PENN ROBOTICS  FRC TEAM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F.I.R.S.T (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) sponsors the Robotics Competition (F.R.C.).  FRC has been labeled “the varsity sport for the mind” by combining the excitement of a sports competition with the rigors of engineering.  FIRST is an international program that promotes engineering and gracious professionalism.  Its goal is to inspire young people through mentor-based programs to pursue fields in science, engineering and technology, to embrace innovation, and to foster life-long skills and self-confidence. In early January, over 2700 high school teams assemble in venues around the globe to receive a challenge -- design and build a robot with the ability to perform multiple and dissimilar tasks.  Each team is given a kit of parts that includes motors, batteries, a control system, and a mix of automation components.  Teams receive no assembly instructions or design specs. 

 

Students on the Penn Robotics Team #135 have six weeks to design, build and program their robot to accomplish various tasks in each year’s game.  Team members are also responsible for marketing and fundraising initiatives.   The team meets every other day during the last hour of school in the fall semester.  Starting the first Saturday in January, we meet almost every day (including weekends) for the six week build season.  The daily or every-other-day commitment continues until mid-May, which is the end of tournament season.

 

My responsibilities on the team included:

Learning how to TIG weld

Scouting at competitions

Designing/Placing sponsors on robot and robot cart (see design)

Modeling parts of robot on Autodesk Inventor

Building robot

Attending morning robot driver practice sessions

Fundraising

Volunteering as a mentor with summer camps (June 2013, June 2014)

 

Results of the 2014 Competition season for Penn Robotics Team 135:

 

- winner of 2014 Crossroads Regional Competition at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology

 

- winner of 2014 Boilermaker Regional Competition at Purdue University

 

- placed 8th out of 100 teams in our division at Worlds Competition, St. Louis, April 2014