When FIRST released the manual for Stronghold, we made it our mission to know the manual and the rules inside and out. For the following two days, we went over the manual in detail by taking it apart and dissecting each individual section as a team. If there were any concerns from our mentors or team members, we sent in questions to Chief Delphi. To ensure that each team member was comfortable with the rules and regulations of Stronghold, we were briefly quizzed on the manual.
When we began to speak about strategies and design for our potential robot, we split into groups with a veteran team member leading the discussion. During these one hour meetings the rookies were asked to come up with ideas for intake, outtake, and pivot. Veterans added their input and steered the conversation accordingly. In between these one hour sessions, mentors would come in, check on the groups, and give suggestions. Once there were substantial designs for each category, we reconvened in one room. Then, the rookies presented their design with corresponding diagrams. These designs were debated amongst the team and aspects of each design were incorporated into the robot we planned to build.
The Steel Hawks try to incorporate our FIRST and STEM programs into our school by participating in various in-school events. For example, at Townsend Harris’ bi-annual Open House, Steel Hawks motivated prospective students and families to attend THHS with the various STEM opportunities we offer in our humanities based school. Additionally, in Club Fair, we allowed students to experience driving a robot as we shared multiple possibilities and scholarships they are eligible for. In Winter Carnival, we had games that raised awareness about Robotics in a unique way.
2601’s rookie induction program, Second Robotics Competition (SRC), was developed in the 2014-2015 school year, in response to a low rookie retention rate. SRC prepares inexperienced students to become active members of the FIRST community. This year, SRC included hands-on training for the rookies who disassembled and reassembled our shifting and custom drivetrains, preparing them for our build season. Safety Certifications were integrated into SRC to ensure that each team member knew how to properly use the tools. The culminating event of SRC was “Mock-Kickoff” where rookies analyzed and designed robots for Rebound Rumble and Logo Motion. After participating in SRC, rookies made valuable contributions to the robot design and game strategy at Kick Off this year. In 2016, SRC led to a rookie retention increase of 60% - a 20% increase from the previous year.
Maker Faire
The goal of Maker Faire’s was to display innovation and ingenuity among all types of fields such as engineering and chemistry and more. We worked cooperatively with the other invited robotics teams showcasing this year's robot in mini games and invited children and adults to drive our robot. At our personal booth, one veteran featured CAD and 3-D printed pieces elaborating on the numerous steps we take to develop our final product. Overall, we wanted to show what the Steel Hawks had made using 3-D printed parts and to inspire others to join this Maker movement.
Brunswick
Brunswick Eruption was a FIRST robotics off-season event that was hosted by Team 25 - The Raider Robotix. The purpose of Brunswick was to inspire students to get involved in the fields of STEM by participating in robotics competitions such as this one. Brunswick Eruption began in 2002 primarily as a way to get more FRC teams motivated in the area. Our team took this as an opportunity to introduce rookie teams to scouting and visiting the pit to give them a feel a what an actual competition was like.
