In 1998, we were one of the great surprises at the FIRST Great Lakes Regional. Our rookie team became known as the “Featherweight in the Finals” as ours was the lightest robot to make it to the elimination rounds. We came close to winning the regional, but lost in the final round. Thanks to the generosity of a few veteran teams we ended going to the Nationals and did fairly well.
In 1999, the game changed to incorporate 2v2 alliances. The RHS team obtained its first major corporate sponsor, EDS, and with it, a new team name. The only year we had the number 251, 1999 was good for the FEDS, but relatively uneventful.
The New Millennium
A year later, the FEDS came back with a vengeance. Back with our original number, 201, and a new sponsorship from Visteon, the team came on strong. We captured the #1 seed and regional championship with an undefeated performance at the Great Lakes Regional and placed 9th overall at Nationals. On top of that, our talented animation team received a Compelling Creativity award for their exciting and original entry. That fall, the FEDS hosted the first-ever OCCRA tournament, placed 2nd at all three regional competitions, and took 2nd place in the 2000 OCCRA finals. The FEDS also won numerous judged awards that season.
Winter 2001 brought yet another change to the FIRST game, one that provided a major challenge to our team. It was a difficult Season, but its challenges presented opportunities for the team to learn new strategies and techniques. In the end, it energized the team to make a better showing the next year.
Following the disappointing 2001 season, in 2002 the FEDS emerged older, wiser, and stronger than ever. In a must-win situation to qualify for the National Championship at Epcot Center, we entered the Buckeye Regional ready to take on the world. We emerged with our second regional champion trophy in three years. After qualifying for nationals, we went on to take 3rd at the Midwest Regional, finished the season with a 5th place National award, and earned an Einstein Division Finalist award.
The 2003 FIRST season was exciting for the FEDS. After incredibly close matches at the Great Lakes and Midwest regional, we traveled to Houston, Texas for the Championship Event. The team rallied to a 2nd seed and won the Division Finalist title in the Archimedes Division. Once again we held the 5th place in the country.
Team Changes
In 2005, the FEDS played great matches and ended up being a back-up robot for eliminations at the Great Lakes Regional, West Michigan Regional, and the Championship Event.
in the seeding matches at West Michigan. With the ability to score
baskets autonomously as well as with human drivers, the FEDS were a
powerful team throughout the season. At the Nationals in Atlanta,
Georgia, the FEDS won the Galileo Division, earning their first trip to the
Einstein championship field. The team came out 3rd overall in the world.
Teacher Mentor: Mrs. Mclaughlin, Mrs. Malsbury & Ms. Milczynski
Student Leadership: Fiona Turett & Earl Legree (Team Captains) John Mathieson (Junior Captain)
Team Sponsors: GM (R & D)
The Game: Aim High
Game Description: Two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of three teams each, compete in each match. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring balls in the center or corner goals, and/or by having robots on your platform or ramp at the end of the match. Robots started with balls or could get balls from the field or human players. Whichever alliance won autonomous period was on defense, and was not allowed to score on their goals. While an alliance was on defense they had to leave at least one robot of their alliance on the other side of the field. Then after 40 seconds, they would be on offense. During the last 40 seconds, it would be a free for all, where anyone could score.
The Robot: The robot easily picked balls from the field using a roller and an Archimedes screw. Our robot could track the location of that goal from anywhere on the field using a camera tracking a green light. Once we were locked on we never missed. We had 12 different autonomous modes in order to surprise the opposing teams. The robot had trouble getting up and down the ramp, until the wheels were switched in Atlanta.
Competitions we participated in: Great Lakes Regional, West Michigan Regional, & FIRST Championship
How We Did: We placed in the top 12 seeded teams in Great Lakes. We were picked in the Great Lakes Regional, but only made it to the semi-finals. Then, we were not picked in West Michigan even though we were 10th place and were almost picked as an alliance leader. Then Atlanta came. We ended up placing 53rd before picking. Then out nowhere the 2nd seeded alliance picked us as their second pick. Team 177 had the best defense that season and because of that they were able to block for us. With our great alliance we won the Galileo division and became the third best alliance in the world. We graciously received a trophy and a large banner. Unfortunately, we did not become world champions, because both our alliance members broke down in the third match. The human player this year was Charlie Steffens, who easily got balls to the robot and manually scored.
Awards: Champions in the Galileo Division of the Champions
Between Team Relationships: The opinion of the FEDS was changed by many teams, causing the team to be considered more often for alliance choices. The famous triplets, (1114, 1503, & 1680), made their first appearance in this year and gave rise to the idea of twin robots and triplet robots to other teams and for years to come.
Team Developments: The team realized that the teacher mentor could no longer “do it all”, so during the year a team coordinator was chosen. With the rise of the team coordinator, less student leadership was thought to be needed because of the variety of captains in different departments. Also, with the growth of the team’s popularity, the team created an application process to pick future members.
As well, Senior Team Captain Fiona Turett donated much of the ground work for this team history, and graduated in this year. She is currently going to Washington State and plans to work with NASA.
Teacher Mentor: Mrs. Mclaughlin & Mrs. Hackerd
Student Leadership: John Mathieson (Team Captain) & various department captains
Team Sponsors: GM (R & D)
The Game: Rack 'N' Roll
Game Description: Two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of three teams each, compete in each match. The object of the game was to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by placing toroidal game pieces on the central goal structure (the rack), and/or by having robots in their home zone and not in contact with the playing field at the end of the match. The number of tubes in a row increased the score exponentially. During autonomous a robot could chose to place a game piece on the rack using the camera, and this game piece could not be blocked by any other tubes. Black spoilers were used to block rows of tubes. The final 15 seconds of the match was called the end game. During this period, no robot may be in an opposing alliance home zone. The intent of this period is to permit alliances to attempt to score bonus points without undue interference.
The Robot: Our robot had a nice gripper that grabbed the tubes from the side and easily hung them on a spider-leg. The only issue was that our arm moved rather slowly, even though it could reach all three rows. We were also able to have our autonomous code working in the end of our season. The robot also had huge ramps that could be used at the end of the game, but never were used.
Competitions we participated in: Great Lakes Regional & West Michigan Regional
How We Did: We had radio trouble, and since our arm was slow, we were not as fast as other robots. We did try to not use our ramps in the second competition, and use other team’s ramps, but there never was a need during matches. We ended up in the top 30 in both competitions. During this year, the human player became more of a strategist to decide where the tubes went. These human players were Natalie Debusschere and Kyle Kowalski.
Awards: None
Between Team Relationships: During the West Michigan regional, our team and Rochester Adam’s team 245, the Adambots, collected money for relay for life from 2:01 to 2:45. During the following summer, a few FEDS ran with the Adams team in the relay for life at Adams high school.
Team Developments: The team once again realized that the stress of team captain is too much for one person, and therefore held the first elections for student leadership. Two Senior Co-captains, Steve Spry and Vishan Dhamsania, and a Junior Captain, Stephanie Herderich, were chosen.
Team Coordinator: Mr. Herderich
Teacher Mentor: Mrs. Mclaughlin & Mrs. Hackerd
Student Leadership: Steve Spry & Vishan Dhamsania (Team Captains), Stephanie Herderich (Junior Captain), & various department captains
Team Sponsors: GM (R & D)
The Game: FIRST Overdrive
Game Description: Two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of three teams each, compete in each match. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent by making counter-clockwise laps with your robot around the track while moving large trackballs over and/or under the overpass that bisects the track. A match is 2 minutes and 15 seconds long. A hybrid period starts each match in which the robots are controlled by pre-programmed instructions and/or transmitted information from the Robocoach. The hybrid period is followed by the teleoperated period during which the drivers assume control of the robot. Points are gained for going around the field and knocking the ball down in the hybrid period. Points are gained at the end of the game for trackballs on the overpass. The Robocoach uses a TV remote to coach the robot at any point during the game.
The Robot: The robot was built with an arm to transport the ball around the field. Halfway through build season, we accidently realized we could actually flip the ball over the bar using the second arm on the robot. The robot used a 2-wheel numatic shifting transmission to speed around the field. We soon perfected the process of flipping the ball over the bar and driving fast around the field.
Competitions we participated in: Boilermaker Regional, Great Lakes Regional, & FIRST Championship
How We Did: We were picked at every regional and competition, because we were very good at defending against other teams. Although we did not win any awards, we competed very well.
Awards: None
Between Team Relationships: These relationships were improved a great deal, because with every time our team was picked, we made more friends between teams and increased the probability of being picked again in the future.
Team Developments: When Mrs. Mclaughlin retired at the end of the year, a teacher mentor change had to be made to Mrs. Hackerd. Stephanie Herderich and Lucas Neugebauer were elected as Senior Captains and Natalie Debusschere was elected as Junior Captain. More parents started to help out with the team, and that helped to take some stress off of the other mentors.
Team Captains:
The students & the robot:
Official team photo:
The FEDS at the 2008 FIRST Championship Competition in Atlanta, GA
The 2009 Season
In last year’s game, the FEDS 201 robot was designed to travel on a low friction field (54' x 27') with an attached payload trailer. The goal of the game was to take the "Orbit balls", which are three different colored games pieces of different point values, and place them in the opposing alliance's trailers. Each match was 2 minutes and 15 seconds long, with the autonomous mode during the first 15 seconds of the match.
Animation of last year's game (provided by NASA):
Click here
Visual description of last year's field (provided by FIRST):
Click here
Competition manual (PDF provided by FIRST):
Click here
Last Years Season of Photos
To see more photos of the last year's season click here!
The 2009 3DS MAX Animation
The FEDS would love to thank all of the parents and volunteers who are generously giving their time to help and feed the With generous sponsorship from General Motors Research and Development, Falcon Engineering and Design Solutions, FEDS 201 Rochester HS Robotics Team, is a hands-on approach to engineering and technology, including participation in regional and national US FIRST Robotics Competitions. Our 2009 competitions took place at the Michigan FIRST Robotics Competition State Championship at Eastern Michigan University, Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition at Traverse City High School, Detroit FIRST Robotics District Competition at Wayne State University, and the US FIRST Championship Competition, Atlanta, GA. Last year we had 34 diverse students strategically put into teams, CAD design and animation, programming, electrical, mechanical build, carpentry, PR/marketing, and website design.
The FEDS would also like to give a special thanks to AVL for the additional support that we needed in 2009 to go to the FIRST Championship in Atlanta!
