Re-Initialization

2016 FIRST in St.Louis

Imagine a modern sport where teams of high school students compete with their minds. A sport of the mind that still includes teamwork, practice, and competition. That any student K-12 can be a part of so in the end their perception and knowledge of the world has expanded all while having lots of fun. A sport that’ll let any student compete regardless of race, gender, and physical ability so any student can be on a team with any other student equally.

FIRST:

That’s not my genius project; there is already a program extablished that encompassess all those ideals. The organization is called FIRST, an acronym meaning For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, composed of four different levels for different age groups K-12: FLL JR, FLL, FTC, FRC. Though our focus is on FTC and FRC, the high school level. Students are to create robots to compete in a competition with other teams of the same level. Students can practice all of STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, while getting guidance and experience from their mentors.

Ultrasonic Sensor

Though it’s more than just just robots and STEM. Teams must do their own fundraising, business, and marketing. This isn’t your everyday purchase a kit of parts and read the instructions. Teams build robots from scratch. They learn to fabrication metal and other materials as well as 3D print custom parts for themselves using 3D modeling technology and careful planning. Teams program their robots from scratch as well; using IDEs such as Android Studio students learn and create programs that can use sensors such as cameras and ultrasonic sensors to input values into an elaborate algorithm to output as a motor response.

Every year a new game is announced and this year its called Velocity Vortex.

Background:

My project is to create a system that’ll ensure the survival of this amazing program at Sage Creek high school. Being a senior I want to leave this system I call “Sage Creek Robotics Board” as my legacy so years from now the program can expand larger and have a stronger impact on the community. Simply I just want everyone to be able to feel this amazing experience I’ve had with FTC and robotics.

Being in robotics since middle school I’ve been inspired and now want to pursue a STEM related career. My passion for this project isn’t just because I love STEM but also because I want to share it. And I’m not just some amateur that dreams of doing big things; I’ve made it as a finalist for the Dean’s List award, highest possible award given to a student in FIRST for inspiring and following FIRST ideals, only one hundred get finalist of this award every year of thousands.

Project:

Even if this is my second post (first post) I’ve already complete a lot of work for this project. I’ve half created a Sage Creek Robotics Manifesto and I’ve set up several formal meetings for Sage Creek Robotics Board. I thank my amazing mentor, Mr.Feiberg, for helping me organize and set up these meetings. Regardless there have been setbacks.

There is no support for the board anymore. Either everyone didn’t like the idea, they don’t care, or aren't interested obviously. I didn’t do the best job being a temp board chair and that is why there is no support. I still see it valuable to have a board and everyone does but the name and idea when I say it is never approved by the population of members.

The board is meant to resolve problems that all teams have. It’s meant to be above all teams but every team is equally represented in the board. For instance Sage Creek Robotics wants to create an FRC team, then the board can organize the logistics and see if the funding is possible ect. Or perhaps a member of the robotics team wants to buy parts for their robot using robotics funds then the board will have a orderly and effective procedure to make sure that part is in our inventory, price effective, and recorded it on a global budget.

There is no way these roles will be left unattended in such even if it’s not called there’ll be the same people and same roles and same situations and same everything. It’s only a matter of time before the board appears once again.

Broken voltage regulator 

Conclusion:

By June 2016 everything was looking great, other than the fact we got rejected by our sponsors due to a lack of resources we’ve generated. But now in September 2016 most of the board has abandon ship and are taking matters into their own hands. I find my best option is to work on this group project along or with another partner until the time is right to re install the board into robotics.