D.C. Regionals 2010 Success

Posted on March 8th, 2010

REX 1727 went to the Washington Regional this past week with high hopes, yet only modest expectations. We knew we had a good machine, but without ironing out all the kinks and getting almost no driver/team practice time, we were unsure of the extent of our capabilities and limitations. Our robot was very complicated as we designed it to do every function needed to score, with the help of a variety of sensors to make it more precise. In spite of everything, we could easily cross the bumps into the different strategic zones of the field, score 1 to 2 goals a match, and hang from the tower slowly but surely.

After the first three qualification matches, REX was ranked 30th out of 59 teams. But after 3 more qualification matches we rose to number 1 and stayed there. For the elimination round we decided to play midfield, and selected both an excellent scoring and defending robot to be our alliance partners. With the help of rookie team 3123 Wildcogs and team 176 Aces High, we stuck to our strategy during the entire elimination rounds and were victorious. And not only did we end up regional champions, but we were also awarded the “Quality” award for our efforts in making the robot design the best we could.

In regards to our all around dependability, the team is nothing short of content. We were one of the most reliable hanging robots on the field, even when teams tried to get in our way or tip us over. We programmed the robot to kick multiple balls in autonomous; moving them to where our partners could score, which they did with particular skill. We had no mechanical issues at all until the very last round of the finals when our kicker holder broke, but with some fast thinking and quick repairs, all was mended. The result of last round of the finals is determined by the best 2 out of 3 matches, and due to the mechanical issue we lost our first match. However, after fixing the problem we went all out and were victorious in the next two matches, giving us the WIN!

There are a few things that have really made me overjoyed this year. We have a lot of mentors that helped us along the way, without them the kids could not have done what they did. And our sponsors came through in such an invaluable way. NASA has always been our biggest sponsor and has provided many different forms of support from equipment to display opportunities. AAI not only funded us; they provided space and mentor help during the “snowmageddon” and they helped supply us with promotional items like banners, patches, and the blinkie REX buttons which were a huge hit in DC!

What gives me the most pride though is that our club is student run and the robot is student built. We had an unusual situation on Thursday where none of our mentors were able to be present. We did have a parent come along, but he was a volunteer for the event and he could not work with the team. Even with that the kids had our robot ready quickly—we were the second robot to pass inspection. They practiced, set up teams for scouting, pit admin, and operator teams. They handled everything by themselves and were well organized and efficient.
It is anticipated that we will be even better at the Chesapeake Regional this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be at the Baltimore Convention Center from about 9-5 daily and is free and open to the public, so please invite everyone to come to this important event!