Lego Stormers

EV3 vs NXT

2013-05-02T18:52:23Z

EV3 vs NXT

We had an opportunity to see and handle the new LEGO MINDSTORM EV3 at the FIRST World Championships in St. Louis. We didn't not have a lot of time to evaluate the EV3. These comments are just initial impressions from FLL and FTC team members, who have been working with the NXT for 6 years.

LEGO has posted a comparison of features for the EV3 and NXT. The comparison includes lots of new features that we didn't get to test. Mostly, we were quickly checking to see what we thought for our FLL and FTC teams. FTC has announced their competition won't be using the EV3 in fall 2013.

The EV3 itself and its motors, are larger than the NXT and its motors. The difference isn't huge, but if you are trying to build a very small robot, the difference is noticeable. There are two larger drive motors and then a smaller motor that can be used for attachments. The option to have a smaller motor for attachments is a good idea.

There are many new sensors, but we didn't get to work with them enough to form an opinion. The speakers look like they should be much better.

The software uses icons, similar to NXT-G, but they are wired more like Robolab. They can be automatically connected like NXT-G, or you can specifically wire them like Robolab.

It is Linux based, and has a different way of selecting which program to run. Likely that will just take some adjusting for people familiar with the NXT.

EV3 software screen layout seemed better. Rather than blocks down the left hand side, there were 4-5 categories across the bottom. Within each category were the actual icons.

There are four motor ports and four sensor ports. The EV3 has a SD slot so that you can increase the memory. There's a USB hub that we didn't get to explore. The cable to connect to the computer had different plugs.

We talked with one of the testers. The EV3 has very long turn on and turn off cycles. The estimate is 30 seconds from when you push the on button, to when it is ready to start. The NXT takes about 3 seconds.

We're all use to laptops taking a few minutes to boot-up, but it will be harder for kids who want to push a button and get started. The extra time will add up during competitions when a team doesn't turn their robot on, or even worse, it automatically powers down while they are waiting in line.

The turn-off cycle takes about 45 seconds. Again, it's not a huge amount of time, but compared to about 3 seconds for the NXT, it is a significant change.

We talked to one tester who said that any time the battery was replaced, the EV3 reset the firmware and all the stored programs were gone. This 'feature' has significant implications for competition teams who want to have fresh batteries for each match. Many FLL teams just plug in their robot between matches, they should be fine.

FTC teams usually replace their batteries frequently at events. This 'feature' is a disaster for those teams. It is reasonably quick, maybe 2 minutes, to remove the NXT from the robot and pop in a new battery just before a match starts. With the EV3, the team would have to replace the battery (2 minutes), turn it back on (30 seconds), connect to a computer and download their programs again. It will easily take over 5 minutes, possibly delaying a match.

A staff person from the company that wrote the software 'thought' that if you waited completely through the shut down cycle (minimum 45 seconds) before removing the battery, it might not reset the firmware. Unfortunately, we didn't get to test it.

Some of the issues with the EV3 could be fixed with a software update, but the size and battery/firmware issues are hardware and there is no easy fix. It would likely take a hardware upgrade to correct it. At this point, we haven't decided if we will order one of the early EV3s. It's tempting to wait 6-8 months and see how they do.

Saint Louis - Day Three

2013-04-27T13:10:58Z

Today we only had two matches and they didn't start until the afternoon. That let us fix a problem we had with some cables on our lifter getting snagged, and let us have some time on the practice fields where we developed a new autonomous program to go to the far side of the field, mostly to try and mess up the other alliance, but with a chance to score too.

Our first match was in alliance with Swerve 6220. In the autonomous mode our robot did manage to go interfere with the other team's robot. But the other alliance did manage to grab an early lead, and then played good defense to keep it, so we lost that match.

In our last match we were partnered with team 5843 Auto Vortex from Romania. Their robot had been held up customs in Europe. Another team loaned them a robot they used for practicing with and they borrowed parts from various teams including ours. They did really well at the tournament. Here we are setting up with them.

We won our last match. Our final tally was five games won out of eight for 10 qualification points and 940 ranking points for a final ranking of 16 out of 64 teams.

We're really pleased with our results. But we were disappointed not be selected for one of the final alliances. So we'll be going without our robot to watch the final games on Saturday morning.

Saint Louis - Day Two

2013-04-26T14:27:31Z

Today, the team had six matches. We won four and lost two.

The good news is that all the matches were tough, that means we have lots of ranking points.

All 64 teams in our division will play 8 matches. It's 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss. So all the teams with four wins have 8 Game Points. Ranking points are based on the actual score of the losing teams.

If a team wins a match with a score of 150 to 35, they get 2 game points and 35 ranking points (the losing score). If a team wins a match with a score of 240 to 195, they still get 2 game points, but now they get 195 ranking points. It means that teams that play in tough matches get ranked higher than teams that win easy games.

FIX IT finished the day with 4 wins (8 game points) and 733 ranking points. We are third in the ranking of the 11 teams with 4 wins

At this point, FIX IT 3491 is ranked 11th out of 64 teams. We are delighted!

Now we just have to see what happens with our last two games on Friday.

Our complete match schedule is on the main Saint Louis page.

A lot of time is spent queuing for matches.

Here we are scoring two rings on a high peg.

Here we are scoring weighted rings in the corner goal which we were doing in every match. One of the few teams to do that.

Saint Louis - Day One

2013-04-25T03:45:10Z

Today was set up, judging, inspections and opening ceremonies. We have borrowed some extra team members from Swerve 417. Here are a couple of them helping us through inspection.

Our robot got some time testing on the practice fields.

Our first match is tomorrow, it's match #3 and should start at 9:11am (Saint Louis time). Our complete match schedule is on the main Saint Louis page.

ST. Louis 2013

2013-04-09T16:36:41Z

FIX IT, Team 3491, is going to FIRST® Tech Challenge World Championship Event in St. Louis, Missouri on April 25-27, 2013!

FIX IT will be on the Edison Field. The other FTC field is Franklin. FIX IT will be playing in 6 qualifying matches on Thursday and Friday. They won't print a match schedule until all teams have checked in. We'll post the times as soon as we get them.

Round	Day	Match	St. Louis Time	Victoria Time
1	Thursday	3	9:11am	7:11am
2	Thursday	27	11:23am	9:23am
3	Thursday	36	1:11pm	11:11am
4	Thursday	52	2:39pm	12:39pm
5	Thursday	74	4:40pm	2:40pm
6	Thursday	93	6:24pm	4:24pm
7	Friday	110	1:11pm	11:11am
8	Friday	125	2:33pm	12:33pm

There will a live feed from six different fields to cover all the FIRST competitions. All FIX IT matches will be on the Edison field. You can watch FLL matches on Friday afternoon. They may show FLL practice rounds on Thursday.

Remember, all posted times are in St. Louis. They are 2 hours ahead of Victoria. To see a match listed at 10am, you should start watching around 8:50am Victoria. Matches at the start of the day or after lunch are likely to start on time. However, the matches run in match# order in sequence so actual start times may be a bit early, or more likely a bit late.

Watch the Matches!

Crystal, our robot!

On the way to St. Louis, we stopped in Seattle to spend some time with FTC 417 Swerve Alpha. Their sister team's robot, Mr. Pickles (Swerve Sigma 6220), is already on his way to St. Louis. So we had team members being partner and opposition robots, while we ran some practice matches with Crystal.

It was fun listening to the field coaches telling the 'robots' what to do!

Swerve will have extra team members at Worlds, so they're going to help the FIX IT team with everything from scouting to pit crew to field coaches. Tonight was our first chance to work together and it seemed to go well.

Robot Make-over

2013-04-09T15:46:03Z

Getting Ready for the FTC 2013 World Championship in St. Louis

There will be 128 FTC teams from 16 different countries around the world competing at the World Championships this year. It's an amazing opportunity to see how different teams solved the same challenge.

Our team has been busy getting the robot ready. While Crystal, the robot that competed in Las Vegas, did well at playing the game. She's getting a make-over for the World Championships. Here's a picture of Crystal just before she left for Las Vegas.

Thanks to our newest sponsor, Reliable Controls, we've ordered some new tires that should improve the stability of the drive system; new sensors to use in our autonomous programs, and upgraded some of the electronics.

Usually we only post photos of our finished robot, but here's a picture of Crystal part way through her make over. Without the side plates, it's easier to see what's going on inside.

Of course, Crystal is still a work in progress. We'll post another picture when she's all finished.

Las Vegas 2013

2013-02-17T01:39:27Z

After much discussion, debate, rebuilding, and testing, we'd like to introduce our newest robot, Crystal.

Crystal is a 6 wheel drive robot, with omni wheels on the front and back for smoother driving. She has a narrow chassis for maneuverability. Her ring holder moves vertically on linear slides to reach the top peg. Crystal has two touch sensors that are used to identify weighted rings, and an IR Sensor used in some of her autonomous programs. Crystal sports zebra print side panels in striking green and black colors.

Crystal played the game well at the Las Vegas FTC Tournament. She was able to identify and score a weighted ring during our qualifying matches. She had a few challenges but ended up in the middle of the rankings after qualifying rounds. We were delighted when the 4th Alliance choose the FIX IT team as the first pick.

It was a rough match with Crystal getting knocked over during the driver controlled period. In the second match, the alliance captain's robot was badly damaged. The other alliance had won two matches and we were knocked out.

We were delighted to be nominated for two awards (Think and Innovate) and very excited when the FIX IT team won the Inspire Award.

We're off to St. Louis for the FTC World Championships in late April.

FTC Washington 2012/13

2013-02-17T01:10:22Z

Washington State has over 80 teams this year, and wanted to try a new format. They created a league system so that all teams got to play more robot matches.

Every team was assigned to a league. The league would play three rounds of 6 matches. Most leagues would have one or two weeks between their rounds so that teams could work on their robot. Three leagues would merge into one district, with the top teams going onto the State Championship.

Central League

The FIX IT team was part of the central league which was for teams that were too far apart for frequent meetings. We met once in central Washington to play the first two rounds.

Our robot, George, did well in the central league matches. In the first two matches, he was able to score on the lower and middle pegs, and had a ramp that our partner could climb in the end game. His autonomous program worked 100% of the time.

George was the first robot to score during autonomous and the first to score the IR bonus. During the driver controlled time, he was the first to score a row bonus. Best of all, we had no major repairs during the 12 matches.

The Central League held their third round the afternoon before the District Qualifier.

George scored lots of rings during matches. He could reach the top row and usually scored two rings at a time, except for when we only placed one ring on a peg to quickly place the other ring on a different peg to get more row bonuses. One of our partners drove up our ramp and we scored the lift points!

George didn't have any of the intermittent power problems that happened at home. The additional supports may have stabilized the electrical wires.

With our partners, we won 5 out of 6 matches.

North District

As expected, District matches were much tougher. Other teams blocked our autonomous program in most rounds. Overall it was just tougher to score against the more experienced teams.

With only three team members, we did some basic scouting which helped us for match play. We won our qualifying matches and ended up in 6th place after the qualifying rounds!

When two of the alliance captains choose other captains, suddenly, we became an alliance captain. At this point, we realized that our match scouting really wasn't enough information to be an alliance captain.

As the fourth ranked alliance, we were playing against the first ranked alliance. They won the first two matches and our alliance was out. But it was fun being an Alliance Captain, even if we only lasted for two matches.

Our team was surprised and delighted when we won the Inspire award for the North District!

Washington State Championship

One of the best parts of the day was seeing friends on other teams who weren't in our district. Of course, we liked getting to check out their robots too.

FIX IT was in one of the highest scoring rounds (300 points). Unfortunately, it was our only good round. George had connection issues, and a variety of unexpected challenges. The best teams have good scouting, can block simple autonomous programs, and have defensive strategies making it harder for us to score.

By the end of the day, we were at bottom in the robot rankings. It just wasn't a good day for George.

Fortunately, Washington State Championships are fun even when your robot isn't winning!

FLL Kick-Off 2012/13

2012-07-26T21:14:20Z

FIRST^® LEGO^® League

2012/13 Season Kick-off

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams design, build and program an autonomous robot to compete in the Robot Game, and do a Research Project about problems or opportunities facing the world today.

FIRST will be releasing the 2012/13 FLL Challenge Senior Solutions on August 28, 2012

Join Victoria area teams as we learn about this year's robot challenge and research project. You'll be able to see the mat and mission modules for this year's Robot Game. Students who would like to find out more about FLL, or are looking for a FLL team, are welcome.

There will be short workshops on Building Robots, brain storming how to Solve the Missions and even how to Start a New Team.

You don't need to be on a team to come to Kick-off. New teams are still being formed.

When:	Tuesday August 28, 2012 5:30 - 8:00pm drop-in
Where	Emily Carr Library 3500 Blanshard St.
Who:	Students age 9-14y (please bring a parent)

Admission is free. Adults are welcome with or without students.

Finding a FIRST Team

We often hear from parents or grandparents who would like to find a team in their area. Now is the time when teams are looking for new members, or maybe there's enough interest to form a new team in your community or at your local school.

If you know someone who would like to get involved with a FIRST team (from K-grade12) please complete the new member form. If you are an adult who would like to volunteer to help a team, go ahead and fill in the form for yourself.

If we know of a team looking for new members, we'll pass your information along to that team. When there's enough interest to form a new team, we'll try to get everyone together and talk about how to form a team. It's up to you to decide if it's the right team for you.

Workshop Topics

Workshops will last about 20 minutes. Some will be hands-on, others will be more of a Q&A format. Most topics will be offered at least twice between 5:30 and 8:00pm.

Robot Design - learn about different robot designs (3 wheels vs 4 wheels, pivot wheels vs skids, ...) and find out the pros and cons of each design.

Programming Robots - Learn the basics of programming robots in NXT-G.

Robot Attachments - what are some multi-purpose attachments that have been useful in previous FLL challenges

Using Sensors - Which sensors are the most useful for FLL teams, and how to read sensor values on the NXT. How robots can use sensors in FLL competitions.

Brainstorming Missions - See and talk about the missions for this year's Robot Challenge. Test out the modules to find different ways the robot might score points.

Coaching Tips - Talk to experienced coaches to find out what FLL teams do, and even how you could become an FLL coach.

Research Project - What are the requirements for the Senior Solutions project? Share ideas for field trips or experts in the community.

Robots at Mini Maker Faire

2012-07-16T14:13:06Z

You can check out different types of robots at the Vancouver Island Mini Maker Faire that will be held at Panorama Rec Centure on July 28-29. Maker Faire is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the DIY Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

There will be hands-on demos of the FIX IT team's robots, and lots of information about FIRST^® LEGO^® League (FLL) for gr. 4-8.

Demos on the Hour - FIRST LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League is an international program for kids from 9-14 years old. The kids build and program robots to complete challenges and do a research project all on the same theme. Our FLL teams enter the Vancouver Island Regional Tournament that is held in late November or early December each year. Some teams from the Vancouver Island Tournament qualify for the Provincial Tournament held at BCIT in January.

Demos on the Half Hour - FIRST Tech Challenge

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is for high school age kids to create remote controlled robots. Four teams compete on the same playing field with the teams forming alliances for the tournament matches.

Do you know a student in the Victoria area who would like to be part of a FIRST team? We're helping students find a team, or start a new team if there isn't one in their area.

Plastics

2012-04-15T02:45:30Z

Do you know which plastic to choose when you are making a part for your robot?

Katherine Silversides, from FTC 3491 FIX IT, has done a study on the different types of plastics to find out:

How each plastic reacts to heat;
How objects react when they hit the plastics;
Do the sensors we use gather data through the plastic; and
Are there differences in the surface friction.

Katherine used information from published sources and ran her own tests. Next season, we'll know which plastics make the best side panels, should be used for a high impact arms, or even would give the most protection over the NXT brick or controllers. Best of all, we won't be using expensive plastics where they aren't needed!

Get your copy of the report:

This Plastic, That Plastic: a study of different plastics

January 2012 FTC Championships

2012-01-22T08:17:27Z

Washington State FTC Championship

January 14/15, 2012

There were 24 teams at the Washington State Championship. Every team had seven matches in the qualifying rounds. This tournament was the time we have been at an event that ran ahead of schedule! It was even more surprising that there were no significant lost connections or matches that had to be restarted. The Field Volunteers did a great job!

Our new robot, Ralph, had a basic 4 wheel drive system that we used at the December event. For this event, our new ball collector was installed and was much more efficient that the arm we used in December. Ralph's crate lifter worked well, but we're going to add some grabber arms to reduce the time it takes to pick up a crate.

We had fun on our 5th match playing the 417 Swerve against both Cyber Knights and Cyber Daze. We were all at the World Championships together in April 2011. By the end of the match, no one was sure who had won. There were only 2 points separating the teams. Congratulations to the Cyber teams!

In one of the final matches, two robots lifted crates high in the air and got a score over 350 points.

We were delighted to be nominated for the Connect Award, and even more excited when the announced that 3491 FIX IT had won the Think Award!

Nevada State FTC Championship
January 27/28, 2012

It's been a great couple of days.

Shockwave Robotics (FTC 3848) invited other teams to join them for a robotics assembly at Walter Bracken Magnet Empowerment School. We joined about eight other teams to show off our robots and talk with lots of students about robotics. For us, it was a good opportunity to meet the teams and see the robots we would be playing against at the Championship.

On Saturday, there were over 40 teams split between two field competing at the Nevada State Championship. The FIX IT team won 4 out of 6 of our matches and were ranked 7th on our field. Our Alliance lost their semi-final match by 1 point!

Our robot had some odd electrical problems. We couldn't find any wiring issues, but adding extra grounding wires. From talking with other teams, we discovered that static electricity was building up in many of the robots.

There were some robots lifting crates up 7-8 feet in the air. Shockwave could score a magnet ball, and the bowling ball as well as lifting a crate. The fifty points they earned by playing with balls made the difference. They won both of the games in the finals.

3491 FIX IT won PTC Design Award!

Find out more about who are the FTC team 3491 FIX IT.

Do you know a student in the Victoria area who would like to be part of a FIRST team? We're helping students find a team, or start a new team if there isn't one in their area.

December 2011 Washington FTC Qualifier

2012-01-22T07:59:07Z

Washington State Qualifier III

December 19/20

At the last minute, some of our team members couldn't go to the tournament. On Sunday morning, the first part of the day was spent practicing driving the robot with a new field team.

Once again, we were reminded of the importance of having drivers practicing with the robot, before we get to the tournament. Drivers need to learn to work together to pick up a balls, crates, and different scoring options.

In our first match of the day, the autonomous program worked perfectly and scored the bowling ball and the robot in the front parking lot. Unfortunately, the tele-op program didn't run and the robot sat out for that part.

The tele-op program was fixed by the next match and everything worked for the rest of the day.

We used two autonomous programs depending on what our partner wanted to do. Either way, homing in on the IR beacon was very reliable.

We did get to use the crate lifter in one match. It was great and scored a 40 point bonus.

Over all, some of the matches went very well. The mechanisms were always working. It was the drivers that needed more practice at scoring in a limited time period.

The flipper arm was effective and was used in a variety of different ways.

We used the ball collector. The wheels could be an inch closer to the ground. It would often pick up a ball but some times, the ball would pop out the bottom. It was awkward to drop them into crates. One time the ball bounced out. For a temporary replacement with almost no testing or practice, it was a good mechanism.

We won 4 out of 7 matches and ranked 12 out of 24 teams. We were the 10th pick in the alliance selection. Our alliance captain was the Titan Robotics, In the semi finals. Our alliance was tied and there was a final match which was played by the two other teams in the alliance. Unfortunately, Titan lost connection and they lost that match. Our alliance didn't make it to the finals.

It was a good day. We got to see how the robots are improving and got some new ideas that should help our designs.

Find out more about who are the FTC team 3491 FIX IT.

Discover Tectoria

2012-01-22T07:51:29Z

Discover Tectoria - Innovation Showcase
December 8, 2011

The Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATec) hosted Discover Tectoria 2011, with the help and support of it's members.

The FIX IT team was invited to bring our full playing field for the Innovation Showcase. We had two robots on the playing field for spectators to drive and a great opportunity for us to compare the two different drive systems!

There were over 1,000 high school students, many of whom got to drive the robots, and find out more about FTC.

Find out more about who are the FTC team 3491 FIX IT.

Fungus Stormers

2012-01-22T07:44:34Z

The Fungus Stormers had a lot of fun this year.

They choose the topic of Mold on Corn for their research project. We got to do everything from an experiment growing mold, to visiting the Galley Farms Corn Maze.

Our robot, Fun Guy, had some great attachments, including a pneumatic trigger to shoot a blunt on a string over the far end of the table for the Distance Travel mission.

The Fungus Stormers placed first at the Vancouver Island Championship.