FIRST Robotics Team 980
"The ThunderBots"
Welcome to our web site for the FIRST Robotics Competition 2007!!!!!
About F.I.R.S.T.
F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics competition founded by noted inventor Dean Kamen in 1991 to inspire students to pursue careers in science and to use math and science to make the world a better place. In Jan. 2007, about 1000 high school teams each built a robot over a 6 week period to compete in 3-on-3 competitions across the country.
Our Corporate Team Sponsors
Tweed Financial Services • Crystal View Corp. • Symantec
We would like to thank each of the above companies for sponsoring our team. Further information about each company is listed below.
Our School Team Sponsors
Delphi Academy • Renaissance Academy • Shuttleworth
Academy
Los Angeles Academy of Literacy & the Arts
The 4 schools listed above have joined forces to create our team. We also have students from a number of other schools and some homeschoolers. Why? We are very excited about FIRST, and we want to share this incredible adventure with as many people as possible.
A Special Thank You To Our Mentors
A.J. Yeckel, David Brinza, David Toyne, Mike Kirkland, Gerry O'Rouke, Richard Jimenez, Rusty Tweed, Gary Hedge, Tony Palazzo, Steve Smith
THANK YOU
The New Game for 2007!
The details of the 2007 robotics challenge were revealed at the FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff held o January 6, 2007. The FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff took place in Manchester.
An archived webcast of the kickoff is available on the NASA robotics site:
http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/2007_kickoff.php
To get an idea of this year's competitions, you can also see an animation which is posted on the NASA web site at
http://robotics.nasa.gov/archive/video.htm
In Los Angeles, the kickoff was shown live on the big screen at the University of S. California, where 4 of our team members picked up our kit of parts: 150 pounds of motors, gears, wheels, wires, and numerous other goodies.
Kickoff Meeting!!!!
Some Competition Facts
"Rack •N• Roll is played on a 54•x 26•8" field with a center structure Rack containing 24 "spider legs," by two (2) three-team alliances, using three different types of tubes called "Keepers," "Ringers" and "Spoilers."
Without their bumpers, robots must fit in a 28" x 38" sizing rectangle and, depending on their weight, may be up to 6 feet tall. Robots may weigh up to 120 pounds (less battery), however taller robots must weigh less than shorter robots (see chart below).
The game is made up of two scoring periods. The first period is "Autonomous" (the robots run without driver control) lasting 15 seconds. In the autonomous period, robots try to place a "Keeper" tube on one of the spider legs of the Rack using a color vision tracking system to find one of the four target lights at the top of the rack. Once placed, a "Keeper" tube may not be removed or "Spoiled."
During the second period (2 minutes) the robots are driver controlled. In this period, the teams will attempt to score more points by using the robots to add "Ringers" onto the spider legs or by "Spoiling" the opposing team•s score by placing a black tube over their "Ringer." Points are earned and scored exponentially by the number of consecutive Ringers and Keepers in a column or row.
Alliances may score additional points if, by the end of the match, their robots are in their home zone and have been lifted off the floor by 4" or more by another robot before the final buzzer sounds. " - usfirst.org
Robot Facts
It is currently being built.
http://www.usfirst.org/
The main NASA
Robotics site has additional information about FIRST at
http://robotics.nasa.gov/
Team 980 web pages for our previous robots
Pictures and videos of "Yoda", our robot for 2003
Pictures of our robot for 2005
Our Robot for 2005 - our arm has 4 degrees
of freedom, meaning that
it can go up and down, rotate sideways, extend, and twist.
Pictures of out robot for 2006
Our Competitions for 2007!
This year we will compete in THREE events.
|
DATE
|
EVENT
|
EVENT LOCATION | INFORMATION & WEB SITE FOR DIRECTIONS |
|
March 8-10 2007 |
LA Regional
|
LA Sports Arena, 3939 Figueroa St. |
|
|
LA Regional Results:
|
|||
| March 22-24 2007 |
San Diego Regional
|
ipayOne Center Sports Arena
3500 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego |
|
San Diego Regional Results:
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
April 12-14
|
Championship Event |
Atlanta, Georgia |
|
|
|
|||
Our Sponsors: The following companies
are a big part of our team's success!
Without their inspiration, support, and frontline help, our robot would still be just a dream.
When you support these companies, you are supporting our team.
We would like to thank Marcus & Millichap
for their generous support of our team.
They are a real estate investment brokerage company,
and we very much appreciate their investment in the education
of tomorrow's men and women of science.
Marcus & Millichap
http://www.marcusmillichap.com/
For help in making your ideas become a reality,
talk to Steve Knight and Rocky Green. They have the machining tools
and the knowledge to make them materialize before your eyes!
In fact, these gentleman have a lot to do with our robots becoming a
reality.
With their help, we have created an awesome robot.
Completed Concepts and their sister organization, Mercury Solar
http://www.completedconcepts.com/
This year, we are building our robot at "Imagivations",
a production and design company in Sun Valley
"where imagination and innovation come together".
Team 980 would like to thank Andrew Menschik and Michael Fuller
for their hospitality. We have all been impressed as we
watched their team create some amazing props and sets.
Imagivations
For
help with the design, fabrication and the installation of custom
machinery,
talk to David Toyne. He has the engineering knowledge
and experience needed to design your solution!
This year, David is in Niagra Falls supervising
the installion of a giant computerised fountain,
but we are applying the lessons that he taught us last year.
Solutions for Automation
BAX
Global, Irvine, Calif., is a US $1.9 billion supply chain management
and transportation solutions company offering mode-neutral logistics
management
for business-to-business shippers worldwide.
We would like to thank BAX Global
for their support and encouragement of our team.
BAX Global
http://www.baxworld.com/US.asp
MasterServ, San Fernando, Calif. is the largest copper-repiping company
in S. California. This company has given our team incredible support by
allowing us to build our robots and practice in their warehouse.
We would like to thank MasterServe
for their support and encouragement of our team.
MasterServ
560 Library St., San Fernando, CAÝ 91340
Our School Sponsors
DELPHI ACADEMY Los Angeles
Renaissance Academy, La Canada Flintridge
http://www.renaissanceacademy.com/
Shuttleworth Academy, Los Angeles
http://www.shuttleworthacademy.org/
Los
Angeles Academy of Literacy & the Arts
http://www.losangelesacademy.org
Additional Sponsors
The Computer Training Academy is
an online computer school
run by George and Pat Morfopoulos.
Everyone can benefit from better computer skills.
Fast and easy skills improvement
from •What is a mouse?• and Computer Literacy,
to Microsoft Office Expert productivity training and Professional
Certifications.
Get the knowledge you want and the skills you need, the fast and easy
way and•
when you sign up through us, a portion of your training fee
is donated to the ThunderBots to fund our team.
Check out Computer Training Academy on the web, and if you like what you
see
and sign up, please add •ThunderBots• to the application.
Computer Training Academy
http://www.ctausaonline.com/
Web site hosting for Team980.com
is provided by MacHelp LA.
MacHelp LA provides help and technical support
for Macintosh Users in the Los Angeles area.
Also they provide web site updates and
search-engine optimization for any web site,
(not just Macintosh-based sites).
MacHelp LA
http://www.machelpla.com/