Display at local library highlights FTC robotics

Posted on January 17, 2016 by fsreditor

This month at the Brandywine Hundred Library in Wilmington, DE, you can see a display put together by FTC Team 8528 that promotes FIRST, First State Robotics, and FIRST Tech Challenge. Students from Rhyme Know Reason wanted an effective way to show their community the fun, unique culture of FIRST. They pulled together trophies, their Engineering Notebook, and a poster from the 2014-2015 season to give those unfamiliar with FTC an idea of what they do as a robotics team.

In order to show the unique culture of FIRST, the team also chose to display buttons collected from teams all over the world. Trading buttons is a huge part of FTC events. Designing and distributing buttons gives teams a chance to express their team identity and get their name out to advertise their team. Some teams use buttons as a way to promote a special project or event. Most buttons are two-inch diameter metal pins covered in paper, but some teams make buttons out of laser-cut wood or even 3D-printed parts.

The display will be up through the month of January. Rhyme Know Reason thanks the Brandywine Hundred Library for giving them this opportunity.

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MOE 365 jumps in to meet new challenge

Posted on January 13, 2016 by fsreditor

MOE FRC stategy planning

Here are a few scenes from the FRC team MOE365 meeting last Saturday, January 9 at DuPont’s Chestnut Run work site. Like others around the world, they gathered to view kickoff video from FIRST world headquarters, then jumped in to begin brainstorming potential strategies and robot designs.

(Left) MOE students watching a broadcast of the FIRST kickoff, showing Dean Kamen talking with students in Manchester, NH.
(Right) MOE students acting out the roles of robots in a simulated match to help the team understand how the game works.

The 2016 challenge has a medieval theme and name: FIRST Stronghold, and the kickoff video spoofed genre films and television shows– complete with catapulted “animals” and tower-climbing robots. Learn more about FRC here or watch the same animation video below.

Three Delaware Robotics Teams Excel at Local Tournament

Posted on January 11, 2016 by fsreditor

On January 9 at the FIRST Tech Challenge tournament in Oxford, PA, two First State Robotics teams, Rhyme Know Reason and MOE 365, as well as one other Delaware team, Archmere Academy’s Robauktics, were so successful that they earned invitations to the Pennsylvania State FTC Championship, February 27 in York, PA.

Rhyme Know Reason earned the Think Award for their engineering notebook,
MOE earned the Connect Award for interaction with the STEM community,
Robauktics won all 5 matches in the qualifying round of the field competition.

While all three teams competed in semi-final rounds, Robauktics and Rhyme Know Reason posted scores during qualifying matches to be named captains. Archmere’s Robauktics continued on to play in tournament finals.

In addition to invitations to attend PA State Championship, all three teams will compete again on Saturday, February 6, at the Diamond State Championship at Delaware State University in Dover, DE. Join in cheering them on! Both championship events are free and open to the public.