Over the summer of 2022 we hosted a virtual CAD challenge, where more than 25 students and 40 represented FTC teams competed to design a virtual robot to compete in a game designed by us, accompanied with a field CAD model. Teams were given the option to design a traditional robot or to design a 24x24x24 inch robot with three hubs and all the extra electronic slots that come with it. We were able to make some great connections with other FIRST Teams, and had both experienced and new CADders compete and practice their skills before the new season. Below are pictures of the field and the winning normal and large robots designed by members from FTC teams 8813 and 17077.
February 10, 2021, before our meeting, we watched the awards ceremony for our competition this past weekend. I am absolutely thrilled that this team was recognized by the judges so much. 3 mentions including an Inspire placement is quite an accomplishment for a single competition! Please note that the Inspire award is the premier award given at FTC competitions, and a 3rd place Inspire is more prestigious and carries more weight than a 1st place in any other category! Here are the awards and placements we received: Design 1st place: This judged award recognizes design elements of the Robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Design Award is presented to Teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These design elements could simplify the Robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the Team. The Robot should be durable, efficiently designed, and effectively address the game challenge. Connect 3rd: This judged award is given to the Team that most connect with their local science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) community. A true FIRST team is more than a sum of its parts and recognizes that engaging its local STEM community plays an essential part in its success. The recipient of this award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the Team itself. The Team that wins the Connect Award actively seeks and recruits engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science, and technology. This Team has a clear Team plan and has identified steps to achieve their goals. Inspire 3rd: This judged award is given to the team that best embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech Challenge program. The Team that receives this award is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and a role model FIRST Team. This Team is a top contender for many other judged awards and is a gracious competitor. The Inspire Award winner is an inspiration to other Teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism® both on and off the playing field. This Team shares their experiences, enthusiasm, and knowledge with other team, sponsors, their community, and the Judges. Working as a unit, this Team will have shown success in performing the task of designing and building a Robot.
February 9, 2021, Team 16537 LOGICoyote competed over the weekend. Due to current event size limitations, we played 5 matches on Saturday with the same alliance partner; our highest score was 104 points. Judges’ interviews were on Sunday, and our small team was poised, professional, and simply looked impressive. We will find out the results from the weekend at tonight’s (2/9) Awards Ceremony at 6:00pm on https://www.twitch.tv/firstchesapeake They will be announcing awards for both Fulton MD (Red 2) and for Colonial Heights/Shenandoah Caverns (Blue 1). Team 16537 LOGICoyote competed in Blue 1. If you would like to see LOGICoyote’s matches as presented on the twitch feed over the weekend, that is on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxrccV09XuA. You will want to start at timestamp 6:43:40. The stream switches between our matches and other venues, but a lot of our matches are represented.
April 10 2022 – what an outstanding day!! With New Kent Robotics’ team 16537 LOGICoyote, I saw a team- that competed at a high level on the field, including a 260-point match in the tournament- that wowed the judges enough to win 3rd place Control Award (and believe me, getting ANY mention during a Championship event with 80 teams is a big deal!)- that graciously welcomed other teams and mentors into our pit- that actively reached out to other teams, enough to get a selection into the tournament! and finally- that HAD FUN! Great job team, I am so VERY PROUD of you!
On December 15th, 2021, the team watched the awards ceremony from the FIRST Tech Challenge Glen Allen VA Qualifier and learned about the judge’s awards from the competition. Along with a 3rd place Control Award and 2nd place Think Award, 16537 LOGICoyote won the 1st Place Inspire award at the competition. This is the highest award given at a competition, and is considered a greater accomplishment than winning the competition through robot matches! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and also means this team will advance to the next level of competition – the Chesapeake Championship. Here is a description of this award: This formally judged award is given to the team that truly embodied the ‘challenge’ of the FTC program. The team that receives this award is chosen by the judges as having best represented a ‘role model FTC Team. This Team is a top contender for all other judging categories and is a strong competitor on the field. The Inspire Award Winner is an inspiration to other teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism™ both on and off the playing field. This team understands how to communicate their experiences and knowledge to other teams, sponsors, and judges.
