Team Blog
Containing news and updates about the team
UberBots Are Thrilled to Gain new Sponsorship
Written by Andrea Lopreiato
November 23, 2013
The UberBots appreciate our sponsors!
Sponsors have always been a vital part of the UberBots. It would be nearly impossible for the team to function without the space, resources, and money that is provided by sponsors. Our own fundraising does help support the team, but building a robot and keeping the team functioning takes much more than the UberBots can get for themselves. Just recently, the team got a new sponsor: Valley Car Collectors. They are a local club whose goal is to promote interest in classic cars and support other local organizations, mainly by running car shows. Their representatives visited a team meeting, where they watched a robot presentation and met team members. They were very excited to learn about the team and the robots, along with making a donation. The UberBots are incredibly grateful for the new sponsorship, and every donation can make a big difference for the team.
UberBots Bash @ the Beach
Written by Andrea Lopreiato
October 23, 2013
The UberBots in the stands smile while scouting and watching matches
Last weekend, the UberBots went to an offseason competition called Bash @ the Beach. The team was very successful, making it to the second round of eliminations, until they lost because of driver’s station difficulties. Bash @ the Beach doesn’t officially count for anything, but it is a great opportunity. Most importantly, it is the best time to try something new. For example, the second drive team got the chance to drive during a competition, which rarely happens during more important competitions. This time of year, though, nothing is as important as the new members. Bash @ the Beach gave them an opportunity to see and participate in a competition. Now, they will know what they’re working towards during build season and be prepared when they are facing a competition in 2014. This was also the last opportunity for the 2013 robot that the UberBots worked so hard on to participate in a competition. From now on Cyclone will only be used in demos and community service. Most of all, bash @ the Beach was an enjoyable opportunity for the UberBots to try new things and have fun.
UberBots Start Year Welcoming New Recruits
Written by Andrea Lopreiato
September 29, 2013
New members gather to learn mechanical and electrical aspects of a robot.
Now that the school year has started back up again, it was time for the UberBots to welcome the new members to the team. After a day of getting to know each other, the returning members began to educate the new members on FIRST and the team. They started with a brief introduction, then split into sub teams so new members could learn about the parts of the team they were interested in. Then, that weekend was Avon Day. The UberBots hosted a booth and brought along Asteroid and Cyclone, the two most recently built robots. There was some scattered rain over the course of the day, but during the sunny intervals, the team did demos of the two robots, attracting lots of attention. Now, it’s time to continue teaching new members, practice driving, and prepare for a competition. Bash @ the Beach, an off-season competition, will be held Saturday, October 5 at Old Lyme High School in Lyme, CT. The UberBots will be attending, and it will hopefully be a positive start to the year.
Team members worked with FLL Team Nova of the Avon Middle School. They helped them with their designs for this year's game, Senior Solutions.
Members of FLL team NOVA visit the UberBots
Build Season - Weeks 3 and 4
The team has been busy prototyping different designs...
building...
coding...
and making buttons...
Embroidering the team numbers for our bumpers
Getting ideas for how to move the ball within the robot.
After our first week of build season, the team is off to a good start. We have the baskets and bridge built and assembled:
We've also worked on our robot. After brainstorming and reading the rules, our first shooting and ball retrieving mechanisms are prototyped. We even had CAD models and some code structure. Everyone's excited to be back to building. 2012 is starting to look like a great season!
Finally, we made it to the best day of the year: Kick-off!
The team came to the school early and gathered in the community room to find out what we'll be doing until March.
This year, the game is called Rebound Rumble; a game modeled off of basketball. After watching the video and reading the game manual, the team started brainstorming about how to shoot baskets at three different heights, cross a bridge hallway through the field, and even use a Microsoft Kinect during the first period of the game.
e can't wait for the next 6 weeks!
We spent our last December meeting with our alumni. Every year, we invite them back to visit our current team. Like always, we enjoyed food and listening to old stories about the team. Also, this year we filmed testimonials for the alumni video. It was great to see our alumni again, and we can't wait for them next year
On December 15th, the team hosted its annual bake sale during parent-teacher conferences.
Last Wednesday, some team members visited a new rookie team out of Region 7 High School. The Northern Region Gearheads were very happy to have team members share some knowledge about FRC and many tips and tricks that we've learned along the way.
Last weekend the ÜberBots participated in the off season competition Bash at the Beach at Lyme, Old Lyme Middle School. We competed against 22 other teams in the 2011 game Logomotion. Here, we taught both new and old members about the different aspects of competition, particularly the pit crew, drive team, and scouting team. Members tried out new roles, learned, and had fun! The team made it to quarter finals in the elimination rounds on an alliance with team 558, Robo Squad, from New Haven, CT and team 2836, team Beta, from Woodbury, CT. After our last competition with the 2011 robot, Thunder, we're excited to start the new season!
Last weekend, the UberBots were a part of Avon Day, an annual event in the community to celebrate showcase local businesses and organizations. We demoed old robots, handed out information about the program, and spoke about the team. We met many people interested in donating or joining the team. Overall, the day was a success!
Canton Shoppes Movie Night
The UberBots went to the Canton Shoppes' movie night on Saturday, September 3, to demonstrate Thunder and spread the word of FIRST. Several hundred people came to see the movie "Toy Story 3" and we were able show off our robot's capabilities and talk about the team with interested movie-goers. A fun and successful evening for the team!
Travelers Championship Demo
On June 25, the UberBots represented CT FIRST at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell. We were given this opportunity because we were one of the top contributors of the tournament's Birdies for Charity campaign. We had the opportunity to demonstrate the robot and the FIRST program to many of the spectators attending the tournament.
Suffield Shakedown - A Learning Experience
Suffield Shakedown is a great place to test your robot design before the end of build season. This year the ÜberBots main goal was to test all of the main components on the robot, and come away with knowledge on how to improve our design.
While the ÜberBots were the first ones at the competition, we were not first on the field. With troubles on the field and on the robot, the team tried its best to diagnose and repair the problems to no avail.
All in all, the team comes away with important lessons learned, and a sense of unity heading into the final few days of build season.
Our brand new team trailer:
A prototype of our 2011 robot:
