling High School and Motorola.
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by Mike Soukup on 02/27/2001 11:52 PM EST:
Regular beatings…that an simply show the video of our invitational practice, that ought to be enough to humble anyone on our team. It was a true learning experience I’ve come to realize that. It was a learning experience, and also something that I’ve since managed to completely and absolutely erase from my memory banks, too many inhabilitating flashbacks.
aTm
Posted by soap108 at 02/28/2001 7:45 PM EST
Engineer on team #108, SigmaC@T, from Dillard & Taravella HS and Motorola.
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by Mike Soukup on 02/27/2001 11:52 PM EST:
111 Rookies-
http://www.soap108.com/2000/match113.MOV
Here’s a match that showed 111’s (and really every teams) weak point --> a team (in this case 16) that played constant defense against your bot.
but it wasnt personal, they had to show their defense so they’d get picked as ally (correct me if wrong, Becky), as they were not ranked that high (25th). i believe it was also first match of IL 2000 where they stole a ball from the goal (near the :13 sec remaining mark).
KA
: : #111–Is there ever a doubt that Wildstang will preform well?
: It makes me feel good to hear that people respect & acknowledge what we’re doing at 111, but I always cringe when I hear people say we’re a “powerhouse” or words to that effect. I don’t want comments like that to go to the heads of students on the team. The last thing I want is for any of the students on 111 to think that we’re better than any other team. It goes against everything gracious professionalism stands for.
: At our invitational, team 664 lost a caster & was hobbling around the field on 3 wheels, and doing a remarkable job considering the handicap. A student behind me started laughing because they were struggling to move in a straight line. I told him that the robot was broken and all he said was “oh.” Instead of being impressed at the abilities of 664, he only saw their deficiency. I believe it’s because he’s new to the team and hears from vetrans and people on other teams that Wildstang is always a contender. From that he thinks that we’re perfect and any team less than perfect is no good.
: I wish he was around for our rookie season in 1996 (when I was a high-schooler on the team). It’s fair to say that we were awful in New Hampshire. We completely re-designed the drive system on Thursday because it kept breaking. And I don’t think we scored a big ball until our last match at Nationals. We were humbled.
: I just wish I knew of a way to get the students on 111 to be a little more humble.
: I almost forgot, thanks for the compliment Becky.
: Mike
Posted by Becky Allen at 02/28/2001 8:50 PM EST
Other on team #356, The Enigma, from North Little Rock High School and Pulaski Academy and UALR/BEI/Controlled Automation/Hendrix College.
In Reply to: Re: Power Houses
Posted by soap108 on 02/28/2001 7:45 PM EST:
Hey! Yeah awesome research and memory! We did not have a highly offensive robot last year. We could not score large numbers of balls, so we concentrated on our speed, torque and ability to remove balls from the goals. Finding ourselves ranked 25th heading into the final qualifying match, we decided that we needed to demonstrate our ability, if there was any hope for us to advance to the finals. Winning was not a real concern; however, showing off our power and ability was. And what better team to show off against, than Wildstang?
That showing was enough to get us picked by Truck Town and allianced with Visteon (184), and we eventually went on to face Chief, the Technokats and Wildstang(again) in the finals. However, this time we were not as lucky, and took home silver medals(nothing to hang out heads about at all).
I think that also brings up another point, that I wish to make.
Luck and catastrophe will bring put any team’s ego into check, real fast. This is another aspect that I really enjoy about FIRST. FIRST hosts its own March Madness. Robots are not indestructable. While having a quality well-preforming robot is essential to getting one to the finals, you never know what will happen from there. Which “cinderella” teams will come out on top and which “powerhouses” will fall…? It’s almost anyone’s guess.
You gotta love that!
Becky
Posted by Ken Leung at 02/27/2001 10:38 PM EST
Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.
In Reply to: Power Houses
Posted by Mark Garver on 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST:
It seems to me in the past years when people are suggesting who are the Power Houses they always suggest teams that are 1) from their own regional competition, and 2) the teams who they know a lot about personally that stand out in National (one of the reason they stand out is because people who know them a lot talks even more about them than other teams).
And from National, it seems as though the finalists usually pick the teams from the same regional, therefore resulting certain well known regional always dominate the Power House List.
This may not be entirely true, but to some degree I still think this description still applies. Teams from some less popular regionals doesn’t seems to have as much publicity… I am not saying this because of jealousy or anything. Just that I believe teams with lesser chance of publicity still deserves to be known.
I can already name a few teams that other people never came up with that deserve to be on the list. I think the reason why they are ignored is because they are at one of the more isolated regional that not everyone gets to attend, and they ended up only well known among their circle of teams.
So, may I suggest that when people come up with such list, they indicate which regional competition the teams they are listing have gone to…
Maybe this might shows the distribution of Power house team a little better, and let readers get a better picture of how good teams are in the FIRST competition. Maybe this will lead to a more complete list of every regional competition…
Posted by Becky Allen at 02/28/2001 2:12 AM EST
Other on team #356, The Enigma, from North Little Rock High School and Pulaski Academy and UALR/BEI/Controlled Automation/Hendrix College.
In Reply to: how big is your view?
Posted by Ken Leung on 02/27/2001 10:38 PM EST:
Ken,
This subject seems to appear every time teams are suggested as noteable. Note the disclaimer in my post.
Becky
P.S. Why don’t you start listing the names of the teams that you feel should be on the list, so that we may all become more educated about them? Thanks!
Posted by Ken Leung at 02/28/2001 6:42 AM EST
Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.
In Reply to: Re: how big is your view?
Posted by Becky Allen on 02/28/2001 2:12 AM EST:
Well, I didn’t mean to direct the comment at anyone. I was merely expressing an observation whenever such list is generated…
As you said, this subject seems to appear every time, so I am not going to add any more opinion. After all, I am actually eager to see what people think about the strong teams.
While hoping I didn’t kill the mood for further discussion about teams in FIRST, I will list a few teams in the California regional competition who I think deserve to be on the list:
Team 64 as Joe Ross suggested
Team 60, last year’s Cali regional winner
Team 254, winner of multiple regionals
Team 232, last year’s national winner
Posted by Joe Ross at 02/28/2001 3:29 AM EST
Engineer on team #330, Beach Bot, from Hope Chapel Academy and NASA/JPL , J&F Machine, and Raytheon.
In Reply to: Power Houses
Posted by Mark Garver on 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST:
I took a look at the teams that have qualified for the finals (the last 2 years) and were in the top 10 ('98) and made a list of those teams that had done this twice.
It goes without saying that that would be very hard to do without building incredible robots each year, and also that is would be easy to build incredible robots and not make this list.
Here is the list of the Best teams over the last 3 years:
45
64
68
126
157
These are the teams that I expect to build great robots again this year.
Posted by Jessica Boucher at 02/28/2001 6:47 AM EST
Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.
In Reply to: Power Houses
Posted by Mark Garver on 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST:
Sorry, guys…but I don’t really think it’s right to list teams that are already known for how wonderful they are. We all know who’s good, and we can’t figure out who will do well until after competition…at the earliest at the end of the 1st two regionals tomorrow.
A better question might be to ask what rookie teams you expect to do well.
My pick? The Yale University/United Illuminating/New Haven Public Schools team.
-Jessica B, #237
Posted by aTm at 02/28/2001 12:49 PM EST
Student on team #111, Wildstang, from Wheeling High School and Motorola.
In Reply to: Power Houses
Posted by Mark Garver on 02/27/2001 10:25 AM EST:
Team 308…not sure if they were rookies or not last year, but they built one awesome robot. Its speed and reel-itself-in hanging ability made it one of my favorites. It also seemed to be extremely reliable which is very important to me. Cruisin past the bar at full speed and still hooking on, that was a very sweet mechanism. Cannot wait to see their bot this year.
aTm