Team 2337 Match Schedule (near the bottom)
Curie Web Cast Curie Standings As the great Dr. Seuss once said, "The time has come, the time is now." On Tuesday, April 13, The EngiNERDs will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship Event, which is also known as "Nationals." After great performances at the Kettering University District, the Ann Arbor District and the Michigan State Championship, the EngiNERDs are ready to compete at the Georgia Dome, alongside the world's best. Please check the Team's Facebook Group and Twitter for updates throughout the weekend. If you are not able to attend, but would still like to cheer for the EngiNERDs, please watch NASA's broadcast of the the event, via webcast, or tune in on NASA TV. Team 2337 will be competing on the Curie Division on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and additionally, you can look up match schedules, standings, awards or check out more information on the Championship from FIRST.
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Team 2337 built their 2010 Breakaway robot to perform a specific strategy: support other robots.Despite several attempts throughout their two Michigan District events, the EngiNERDs were unable to carry out a successful suspension. During qualification match 80 of the Michigan State Championship, Team 2337 was able to pull off the first Suspension in the State, along with the help of Team 2959, The Robotarians from Coloma, MI. (photo credit: Daniel Ernst)
The suspension turned out to be one of the highlighted match finales of the Michigan State Championship, causing nearly all of the onlookers in the arena to rise to their feet and erupt in cheers and Patrons in the arena and pit area to rush to the field to witness the spectacle first hand. You can check out the video of this awesome match in High Definition on You Tube. The EngiNERDs had a successful trip to the Michigan State Championship, finishing with a record of 7 wins, 3 losses and 2 ties throughout the qualification matches, and were ranked as the 10th seed going into Alliance selection. Team 2337 advanced to 8th place Alliance Captain and used scouting data to choose an alliance of Team 2619, “The Charge” from Midland, and Team 226, “The Hammerheads” from Troy. This alliance went on to face the number one seeded alliance of Team 1918, “NC Gears” from Newaygo County, along with Team 469 “Las Guerrillas” and Team 2834 the “Bionic Barons,” both from Bloomfield Hills. Team 2337 and their cohorts were eliminated from the competition by the first seeded teams in two well-played matches, but a great time was had by all. Team 2337 experienced many successes throughout the competition that were unrelated to the performance of the Robot, including Assistant Safety Captain David Butler’s reception of “Safety Star” on Friday. David was awarded this acknowledgement by the Michigan State Championship Safety Advisors for his, “noteworthy contribution to promoting a culture of safety and [as] a person that the rest of theFIRST community should emulate.” David was highlighted in the Pit Administration Station, and received a pin to wear in identification of his hard work. Though the EngiNERDs did not receive any awards from the judges, they did earn the most coveted prize in the FIRST Robotics Competition, a bid to the World Championship Event, also known as “Nationals,” in Atlanta. Their stellar performance at the Kettering University District and the Ann Arbor District competitions coupled with their record at the Michigan State Championship earned Team 2337 a slot in the competition at the Georgia Dome and pit area in the World Congress Center. This is the second time that the EngiNERDs will be attending the Championship event since their Rookie year in 2008. The students on the Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team experienced the true purpose of Gracious competition, through their participation in activities such as playing “Ninja” with students from other teams, having meals on the lawn and cheering in the stands with others, and of course, the floor is Lava! Team 2337 would like to thank the Students, Mentors, Parents, friends, and family who made the Michigan State Championship Competition such a success. Your dedication and perseverance has helped the team rise to a high level of competitiveness, graciousness, and camaraderie. Thank you for all that you do. And of course, we’ll be seeing you in Atlanta! Click here The 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season has officially begun! Team 2337 attended their local kickoff at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. After the official game announcement, the EngiNERDs attended a strategy brainstorming session. Kettering University was Gracious enough to lend the EngiNERDs a classroom in the Academic Building for this meeting. A special thanks goes out to Bob Nichols for the wonderful accommodations.The purpose of this brainstorming session was to discover all of the possible game play strategies for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition game, Breakaway. Students of Team 2337 played a board game specifically tailored for Breakaway, designed by one of the Team’s Mentors, Clinton Bolinger. The intention was to allow students the opportunity to immerse themselves into the game, and create an environment where the best strategy will win, rather than the best robot design.
After reading the manual to better understand the rules of Breakaway, students used pawns to represent robots, and bingo chips to represent game pieces. Throughout the afternoon, students worked in pairs to develop strategies that could be translated into the game play, and eventually into the actual design of the Team’s Robot. Students used the knowledge that they gained during their participation in game play to come up with a list of Robot functions and game strategies and ranked them according to their agreement with the Team's overall goals. As the build season progresses, the EngiNERDs will refer back to the list of strategies and robot functions to ensure that the final designs and prototypes will meet the goals set. This list will provide the Team with a starting and end point during the build season, and allow them to set goals for deliverables and completion dates on various projects. The EngiNERDs left their brainstorming session with a stomach full of pizza and Mountain Dew, and a great strategy for Breakaway. They are excited to see how the build season progresses, and how the strategies that were developed align with the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition game. The hope is that this brainstormong session will have produced enough knowledge and strategies to guide the EngiNERDs to a successful season. Please continue to check back with the Team's site to discover more about our plans and activities for the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition season, Breakaway. Also remember to read our new student blog section. This new feature includes articles written by team Student members and Mentors, describing their roles, responsibilites and experiences with Team 2337 throughout the 2010 season. Best of luck to all Teams! This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Each year, Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST, creates a homework assignment for the students, mentors, parents, and Sponsors of FIRST Robotics Competition Teams. In the past, assignments have included an attempt to develop a database of current members and alumni, a push to create opportunities for FIRST to be featured in the media, and a request to contact your Congressperson and Senators and invite them to District, Regional and the Championship competitions.
This year, Dean's Homework encourages Students and Mentors to turn every FIRST Robotics Competition Event into a Spectator Sport. The indention is to fill the stands at every competition, and create standing-room only in every venue. Fans will be filled with the spirit of Gracious Competition, and watch all of the teams' Robots "compete like crazy, and treat each other well in the process." Students and Mentors on the Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team have sent invitations and VIP Pit Passes to all of the Team's sponsors, the Grand Blanc Community School Board, and Grand Blanc High School Administration. Students have been encouraged to get their peers involved with the team, and help with outreach projects within the community. Students and Mentors have been inviting their friends and family to attend our two District Competitions, and the Michigan State Championship. The Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team will be attending the Kettering University District Competition on Thursday, March 4, Friday, March 5, and Saturday March 6. The competition will take place at Kettering University's Connie and Jim John Recreation Center in Flint, Michigan. In addition, The EngiNERDs will also compete at the Ann Arbor District Competition at Skyline High School, in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 11, 12 and 13. The EngiNERDs have added a large calendar in our work area this season where each section posts when they expect to complete major tasks such as end effector design complete or chassis build complete. There are other major items noted such as when additional materials need to be ordered and the ever looming robot ship date. It's a great communication tool where everyone can see what's expected to be complete in the upcoming week. Some sections may be dependent on deliverables from other sections in order to complete theirs.
Safety has become an increased focus within the Team this year. A goal this season is to expand the Team’s Safety focus on everything from workplace Safety to proper body mechanics.
Earl Mayhew, a Physical Therapist and owner of Family Physical Therapy, spent an evening teaching the Team about biomechanics. Earl compared physics and the mechanics of a machine to the human body. Physical activity, such as lifting a heavy object, should be done with the same consideration as if a robot was designed to perform the same task. Using proper body posture and lifting techniques will not only make the task easier, it will also prevent injuries and future medical problems. Additional training is also planned in First Aid, Severe Weather and Emergency Evacuation Procedures and proper use of various hand and power tools. A visibility board is being created to track Students’ completed training throughout the season. The board will help Mentors quickly identify Students who are trained on the tools for the task at hand. Kylie Nickola, the Team’s 2008 season Safety Captain, was selected to continue this role for the 2009 season. Kylie has assembled the Team’s First Aid kit, hazardous material clean up procedures, and ensures the Team adheres to all required Safety procedures at the FIRST competitions. Eric Sandrock has been selected to fulfill the role as Assistant Safety Captain this season, and will work with Kylie in all matters of Safety. The entire EngiNERDs Team joined Keller-Williams Realty in a Truckload of Giving project. The Team spent a cold, rainy Saturday in November of 2008 collecting donations for Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, and The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. The Team was able to collect 1,100 lbs of food and 120 coats, among other monetary donations.
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