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Robotics off to the “Rebound Rumble”
Hacking Away at a New Robot
On Saturday, January 7th, the Who’sCTEKS Robotics team traveled to Farmington High School to attend the local FIRST Robotics Kick-Off. This year the game is titled “Rebound Rumble”. The game is played on a 27’ x 54’ field consisting of 3 teams versus 3 teams forming 1 red and 1 blue alliance. These alliance teams compete, with their robots tossing as many basketballs into their corresponding 3 different height-leveled basketball hoops.
There is a 15-second “Hybrid” period that begins the match when robots operate independently of driver inputs, followed by a 2-minute “Teleoperated” segment when drivers operate the robots. During teleoperated mode, drivers will need to cross a raised barrier in the center of the court and maneuver over bridges mounted on a double-hinge which tips side to side. The match will end with alliance teams attempting to balance their robots in a combined effort on the bridges.
The challenge will be to design and build a robot that can shoot basketballs into hoops, the highest of which being taller than the maximum allowed height of the robot. Also challenging will be the ability to negotiate the bridges which, when in the level position, are 12” off the floor. The raised barrier in the center of the court will also be an obstacle to overcome with a height of 4” and a width of 6”.
All FIRST teams have 6 weeks to learn the game, read the rules, plan, design, build, and test their robot. Our first scrimmage will be held on Saturday, February 18th at Suffield High School put on by our friends Team 176 – Aces High, with whom we have partnered as a winning alliance in past competitions. The team is also making plans to attend the New Hampshire Regionals March 1-3 and the National Championships in St. Louis April 26 – 28. The team is supported by HVRHS, Becton & Dickinson & Co, C.A. Lindell’s, The 21st Century Fund, and local area Businesses.
The current mentors for the team are Andy Brockway, Senior Design Engineer at Becton & Dickinson, Cindy Fuller, HVRHS Main Office Secretary, and Dave Van Duesen, owner of Dave’s Auto Restoration in Canaan.