February 2011

Let the LOGO MOTION Begin!

After a six-week flurry of activity on February 22, we had to pack up the robot and send it to the first regional of 2011. It is now time to compete. LOGO MOTION is played by two competing alliances of three teams each on a field 27’x54’. The robots hang as many inflated triangles, circles, and squares on their grids as possible in a short 2 minute and 15 second match.  The higher the tubes are hung, the more points are scored. Each match beings with a 15-second Autonomous period, and where the robots operate independently, followed by a 2-minute period where the drivers have control.  If teams assemble the logo pieces to form the FIRST logo, the points on that row are doubled. The exciting matches end with robots deploying minibots racing to the top of tall vertical poles to earn bonus points.  For more information, see http://www.usfirst.org.

Aerospace Day!

FIRST Team 122 members David Holloway, Becky Thompson, and Cherise Rodriguez participated in the 6^th annual AeroSpace Day at the Library of Virginia February 2-3. The purpose of Aerospace Day is to increase awareness about NASA and the aerospace industry. Our team demonstrated the robot in the presence of state legislators and an astronaut together with the Phoebus High School Robotics Team 2028.

Our NASA Knights with astronaut Dominic Antonelli.

Expanding the team

We are seeing a healthy uptick in the number of students joining robotics as we begin the new school year. A student from Poquoson who was on the FLL team we sponsored last year came to check out Team 122.  We are now seeing the effects of our sponsorship/mentorship of the FLL students. Also,an invitation was sent out to area homeschoolers about the upcoming robotics season.