CANCELED: Robot Unveiling Friday February 23 in S.U.B.

CANCELED DUE TO 2/23 SNOW---Come and meet this year's 2018 competition robot "Locust". The event will be held at the high school in the Student Union Building (S.U.B.) from 4PM to 6PM. Sponsors, parents, and the curious are welcome to attend.

Carolynn and Tristin Nominated as Dean's List Semi-Finalists

Each year teams can nominate two outstanding teammates as the team's Dean's List Semi-Finalists.  Coach Stokely and Lead Mentor A.Walker selected Tristin and Carolynn, both veterans of last year's championship run. The Dean's List highlights contributions to the team and community, creativity, entrepreneurship, passion, technical excellence, and the ability to motivate and lead fellow teammates.

Tristin served the team last year as its Lead Programmer (mostly self-taught), and primary driver (video game & rifle team preparation). He designed the climber plates in Onshape. He also gave an iFiberOne interview with Jaeden and Kirstin to raise funds for the World Championship. Last spring and this fall, Tristin with Kirstin volunteered to mentor the Oakland Bay Junior High FTC team. This year Tristin serves as the Vice-President and Lead Programmer.

Both semi-finalists are in their fifth year with FIRST robotics. Each gave business presentations, sold movie tickets, ran concessions, and met with our 35th district state legislators to raise community support for Aldernating Current. Both helped raise $5,000 and recruit new teammates at fifteen marketing/visibility events held May though November 2017.

Carolynn last year created a very professional pit slide show based on photos and interviews collected by Kirstin. Carolynn also served as the Scout Captain. The team captain selected her as the team's Alliance Captain. She sparked the team's only playoff win by selecting the 4th & 5th best robots with the team's 7th & 10th overall selections at our second district competition in 2017. This year she convinced businesses to donate items to the team's silent action last fall. She mentors teammates on how best to present the team's image to our community. She is improving the team's business presentation.

Both Carolynn and Tristin used to be shy. Their FIRST experiences helped develop their natural leadership abilities. They will be interviewed by FIRST judges at an upcoming competition.

Practice at WADEC with 4-H Built Half Court

New sponsor Washington Driver Education Center donated space this year for teammates to practice driving their 2018 competition robot "Locust". 4-H volunteers K.Hansen & M.Bigelow built field elements from lumber donated by Pro-Build (360-426-2611 at 114 E Cedar St, Shelton WA 98584). The center mast guides the elevator that lifts the yellow "Power Cubes", this year's game piece. The signal light is solid when the robot has power. The signal blinks when the robot is connected (enabled) to the driver station. It is dangerous to approach a robot with a blinking signal light because it may suddenly accelerate towards you.

This photo was taken on Feb.10th, the first day of practice. Drivers (in background) took turns driving "Locust" around the field. Angie, Dylan S, Jaeden, James C, Kirstin, Seth, Tristin, Xavier, and Zoe all drove the robot. Lluvia and her awesome team of J.J., Shelly & Te'Yana built the red bumpers from scratch per the specifications in the 2018 game manual. (It took 20 people to build the bumpers our 2014 rookie season.) Just left of "Locust" is the 14" tall switch.  It is located roughly at the 25 yard line. When the switch tilts in its alliance's favor, the alliance scores 1 point per second. On Saturday Feb. 17th, Cameron, Dylan S, Hope, J.J., Joy, Seth, Tristin, & Zoe all practiced driving the robot. They scored five points at a time by guiding Power Cubes into the vault and parking on the platform at the end of the match. Seth and Xavier replaced the battery every three practice matches. Arms and climber are yet to be installed. Practices will continue at WADEC on the afternoons of Monday 2/19 and Tuesday 2/20. Tuesday, February 20th is Stop Build Day for all 3800 FRC robot teams in the world.  Teammates will bag "Locust" late Tuesday in an event called 'Bag N Tag'. Carolynn and Zoe are working on three polycarbonate covers for Locust's three sides (left, right & back) which will hold the team logo and this year's sponsors.

Students Build 2018 Competition Robot "Locust"

Since Kickoff, students have been busy making parts and assembling their 2018 competition robot "Locust". As in past years, students continue their tradition of naming their creations after trees. Students decided to minimize risk and used a standard AndyMark "West Coast" drive.  FIRST Robotic Competition teams used this drive in past years with success.

On each side two CIM motors drive the center transmission and wheels. Coach Stokely suggested the low-high gear shift (just inside at the center wheel). Student drivers will use pneumatics (air pressure) to shift from high to low during a match.  Low speed will only be used for winning a pushing contest with an opposing robot. Rubber timing belts drive the front and back wheels (6" diameter).  The center wheels are slightly lower than the others to make turning easier. The game piece that the robots will place on scales is the yellow "Power Cube". This is a standard milk crate measuring 13" wide x 13" deep x 11" tall.  Last year's red and blue bumpers are resting on the "Power Cube".

The next photo is a snapshot of collaboration, a key ingredient Team 5295 "Aldernating Current" learned from Team 4450 "Olympia Robotics Federation". The black object on the left is the team's robot cart. Note the hydraulic lift is able to lift or lower the robot shelf so our mechanics can work at a height comfortable for them.  In fall 2016 Jaeden led the robot cart design.  He used the Onshape computer-aided-design training taught by 4-H volunteer D.Rankin in the summer at the PUD3 auditorium. Oakland Bay Landscape Services donated the iron bars and welded the frame together. The Career Technical Education department of Shelton School District bought the drawers and hydraulic lift. The team used the robot cart at all four competitions last year including the World Championship.  

On the robot shelf is the center mast that will lift the elevator and a single Power Cube at a time.  The high goal this year is placing Power Cubes on a scale four to six feet high.  If the scale is in our favor we earn 1 point per second.  The low goal is placing a Power Cube on a switch about 14" above the floor.  When our alliance's switch leans our way, we score 1 point per second.  The center mast is built from 80/20 extrusion.  Three year sponsor Fastenal of Tumwater donates 80/20 extrusions, joints, and fasteners to Aldernating Current.  The students build the robot in the weld shop.  The flannel shirt (upper center) is a team color along with red (positive), black (ground), and green (tree).

There will not be many photos of students working in the robot shop until students and their parents sign the new media release form.  Shelton School District is the third school district in the state to adopt a social media policy.