Mortorq

Autodesk Oregon Regional Champions!

2010-03-16T23:45:00.001-07:00

On March 6th, 2010, Mortorq became regional champs for the first time ever at the Autodesk Oregon Regional. The alliance of teams 1515, 2130, and 997 cruised through the elimination matches, winning 6 games, tying once, and losing once. Teams 1515 and 2130 played excellent defense in the middle and far zones, while team 997 kept racking up the points from close range. In addition to winning the regional championship, Mortorq also picked up the Motorola Quality Award for its innovation at the driver's station with a touchscreen.

Crunch Time

2010-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Animation finished their project and turned it in this week and their finished result looks amazing. Season is nearing the end, with final touches on the robot being made. The VEX robot is done and functioning. Business is finishing up Chairman's Award, as it is due tomorrow, February 18. The robot unveiling is this weekend, and the families of our members are excited to seeing the robot. We have a California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser soon and we hope lots of people come to support our team. Keep reading for more information and updates about our team.

Week Four

2010-02-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Building is almost done with the robot and are receiving their final parts tomorrow. Yay!! Animation is wrapping up their project, as it is due in the beginning of next week. Business was successful in raising money and school spirit this past week when members sold Crumbs cupcakes, Pinkberry, and Jamba Juice to their fellow classmates. Our very own programmers, Alex and George, showed off their amazing DJing skills, playing music for our supporters. The first episode of MorTorq TV is airing on KBEV, the local news station. With the final days of the season coming up, all members of the team are working to finish their objectives. Keep reading for dates of more fundraisers and other news about MorTorq.

FUNdraiser Week

2010-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Business is having a fundraiser this week!! On Tuesday, we will be selling Crumbs Cupcakes. On Wednesday, we are sellig Pinkberry and on Thursday we will sell Jamba Juice. We just received our care package from our sister school in Darfur. Animation is working hard to finish their project before their due date, February 15, and now are in the rendering stage. Building only has 16 days until the robot is due and the building team is working hard to finish. The first episode of MorTorq TV is done and will air on KBEV. The TV crew is currently working on the second episode of this year's season. Keep reading for more information on MorTorq air dates. Please support our team this week by buying delicious treats during lunch.

Week 4

2010-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Our first episode of MorTorq TV will air by the end of this week. The TV production team has been working extremely hard to finish editing this season's first episode. While finishing that up, the production team is also busy writing more scripts for upcoming episodes. Our building team is also working relentlessly. We even finished our chassis! On top of that, Chairman's Award is coming along nicely and its members are writing fabulously. Another newsletter is due to be sent by the end of the week. The animation team's project is also coming along at a snapping pace, and they are about to implement new technologies to create a more realistic feel for this year's video. Stay tuned for the next post!!! :)

Eileen's Birthday

2010-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Today is Eileen's birthday! The team wishes her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Now that finals are over, Mortorq is kicking into high gear. The shipping date is coming soon, February 23. Lets get down to business. GO MORTORQ!!!

Finals/Robotics Crunch!

2010-01-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

This week was finals week at Beverly Hills High!! Everyone on the team was not only studying like crazy but also working on the robot like crazy! Luckily finals are finally finished! Now the team can focus all our energy on building the robot!! We are making some serious progress on the robot, and we will provide more detailed updates shortly. And as always GO MORTORQ!!!!!

35 days and counting

2010-01-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Happy MLKJ Day(Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) Though we had no school that day, Mortorq was hard at work on Monday started building our robot. I am happy to report that we have a finalized design ideas. Yay! Only 35 more days until we have to ship out our robot. Keep reading our posts for more news about fun events we have planned.

First week of FIRST

2010-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

The first week after kick-off has been a busy one with meetings, brainstorming, and prototyping our robot for competition. We celebrated a member's birthday this Wednesday with cake, cookies, and milk for all who attended. Animation was given their own challenge for this year's prompt "Changing the World." Business is hard at work with Chairman's Award articles and fundraising plans. Stay tuned for some exciting, upcoming events that include soda pop tabs and cupcakes! TV group has been working hard to create skits for MorTorq TV. Thanks for checking in and keep reading our blog for new posts, events, and dates about Beverly Hills High's robotics team.

FRC 2010 Kickoff: Breakaway

2010-01-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

On January 9, 2010, our Robotics team gathered bright and early at Beverly High for Kick-Off. We watched the Kick-Off video, which informed us about this year's game, Breakaway! This year's game is played with standard sized soccer balls, modeling after the classic spectator sport. The objective is to score as many soccer balls into two of four goals, with one point being rewarded for each goal. In the last 20 seconds of the game, a team may also hang their robot on one of two towers, which will gain them two points. An additional 3 points is rewarded if a robot hangs off another robot. There are two alliances, each composed of three teams working together to compete against the opposing alliance. To stay awake and avoid grumpiness, our team then had a MorTorq breakfast. After breakfast, the team members discussed the rules of the game and possible strategies, as well as beginning the design process. It was a productive day, but we called it quits early enough to rest up and prepare for the six difficult weeks ahead.

Mentoring FLL Team 932 - Robo Spy

2009-11-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Team 1515 is proud to announce that they have started a Junior First Lego League team. Team 932 also called Robo Spy, came to BHHS on November 3rd to begin their journey as a team. 7 students aged 6 and 7 participated in the project. Several dedicated students from team 1515 mentored the students and are teaching them basic building and communication skills. Our high school students had a blast working with the younger kids and stood by to give advice as the students tackled their first challenge to build a lego structure with a set of lego blocks. The young students did an awesome job and used their imaginations to come up with incredible creations. Everyone had a great time and we look forward to many more mentoring sessions with the young children.

We Are Family!

2009-10-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Robotics program, started by Eileen Kahn, has existed for six years at BHHS. Originally a small group of students, the robotics team has grown to be a family, both in the figurative and literal sense. Figuratively speaking, the team is an incredibly tight- knit group of students and mentors. While familiarity may usually breed contempt, this is certainly not the case with the members of the Robotics team-they spend hours, days, and weeks on end in each other's company, working together towards a common goal, growing closer in the face of obstacles rather than taking the well-trodden path of bickering amongst themselves.

On the other hand, MorTorq has, over the years, become a literal family as well-like a legacy being passed down from sibling to sibling, membership of the Robotics team has become traditional in some families. The Dhillons, Kahns, Kerns, Martins, Phillips, Strombergs, and Zhangs are examples of this-siblings of each family have been and are members of the Robotics team.

Not only do many siblings join Robotics, but the parents of students on the Robotics team also never hesitate to show their support for the team. From tirelessly driving their children to and from meetings to supplying the team with munchies (keep in mind the infamous teenage appetite), parents are a vital part of the Robotics family as well.

Alumni Take "FIRST" Steps

2009-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

As the new school year begins, Robotics can already feel the absence of last year's seniors deep in its bones. The new undergraduate freshmen are currently embarking on an exciting, life-changing period in their lives: college. However, far from forgetting their roots, BHHS Robotics alumni all over the United States are flourishing at their respective colleges and universities; although they miss their "FIRST" home at BHHS, many are giving back to their local robotics communities. Angel Say, former co-president of MorTorq and current student at Columbia University, plans to major in mechanical engineering. In a salute to his past, he is mentoring a FIRST team on the east coast. Nearby, Bentley Shuster, former head photographer and current student at Boston University, is involved with the BU Rocket Engineering Club and is also preparing for a photojournalism class. She sends her best to the team.

Wiithout a doubt, MorTorq has positively affected the college experience of our alumni. Adam Phillips, a previous business captain, attributes his time management, business, and networking skills to his experience with MorTorq. Phillips, attending the University of Southern California, keeps himself busy with a variety of extracurricular activities, including the production of two TV shows on Trojan Vision, USC's equivalent to KBEV. William Zhang, attending Yale University, describes MorTorq as a "phenomenal experience" that provides endless opportunities for its members; for example, Zhang credits BHHS Robotics with the publication of his first article in a public newspaper.

With an invaluable, irreplaceable Robotics experience backing them up and with the MorTorq entire family cheering them on, our graduated seniors are at last taking their first steps into a new world. We wish them the best of luck!

New Year, New Team!

2009-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 school year is looking up for MorTorq, our robotics team! Although we will miss our seniors, who have gone off to college, we have acquired a multitude of promising new members eager to make a difference in the team.

Jason Kahn, Shoshana Young and Nicole Weinstein were in charge of promoting our club at Freshmen Orientation. Their presentation was a success, and they were able to stimulate over fifty freshmen's interest in Robotics. The popularity of the program is soaring with all opened spots filled even before Club Week sign-ups. Interestingly enough, many of these new recruits are girls, nearly balancing the gender make-up of MorTorq to about a fifty-fifty boy to girl ratio.

In addition to the expansion of the team, MorTorq accepted a generous donation from the Regional Occupational Program to finance the program. Our team is also looking for new sponsors and new means of fundraising.

Facilities are also expanding with the Woodshop now available as a new workspace for the building team. Mentors like Mike Gordon and Roy McKee have returned to assist us in training workshops.

The team is also taking a new direction with its charity program. This year, we are building a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Organization, a program that provides charity housing for families with children who have been diagnosed with cancer or other serious illnesses and who do not live within the proximity of a children's hospital. Our job is to collect the pop-tops of soda cans for recycling, cash them in, and give all the profits to the organization. "We are very excited about this program," said Nicole Weinstein, our co-President, and "we are hoping to make this [the program] school- wide and perhaps even district-wide."

This is a new year and a new team and MorTorq is on its way to another successful year. Countdown to L.A. Regionals Competition on March 25th, 2010: 181 days.

MENTOR SPOTLIGHT - Michael Gordon: The Man Behind The Legend

2009-08-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

As the legendary Michael Gordon walks into the room, the Beverly Hills High School Robotics team starts to quiet down. It is obvious that Mike (as he likes to be called) is a respected leader in this mini-community. A man who takes his job very seriously, he exudes confidence and experience, helping Team 1515 with any and all problems.

He was not always a master of engineering and architecture. As a young boy, he loved problem solving and working with his hands, making dollhouses and rocking horses for his family during Christmas. He cites his father, a carpenter, as his inspiration to get started in his high school job of landscaping. Mike pursued his love of building throughout school until he graduated from Penn State University with a degree in architectural engineering.

Through a stroke of luck, a friend of his in Florida got him a position as a faculty design manager in the creative department with Universal. There he tackled colossal projects such as the Twister attraction, a fifty- foot tall tornado show that is simulated indoors with an audience a few feet away. During his five years of work with Universal, he transferred from Florida to California and studied animation at UCLA. While in Los Angeles for a project, he also met his wife, a concept artist who has directed huge projects abroad.

With time, Mike began working as a Walt Disney Imagineer, using his specialization in engineering to participate in over twenty different projects. Most BHHS students have been on a ride that Mike helped build, such as his first Disney attraction, Tower of Tara, as well as the Finding Nemo attraction. His mentor, Frank Weigand, helped guide Mike through his career at Disney, and the two remain good friends. Mike also mentions Bill Wilcox, Mark Summer, Dave McCartney, and Maureen Hart as individuals who provided him with guidance and inspiration. After seven years with the Disney Imagineering team, Mike left to start his career as an independent contractor, showcasing his skills in projects involving sculpting, architecture, and engineering.

His unique background has brought Mike Gordon to the Beverly Hills High School Robotics team, where he guides the animation and engineering groups each year. He inspires newcomers and offers his unwavering help to his protégés. He also serves as a judge at the California Regionals, a position he has been honored with for the past five years. Although he never judges Team 1515 at competitions for objectivity's sake, he does announce that BHHS is one the best teams out there, improving each year.

As he begins his speech to the 2009-2010 Robotics team at Beverly, Mike stops to give the room a huge smile. His passion and dedication shine through his calm, strong demeanor, and fill each Robotics member with inspiration. It is because of his guidance and support that his next words ring true: " You guys are all champions, even before you get to the competition". It is due to people like Mike that Team 1515 continues to improve each year, preparing for the upcoming competition with vigor and enthusiasm. When the BHHS Team wins this year at Regional's, we all know that Mike will be cheering the loudest, proud of his team, and ready to be our unwavering support for the upcoming years.

Gearing Up For Competition

2009-03-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

Our robot has shipped, yet our work is never done. Why? Because we have been busy mentoring students from both Hawthorne and El Rodeo Science Olympiad Robo-cross teams. Robo-cross is the name of their robotics competition, and we've been helping them get their robots ready. Internally, we've been working on our team brochure. Additionally, we just finished our submission for AutoDesk Inventor. This will be our first time to partake in this aspect of the competition. We are very proud of this endeavor. To prepare for "our orange fever," (careful, it's contagious!), we've ordered our new shirts and are compiling all of our spirit items in order to get ready to make a statement at the competition. It'll be orange galore. We submitted our website, our animation, and our Chairman's essays for consideration, and we continue to update this informative newsletter. We've finally cleaned up our room, so much so that we can actually see the floor. The business team is working on our booth, brochure, and our "book," which highlights all of our achievements. Our human player is busy practicing shooting orbit balls so that we will have a competitive human player. Additionally, members of four team are going to conduct three assemblies at Beverly Vista's 4th-8th grades. We will be demonstrating robots and doing a comprehensive robotics presentation, including a PowerPoint. We are doing the presentation in an effort to stimulate interest in the Robotics program. We continue to work on our TV Show, and you would be able to see us filming our team and others throughout the duration of the LA Regional Competition. We are finishing up our business plan, including tabulating certain fiscal info, such as profits, losses, and expenditures. Shosh is our shop manager and she is organizing our building materials. She's packing up all the necessary tools and accessories for the competition. Don't forget to support us by coming to the Los Angeles Regional Competition, which will occur at the Long Beach Arena! It will be a three-day affair, but the best day to come would be Saturday, from 9-5pm. We will do our best to "shoot for the moon," in this game of "lunacy."

Animation 2009 -- CODE BLUE

2009-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

FIRST Robotics headquarters gave this season's competitors an unusual but increasingly relevant challenge: to use biomimicry to inspire an engineering design that will solve a human problem. After all, biomimicry is the study and adaptation of already existing designs in nature to provide solutions for human issues, and in a society where green is the new black, nature has indeed become the muse of all the world. Upon hearing this unique animation challenge, Team MorTorq's initial reaction of "Huh?" quickly turned into an excited brainstorming session and exchange of creative ideas. After hours of deliberation, with each member pitching their own idea and improving upon those of their peers, the animation team finally settled on a compromise that truly satisfies all the members of this group of vibrant young leaders. And so, streaming forth from the BHHS Robotics computer screen this year is a design that will perhaps one day fully take ca re of the exponential problem that is ocean pollution. The team, taking inspiration from the graceful manta ray, has designed a manned submersible capable of cleansing the extraordinarily polluted waters of the world ocean.

Our Robot---MORBIT

2009-02-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

This years robot, MORBIT, can shoot and herd moonrocks, empty cells, and super cells. It has a 26" diameter hopper that can store approximately 10 balls. To prevent jams we have a "blender" in our hopper that constantly stirs the balls. In addition, the bottom surface of our hopper is made of the Lunacy playing surface, regolith. Our shooting mechanism (named "the shnoob") is a traction wheel that compresses the balls against an upper plate and shoots them at varying distances. The shnoob can also be reversed so that we may obtain empty cells. Our hopper and shooter our one structure driven by 2 gears and a globe motor. It is all mounted on a delrin bearing and delrin supports for minimal friction. Our drive train consists of 2 cim motors, 2 toughboxes, and 4 wheels.
Our robot's name is a combination of our team name MorTorq and the game objects, orbit balls. Also, the "Bit" in MORBIT can be expanded to MorBallsInTrailer.

Pre-Ship Scrimmage--A Great Success

2009-02-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Pre-Ship Event was held at Crenshaw High School on Saturday, February 14, 2009 and Sunday, February 15, 2009. Our team managed to attend on Sunday and had a chance to practice with many other teams. It was great to see some of our friends from other teams and begin working together in the spirit of FIRST. The event was sponsored by the Southern California Regional Robotics Forum or SCRRF. Team 1515 would like to thank everyone who participated in this event and we would also like to thank all of the organizers who put it together.

Community Service Continues

2009-02-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Reaching out to the community is an integral part of Team 1515's ideology, so the team spent some time making cards for children at Cedars-Sinai Hospital the week of February 2nd. A group of team-members drove to the hospital on February 5, 2009 to spread Valentine's Day cheer to children in the pediatric ward. The team received a warm welcome from hospital staff and went on to decorate the play-room in the ward. MorTorq team-members used paints and other art supplies to liven up the room for youngsters just in time for Valentine's Day. They painted on the glass windows and stuck hearts and valentines to the cabinets. A lot of creativity and cooperation resulted in a beautifully decorated play-area. Team-members also visited all the children in the pediatric ward and gave each child their own hand-made valentine. In addition, the team brought along a robot to show the kids, and children were given the opportunity to drive it if they wished. When the visit to Cedars-Sinai was over, the MorTorq team-members left knowing that they had brightened somebody's day.

Hello World

2009-02-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new blog! More updates coming soon...

Imagine It! Squared

2009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Team 1515 is very proud of the fact that they were invited to participate in a fabulous documentary titled Imagine it!². 16 of our team members were honored to be included in the film. The focus of the film is to imagine the world to be a better place and also to get involved and solve global challenges.