Past
Competitions
Competing Since 2001
2009:
Lunacy
6-3-0 at the NASA/VCU Regional
The last archived FIRST Robotics event our team attended
was the 2009 competition, Lunacy. This event, both in game
design and name, honored the 40th anniversary of the first
moon landing. In Lunacy, the playing field and robot's wheels
were specially-made to simulate the effects of low gravity.
Each alliance is made up of three alliances who attempt to
make the opposing alliance lose points by shooting special
balls into a trailer attached to the back of each robot.
 Overall,
our team did fairly well during the NASA/VCU Regional in
2009. Our robot featured a device that could gather up
the balls via a conveyor belt-like device and drop them
into a robot's trailer. It also proved to be useful in blocking
in other robots due to our large size. We made it to the
semifinals, but ended up being
beaten by
the
opposing
alliance.
However,
we did
finish
in
eighth place and won the Motorola Quality Award. So hopefully
we can continue this winning streak and do well in our upcoming
competitions.
2008:
FIRST Overdrive
3-5-0 at the NASA/VCU Regional
The general purpose of Overdrive was for robots to score points by
making laps around the court while controlling trackballs. Each alliance
had two corresponding track balls which could be shot over the overpass,
pushed around the field, or knocked off and placed on the overpass.
Also, instead of the usual autonomous mode, this year's game featured
a hybrid mode in which robots received signals via infrared control
or visible light controlled by the RoboCoach.
 Our robot's main feature was its ability to travel very quickly around
the field. We also placed some attachments on the robot capable of
herding the trackball around the field. And as ship date approached,
we decided to try and place a small pole on top of the robot which
we hoped could push the trackball off the overpass. However, this
device wasn't nearly as effective as we would have hoped.
2007:
Rack and Roll
5-3-0 at the NASA/VCU Regional
During Rack and Roll, teams attempted to design a robot capable of
picking up inner tubes and placing them on a cylindrical rack in
the middle of the field. Points were scored when a tube was successfully
placed on the rack. Also, bonus points could be awarded if a robot
was a certain distance off
the
ground
at the
end
of the
game.
 The basic purpose of our robot was to serve as a giant ramp. No question,
this robot was one of our teams best creations of all time. While
still being within
the size requirements, it could unfold into a huge ramp capable of
holding two robots on top of a flat panel surface. Using this creation,
our alliance was able to score multiple bonus points at the end of
the round. We did very well in this competition thanks to
our unique robot.
2006:
Aim High
2-6-0 at the NASA/VCU Regional
In 2006, the object of the competition was to shoot balls into
several goals placed around the playing field. Throughout play,
alliances switched between offense and defense after the autonomous
period. During the last round, both alliances aimed to score
points by switching between offense and defense. Points were
scored by shooting balls into goals as well as placing a robot
on a platform at the end of the game.
 We designed our robot to shoot the foam balls into the various
goals on the playing field. It featured a ball gatherer located
at the base of the robot which fed the balls into the shooting
device. This device was also able to rotate and pan in different
directions, allowing for ultimate aim. Unfortunately, the robot
was very top heavy and would often tip over, but not completely,
which scared the whole team. It only fell a few times, but
managed to stay together the whole time.
2005:
Triple Play
Attended the NASA/VCU Regional
This challenge was the first competition to feature alliances
of three robots as opposed to two. The playing field was set
up similarly to a game of tic-tac-toe where teams could score
points by placing a tetrahedron on top of a goal or inside
one. The points were awarded to each alliance based on the
highest color tetrahedron in the stack (for example, red is
awarded the points if red is on top).
This year we chose to build a giant arm to accomplish stacking
the tetras. Also, we didn't want to use too many pneumatics.
We had to do some minor adjustments to the arm in order to
extend it and make sure it didn't drop when no current was
running through it. We then attached a clamp with a counterweight
in order to grab onto the tetras and move them around.
2004:
Raising the Bar
2-3-1 at the NASA/VCU Regional
Raising the Bar featured
several aspects from past competitions as well as new features.
Teams would compete in pairs against
the opposing alliance to score points by putting small balls
into the goal (5 for purple, 10 for yellow), doubling the score
if a large yellow ball is placed on top of the goal, and scoring
a 50 point bonus if a robot is suspended on the chin-up bar
at the end of the match.
At first our robot moved very quickly. It drove incredibly
well and we were able to direct a ball with a spinning PVC
pipe attached to the end of the robot. But unfortunately, lagging
became a huge issue. It also took us a long time to figure
out how to pick up the capping balls and then make the arm.
So even though 2004 didn’t go as well as we had hoped,
it was still a good experience.
2003:
Stack Attack
5-2-0 at the NASA/VCU Regional
During the 2003 challenge, robots in two separate two-player alliances
attempted to score points by creating a stack of bins in their specific
area. The alliances are awarded one point for every bin in their
highest stack and then multiplied by its height. Also, the alliances
are awarded 25 points for every robot on top of the starting ramp
at the end of the match. Robots are also allowed to knock over the
opposing alliance’s stack of bins to hinder their final score.
 We designed our robot to both stack and knock over boxes. However,
due to the robot being too top-heavy and weak, our systems failed
to work to their full potential. This robot currently serves no purpose
in testing techniques, but still can be used in the future either
for programming or prototypes.
2002:
Zone Zeal
Attended the NASA/VCU Regional
The object of this challenge
was to score points by placing balls into moveable goals and
moving these goals into the end zones. Each ball was worth
one point and the alliance
would receive ten points if their goal was in the end zone.
Alliances consisted of two teams that worked together to defeat
the opposing alliance.
Unfortunately, our robot did not do very well in this competition.
It was too large, heavy, and had to have some last-minute adjustments made
the day of the competition to make it legal. Also, the mechanism we built
to pick up and shoot soccer balls into the goal didn’t work.
2001:
Diabolical Dynamics
2001 was team 617’s rookie year. This competition featured
a playing field in which two teams act as an alliance. Points
were awarded in multiple different ways.
 Our robot was relatively simple due to it being our rookie
year. Weighing 76 pounds, it had a wood chassis and was powered
by a two-wheel drive system using drill motors. This robot
is still put together and is currently used as a test robot.
It also served a huge purpose in testing herding technologies
during the 2004 challenge,
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