After 6 weeks (minus one for snow!) Team 422 is happy to present its 15th competition season robot, Tredegar. The robot itself can be seen in the video here and the picture below, but the name itself is something I will share tonight.
As a team based out of the beautiful city of Richmond for our entire existence, we take a lot of pride in our city. We have a very unique and storied heritage all across the commonwealth of Virginia, being home of the first English settlement in North America, home of the first elected body of representatives in North America, being the site of turning points in American wars… the list can continue. Richmond itself is home to many a historical site, including the Tredegar Iron Works. Opened in 1837, Tredegar became the 3rd largest producer of iron in the United States and became a hub for artillery production from the American Civil War through World War II. After the war, Tredegar Iron Works was closed and its property sold to Ethyl Corporation, our longest and most supportive sponsor now doing business as Afton Chemical. Given the robot’s appearance and similar function to an artillery unit and the love for our city, the name Tredegar was given to our 2014 dream machine.