Last Saturday, forty-seven LigerBots in six cars braved zero degree temperatures to attend the FIRST Robotics kickoff at Southern New Hampshire University.
The LigerBots at the kickoff in New Hampshire for the 2018 FIRST Robotics gameSeven LigerBots alumni on their college breaks, including two past CTOs, joined the team at kickoff
We joined FRC teams from all over New England to witness the big reveal of the 2018 robot game, “Power Up.” which has a 1980s video game theme, and to hear speeches by FIRST founders Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, and New Hampshire senator Maggie Hassan. During the pre-telecast announcements we received a special shout-out for our FIRST Safety Animation win, and everyone in the audience cheered!
LigerBots examine field elements for the 2018 game at kickoff
Our hands-on exploration of the “Power Up” playing field that FIRST set up in the SNHU gym gave us an immediate sense of the challenges involved in this year’s game. We learned that points will be earned by tipping a see-saw-shaped goal and keeping it tipped for as long as possible by loading it up with milk-crate sized cubes. At the end of the game, more points can be earned by having robots climb up a large post with a bar at the top.
A robot places a game-piece cube on top of one platform of the “scale” field element in the FIRST Robotics 2018 game reveal animation (courtesy of FIRST).
The Sunday after kickoff we launched our annual Three-Day Design process. This activity brings every team member and mentor, no matter what their specialty on the team, into the engineering process, and leaves us all with improved ability to brainstorm, negotiate, organize, and present our ideas. On day one small groups of students and mentors discussed robot game strategy.
A LigerBots Three-Day Design group works out its game strategy
This year, one group learned a lot of unexpected lessons about strategy by using a miniature, LEGO, mockup of the playing field to run through a simulated robot game.
LigerBots play a mock robot game using LEGO pieces during Three-Day Design
Day two was spent drawing and designing mechanisms, such as robotic arms and elevators, that will help the team perform well in competition. On the third and final day the groups presented and defended their strategies and mechanisms in front of the entire team.
A Three-Day Design group leader presents his group’s robot design to the team
With no time to waste in this pressurized, six-week build season, our student technical leaders took ideas from many of the Three-Day Design presentations and combined them into what they hope will be an ideal, competitive, robot design. Over Martin Luther King Day weekend the team had a two-day, off-site CADding blitz and work session that will give us a jump start on next week’s build. We can’t wait to get started, cutting metal, wood and plastic, wiring and coding to make a fantastic 2018 LigerBots robot!
LigerBots work on robot CAD over the MLK Day weekend
LigerBots Win World-Wide FIRST 2018 Safety Animation Competition!
January 2, 2018
The LigerBots have won first place in the world-wide, FIRST Robotics, 2018 Safety Animation Award competition! Our winning video will be shown at many FIRST Robotics competitions to about half a million spectators over the 2018 season. These animated videos combine an educational message about safety with creative art and imagery.
In order to follow the retro-1980s arcade theme of the 2018 FRC challenge we developed a story that combined safety principles with elements of our very own video game. We designed characters and scenery, and brought them to life with 3D animation. Finally, we added arcade style music and sound effects along with a voice-over narration by LigerBots team member Lasya to accompany the visuals.
According to LigerBots animator Vivek, the biggest challenge was fitting the story into only 40 seconds — the maximum video length according to the rules. Another challenge was the deadline, which forced us to make decisions fast and start the animation process as early as possible.
“It took considerable work,” said Vivek, “but it was really gratifying. I’m excited about what it means for our team — standing out in the FIRST community. It got me thinking about STEM vs STEAM and how the “A” Art factor ties into the work we do.”
Co-head coach John Fitzpatrick said, “Safety is always a major team concern. We have had many dedicated students submit safety animation videos over our ten seasons in an effort to share our passion with the FIRST community. It is extremely gratifying that the students’ efforts have finally paid off.”
We are very excited to win this prestigious award and hope that our video will have a lasting impact on the community by encouraging safe practices.
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel to see this video and all the rest of our team videos.
The LigerBots have won first place in the world-wide, FIRST Robotics, 2018 Safety Animation Award competition! Our winning video will be shown at most FIRST Robotics competitions throughout the 2018 season. These animated videos combine an educational message about safety with creative art and imagery.We are very excited to win this prestigious award and hope that our video will have a lasting impact on the community by encouraging safe practices. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel to see this video and all the rest of our team videos.
LigerBots Host FLL Eastern MA State Champs
December 18, 2017
Newton’s Day Dragons react to the progress of their robot during the championship matches
Last Saturday the LigerBots hosted theFirst Lego League (FLL) Eastern MA State Championship at Newton North High School. Forty-eight teams of elementary and middle school students came together to compete and also to present their real-world solutions to water based problems connected to the theme of this year’s FLL game, called “Hydro Dynamics.”
Team Aqua Brick members show off their Jr. FLL project
Local businesses and organizations with hands on activities to share gathered in the main hall of Newton North to interact with the young engineers as a part of a maker fair. Exhibitors included Destination Imagination, Empow Studios, the Newton Free Library, iRobot, Nuvu, New England R2 Builders, Orimagi.io, Mass Bay Community College, the New Art Center, Johnson String Instrument, and Students for a Greener World. The LigerBots ran two maker fair tables, one with a 3D printer and another with “brushbot” artbotics. And of course, we let everyone drive our robot!
In honor of opening weekend of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we got a visit from a stormtrooper and an imperial officer who roamed the halls and posed for photos.
LigerBot Maya and Star Wars imperial storm trooper from New England R2 BuildersLigerBot Jr. mentor Sophia assists US FIRST NE regional director for MA and RI Steve Cremer with a violin at the Johnson String Instrument maker fair “petting zoo”LigerBot Katrina helps a young visitor at the LigerBots’ artbotics maker fair table
About 1000 people, including members of the general public that came to watch and tour the maker fair, participated in this STEM-filled day.
The FLL event ended on a good note after awards were given out in categories such as robot reliability, best teamwork, and best programming. Seven of the participating teams were from Newton. The Day Dragons, a team of four seventh graders from Day Middle School and two fifth graders from Pierce Elementary School, won the Champions’ Award, given to the team with the best robotics performance, presentation of research results, and display of core FLL values. A dance party on the competition floor was a fun end to our day.
