Archive for January, 2007
Attention Indiana FIRST teams!!! We still need teams for the Statehouse demonstration on February 27th. If you will attend, please reply to me (Dan Ward).
For those going, I have attached the Statehouse rules, a map to the Statehouse, a map for alternate parking at the Indianapolis zoo, and two letter drafts for your region’s legislators. (Letter 1, Letter 2) Please take the time to email or send one of the letters to your representatives and senators so that they will know you are going to be there. The short letter is general, and the long letter is for legislators that might not know anything about FIRST. Feel free to add or subtract from these-they are just to give you some ideas of what to say.
Don’t know your area’s Legislators? You can locate them at this site below. Be sure to include the ones that represent the area your school is located in-not just your residence.
http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/
We will be allowed to set-up in the Statehouse starting at 11:30 a.m. You may unload vehicles on the west side of the building at the end of Government Place (see Indianapolis map-building is red). You can turn into the government complex off of West Street. The security officers there know we are coming so they should not give you any trouble. If they do simply tell them why you are there and how long it will take you to unload. They may ask to search your vehicle (let them). After unloading, you will need to take large items into the basement of the building and take the freight elevator to the main floor. We will have people there to guide you to our location. You may park your vehicles at the zoo (see map) (free parking). We will be running a couple of vehicles to shuttle everyone to the Statehouse and back. I will provide a cell number to contact the drivers if someone needs picked up.
A few more things…
- We need a/several carpet(s) that look good. Please let me know if you have one.
- Outlets are limited. Charge batteries before and bring extras.
- Anyone want to bring a Vex robot? We will have a table or two. Please let me know.
- Dan Ward
January 24th, 2007
The 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition game was released January 6th. From that date, teams have six weeks to design, build, and ship a robot to play the game titled “Rack N’ Roll.” The following is an excerpt from an article in the Kokomo Tribune by Tribune staff writer Danielle Rush:
The clock is ticking for Howard County’s three high school robotics teams.
Saturday, Kokomo’s TechnoKats, Taylor’s Robo-Titans and Western’s PantherTech teams received their kits and instructions for the 2007 competition game, as did the other competitors around the world.
The three local teams attended the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology robotics kick off regional at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana’s Kokomo campus, to watch a satellite telecast from FIRST headquarters in Manchester, N.H.
They’ve seen the game for this year’s game, and now have six weeks to construct a robot to play that game in competition.
In this year’s game, competitors will form three-team alliances and will play as either the red alliance or the blue alliance. Robots will attempt to pick up inner tubes and place them on metal forms, similar to jungle gyms, to score points.
At the end of the game, teams may score bonus points for being able to get a robot completely off the ground.
Baker said there is nothing on the field for the robots to get off the floor on, so “you have to use your partner or one of your partners to get you off the floor.”
He said teams have to decide what kind of robot to build — one that will score with the inner tubes, or one that can lift another robot off the ground.
Click here for the full article.
January 11th, 2007
This just in from IndianaFIRST President Dan Ward -
This year’s FIRST Statehouse demonstration will be held in conjunction with the Technology Educators of Indiana’s (TEI) 3rd Annual Technology Education Day on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 from 12:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Teaming up with the TEI people will give us a better draw from our legislators, and we can certainly enhance their message on technology education and funding by bringing last year’s machines to run during the event. As always, this is a great opportunity not only to promote FIRST and Technology Education but give some of our kids a chance to talk to our legislators first hand. Both chambers will be in session for what is looking like a very interesting long session this year – especially for education.
We are also planning a Vex demonstration as well. If you have a Vex machine please bring it. We will have several of our playing fields set up to keep them off of the floor. I will bring crystals.
This event is a great way to say thank you to the IDWD and other state agencies who support all of us. I know it is a busy time, but please consider sending your 2006 machine and a few team members to talk about their experiences.
If you can make the demo, please email me. dward@ivytech.edu More information to follow.
Thanks!
Dan Ward
January 8th, 2007
