Avon Robotics Team Partcipates in Scrimmage

Yesterday, the ÜberBots attended Suffield Shakedown, an annual FIRST Robotics Scrimmage held at Suffield High School. The event was hosted by the team from Suffield, Aces High. Although 22 teams attended this event to test out their new robots, give their drivers a chance to practice, and, of course get a feel for the 2015 game, Recycle Rush.

In Recycle Rush, the robots must pick up, move, and build stacks of tote boxes, and cap those stacks with green recycling bins for an added bonus. If teams want to get really adventurous, they can attempt to complete the package and earn a serious bonus by placing a pool noodle, cleverly branded as “litter”, in the recycling bin. The bulk of each match is played with human drivers, although there is a 15-second auto period in which the robot relies entirely on pre-existing code to perform its functions.

The ÜberBots arrived in Suffield yesterday morning ready to play, and certainly did not disappoint. Their 2015 robot is a hit, and the team placed fifth overall in the rankings. The ÜberBots were also part of the second highest-scoring alliance, along with teams 1099, the DiscoTechs from Brookfield, and 2836, Team Beta from Woodbury. In FIRST Robotics, an alliance is a selection of three separate teams and their robots that work together to obtain points.

The ÜberBots’ robot utilizes a series of hooks placed on belts to catch onto the totes and lift them up. The robot can carry up to four totes at once. The drivers then deposit four totes on the scoring platform at once, scoring points quickly and efficiently.

Mr. Ed Gutowski, a mentor on the ÜberBots, also won the Dave Leenhouts Award, which is given annually to an outstanding mentor for their hard work. Mr. Gutowski stepped in when the team was in turmoil and prevented its potential dissolution, and currently sits as the president of the team’s new non-profit organization. He works tirelessly with mechanical students to build the robot and with the community subteam to help raise funds and secure the team’s future. The ÜberBots are ecstatic to see Mr. Gutowski honored for his wise insight and endless dedication!

After Suffield Shakedown, the team is more sure than ever that they are prepared for their first official competition, which will be held in Waterbury, CT on February 28 - March 1. In addition, the team will be attending the UMass Dartmouth Event on March 12 - 14th and the Hartford District Event on March 27 - 29th. All FIRST events are open to the public and feature good music, great company, and of course, cool robots.

For more information about the ÜberBots or FIRST Robotics, feel free to visit http://www.uberbots.org/ and http://www.usfirst.org/. Good luck to all teams this season!