Kansas City Gals...bring your kids to see robots play soccer Friday/Saturday!

[Sharon Kay]

Ok that was a VERY simplified summary ... but the high schools in and around Kansas City (and other States) will be competing in the US FIRST Robotics Competition on Friday and Saturday (8am-5pm) at Hale Arena (next to Kemper Arena) in Kansas City, MO. Admission is free...just have to pay for parking.

http://www.kcfirst.org/Greater_KC_Regional.html Other High Schools are traveling here from AR, IN, OK, IA, IL...60 schools in all.:thumbup:

The robots play on a field with these HUGE speed bumps (at least that is what I think of when I see them)...and they try to score goals ... and then climb a tower and hang from it!! Again a very simplified description of the game!

If you are in town ... come out and check out the action! It is awesome! You can walk around the pits and talk to the high school students and mentors, see the robots up close, take pictures, collect "collector buttons" and watch some great competition!!

If you come out ... please be sure to look me up ... we're with the Metro Homeschool Robotics (Team 1825) aka the Cyborgs. Our team colors are black, silver and lime green. I'll be the one with the camera either next to the playing field (when we're up) or walking around the pits taking pictures of the competitor robots or in the stands (watch for our team #)...the whole team knows who I am...so just ask for Sharon. I hope to see a few SSD ladies there!

It's a great way to introduce kids to robotics ... and feed the inner need for the Geek inside!

...and I'll be using Libby's soccer kit to scrap it with!

Go Cyborgs!!

[CA Dreamer]

Oh, SharonKay, I wish we lived closer! We went to a FIRST competition in San Jose, CA a couple of years ago and loved it! Good luck to your team!

[Sharon Kay]

Thanks Robin ... it is so much fun ... I can't wait!

Guess I should have mentioned there are FIRST Robotics competitions happening around the United States!

Here is the game animation:

http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/content.aspx?id=16209

Here are events that may be in YOUR area!

http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/regionalevents.aspx?id=430

[Milmomma]

If I was back home I would so go! I hope you guys win!

[Sharon Kay]

We did pretty good...out of 59 teams we were chosen by the 3rd ranked team to join their alliance for the semi-finals. Unfortunately we got bumped a little too hard and had some mechanical failures that eliminated us. Our team was very consistent on being able to hang from the tower and lift our robot up ... something only about 6 teams were able to do. Had a great time and took tons of pictures! ...now to sort through them all!

We did get the Quality Award for our engineering and design!

I was also told by 3 people that volunteer for the event that our team is one of the most polite and respectful of the teams. What a great compliment.

Jeesh I am tired! Climbed a lot of stairs but had a great time!

[scrap2day]

I was also told by 3 people that volunteer for the event that our team is one of the most polite and respectful of the teams. What a great compliment.

Sounds like they were winners anyway! That has to make you feel good.

[Sharon Kay]

It sure did. I think these kids did great! I'm scrapping our team picture and will be posting it for a portfolio challenge ... we were honored to have Dr. Woodie Flowers (co-founder of FIRST Robotics) pose with us ... what a gentleman he is ... and able to make each and every person he meets feel special.

[livyryan]

I work with our school's robot team and they compete this weekend in Wisconsin. They are super excited about this years contest too. We were watching your competition online over the weekend to learn strategies.

[Sharon Kay]

I work with our school's robot team and they compete this weekend in Wisconsin. They are super excited about this years contest too. We were watching your competition online over the weekend to learn strategies.

Oh that would be a nice advantage! Make sure that everything is secured REALLY well in the robot! We got down to the last 2 matches and had mechanical problems...one being a "door" was fastened with pins rather than bolts!! ...it got bumped enough during the competition it loosened it and our battery fell out right as we were pulling up. Those robots bump a LOT and it's easy to loosen things up...I saw a lot of "tightening" and rewiring during those two days in different pits.

I am sure you saw our robot ... it was one of the few out of the 59 teams that could pull up on the tower ... team 1825 Metro Homeschool - the Cyborgs. I was down on the field for every single match we were up (plus 1-2 matches prior to) taking pictures...I took well over 800 photos in the two days!

I'm going to write DVDs for our team ... plus another team saw me take a pic of their team after the competition (was actually checking the light lol) and asked me to send them a picture ... so going to gather up all the pics I took of their robot and post for them to download. My son is in a Boy Scout Troop and they have boys on 3 different teams ... he is going to ask them for a DVD and I will write pictures of their teams on it too. I'm spreading the love! ;)

What is your team number & name? We'll try to watch it online this weekend and root for your team! Good luck!

[livyryan]

Team 2481 the Roboteers from Tremont IL. We have a robot with a kicking mechanism and a hook that can attach to the pole and pull the robot up.

[Sharon Kay]

Team 2481 the Roboteers from Tremont IL. We have a robot with a kicking mechanism and a hook that can attach to the pole and pull the robot up.

Cool! We'll try to watch part of the competition! Good luck to your team!