FIRST Team 525 Swartdogs http://blog.525swartdogs.org Gracious Professionalism is a way of life, not a moto Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:54:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.2 Week Five http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=371 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=371#comments Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:49:07 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=371 Can it be true? Do we really have a robot nearing completion?

Bumpers are being made.

Progress in other areas as well as robot.

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=371 0 Update http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=369 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=369#comments Fri, 07 Feb 2014 02:39:47 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=369 It’s alive!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=369 0 Week Four http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=366 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=366#comments Sat, 01 Feb 2014 23:06:54 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=366 Awards work to the extreme.

We’ve got a field in the works, we’re building an entire field for our scrimmage with all the Iowa teams towards the end of build.

Robot work is being accomplished. Ball pick-up is being attached.

We’ve designated a clean work table where no filing is allowed so that we don’t get shavings in the robot.

Game specific t-shirts are being ordered this week.

Trying out some older robots to remember how to work the past field connection system and teach newer students how it works.

Our lamp for the Central Illinois Regional is coming along nicely. We’re looking forward to the finished product.

Good luck teams!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=366 0 Week Three http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=363 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=363#comments Sat, 25 Jan 2014 03:27:52 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=363 Parts are continuing to be made.
User testing of our iPod match scouting app is taking place.
We ran a successful FTC regional today! A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came out to help! Our FTC Team 6420 qualified to go on to the State Championships, good luck Sabre-Hoof Tigers!
Waiting for parts means we polish metal, do any other teams do that?
A good portion of our field is getting done!
We’re in the midst of planning hosting an Iowa scrimmage the at the end of build for all the Iowa FRC teams to attend.
CAD designs are still in progress.
Thanks to some great inspiration on a few robot parts, we have a robot name! Reveal is in the future.

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=363 0 Week Two http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=362 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=362#comments Sat, 18 Jan 2014 21:46:36 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=362 Waiting for parts.
Working on CAD designs.
Congratulations to the FTC we mentor, FTC 6420 Sabre-HOOF Tigers on their Regional win yesterday, the 2nd place Inspire Award, and the PTC Design Award! Finalists for Rockwell Collins Innovate Award and the Think Award.
Yesterday we were also at the Iowa FLL State Championships! What an exciting event! It was amazing to see the teams and their robots designs, everyone did a great job to get there.
A new website is in the future… be on the look out.
FTC Regional next Saturday! It’ll be a great day full of gracious competition. Can’t wait!
Good luck teams!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=362 0 Week One http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=360 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=360#comments Sat, 11 Jan 2014 22:13:20 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=360 Scouting apps are going great! We’re just testing for our match scout app then we’ll get started on our pit scouting app. While we don’t post our pit scouting app to the app store, keep your eyes out for our match scouting app! We’ll be sure to post when that one is readily available to the public.

We’ve prototyped two different shooting designs and tested a pickup design as well. We’ve finished our kit bot from Kickoff for anyone who watched the live stream of that work session and we’ve decided on our drive train for this year’s game.

We ran a  simulation game with human players instead of robots on the field to get a field for match flow! Then we watched some 2008 match video for some inspiration on ball handling.

Make sure you get your safety contracts in! If you’re interested in auditioning for the Chairman’s presentation let the Awards committee know.

We’ve started making buttons for the competitions! We’re planning about 1500 for this year.

Looking forward to the Central Illinois and the Queen City Regionals this year!

Good luck teams! Hope you all had a great first week!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=360 0 Packing http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=358 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=358#comments Wed, 18 Dec 2013 22:49:42 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=358 What all can you fit in your suitcase? We’ve got an entire robot!

Our suitcase might not be that traditional and it might bet some funny looks at the airport! Security would definitely give it more than a glance or two.

The plans can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y0hPiHJ8-A

Check out all the capabilities below:

Arcade Mode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkJntqo4xLc

Potentiometer Directionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zru7uBPKZA

Mecanum Wheels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXLD1XMaVeg

Tank Mode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iOox9vbrdM

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=358 0 Exciting Things! http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=355 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=355#comments Wed, 18 Dec 2013 21:53:38 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=355 We’ve got some really exciting things coming up!

Our kick off event will include students from two other Iowa teams and possibly, depending how our test video chat session goes, some of the Chinese teams we’re working with over Christmas break! Along with watching the kickoff broadcast, we’ll be doing breakout sessions of a kit bot build and session for programming, electrical, outreach, awards, and brainstorming.

Orders have just been placed for our Chinese Swartdog T-Shirts. In case you haven’t heard, we’re sending four mentors to China over winter break to train new team mentors!

Committees are being formed based on a survey of students’ interests. Each committee has two (or more) student leaders and a mentor designated to help if the students need it. In many of the groups, the leaders are upperclassmen and a younger student picked to be trained for the coming years.

Safety night was very informative! Safety captain gave a presentation, went over how to get signed off on tool training, and then a local doctor volunteered his time to teach us all hands only CPR, how to work AEDs, and how to work EpiPens. The EpiPens were definitely the crowd favorite! He brought in  training devices to practice everything hands on!

Getting a head start on Chairman’s is always a good idea! Looking into auditions for our presentation group and getting our video topic and outline together.

Good luck teams!
P.S. Anyone check out those game hints yet?

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=355 0 Getting into the swing of things http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=353 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=353#comments Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:37:36 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=353 We’re looking forward to our presentation at the Cedar Valley STEM Festival located in the Five Sullivan Brothers Center this Thursday in Waterloo! Come check us out! The event is geared toward Pre-K to elementary student age students from 12 different schools from the community. The focus of the event is to promote STEM awareness and education in the Waterloo community.

We’re also getting prepared for our FLL Regional Qualifier on Saturday, December 7th at Peet Junior High School 525 E. Seerley Blvd in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Our event is free and open to the public. Keep an eye out for our student volunteers at the Regional Qualifier and be sure to get there quick if you’re interested in our Lego jewelry! This year we’re adding friendship bracelets in addition to our usual stock of earrings, pins, and necklaces.

Don’t feel like cooking on the night of November 25th? We don’t feel like it either! Come support us at the Pizza Ranch on University Ave. by eating dinner there with your family. We’re taking part in their Community Impact Night Program and will receive a percentage of all dine in profits that night and all tips. In exchange we will be sending in students to help out.

Getting a head start on our Chairman’s video this year to save time later!

The weather is definitely looking like tea weather, and we’re getting a team bonding and craft night planned!

Good luck teams!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=353 0 New FTC Team http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=348 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=348#comments Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:25:41 +0000 http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?p=348 Congrats to our brand new FTC team that was given their number today! Their new number is FTC 7880! We’re looking forward to seeing what they achieve in the future. We also have two new mentors for our FTC teams from John Deere that we are thrilled to be working with!

Good luck teams!

]]> http://blog.525swartdogs.org/?feed=rss2&p=348 0