RAGE Robotics

Be sure to check out page 3 of the February 22 edition of the Journal Inquirer for several photos taken at the Suffield scrimmage on Saturday. Our own Bruce Hockaday, Lindsey Davidson, and Emily Tunila are featured in one of them (Andy was robbed!). Too bad there was no accompanying story like there was in Rochester.

Congratulations to Aces High (team 176) and all the teams who participated in this year’s Suffield Shakedown Scrimmage last Saturday. Many of the early rounds were pretty shaky as teams worked last-minute kinks out of their new designs, but by the finals, most teams had things pretty figured out.

Here are a few things our team learned from the day:

• Make sure the pneumatics are fully charged before putting the robot out on the field.
• You can’t driver over the bumps with the kicker deployed.
• Make sure you tighten all the bumpers so you don’t kick one of them off onto the ground during autonomous mode.
• A roller meant to control the ball will suck the ball under the robot when the roller is built too high off the ground.
• It’s very possible to score goals during autonomous mode, even with minimal programming and from the far zone.
• The Field Management System (FMS) is capable of locking you out of your own driver station if it thinks you’re supposed to be on the field competing.
• Carabiners on the four corners do indeed make it easier to pick up the robot.

The winning alliance was unstoppable to the end, and was made up of Team 3125, Pirates of the Pythagorean from Hartford; Team 177, Bobcat Robotics from South Windsor; and Team 178, 2nd Law Enforcers from Farmington. Great job everyone.

Come meet Agawam High School’s Rosie Robotics team and see this year’s challenge. The cost for the all you can eat buffet is $8 per person and includes pasta, meatballs, salad, bread, dessert, juice, coffee, and tea.

Friday, February 5, 2010
4 pm – 7:30 pm
American Legion Post 185, 478 Springfield St, Feeding Hills, MA