3140, other FIRST Robotics teams ready for ’24 challenge/competition
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Farragut High School Flagship 3140 FIRST Robotics team mentor Eric Manneschmidt, fourth from left, shows FHS members the kit of tools they received during the FIRST Robotics task reveal in Hardin Valley Academy Saturday afternoon, Jan. 6. Around the mentor, from left, are Jack Gebhart (partial view), Aarav Saboo, Jack Feathers, Sam Warren, Issac Wilder and Jason Kim. - Tammy Cheek
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Joe Laco is Knoxville Catholic High School’s FIRST Robotics Robotichauns Team 2393 build captain and senior. Laco’s team has about 20 members who plan to compete in the Smoky Mountain Regional, hosted by UT, and Rocket City Regional. - Tammy Cheek
Robotics teams from seven area schools turned out at Hardin Valley Academy Saturday, Jan. 6, for kick-off reveal of this year’s challenge for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competitions.
Team members and mentors from Farragut High School, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville Catholic High School, Webb School of Knoxville, Knoxville West High School, Austin East S.M.A.R.T. Institute and Oak Ridge High Schools gathered in HVA’s Auditorium to hear this year’s challenge.
“What all these kids are here for is to watch the unveiling of the competition this year,” said Christy Crouse, regional director of FIRST Robotics, which has its national headquarters in New Hampshire. “They’ll all be competing for a spot at the world championship.”
For instance, “In March, we’ll have a (Smoky Mountain) Regional competition,” she said. “We’ll have 34 teams in attendance. About 2,000 kids will be vying for a place at the World Championship.”
The challenge of this year’s game, CRESCENDO, is to place doughnut-shaped rings called “notes” behind an “amplifier” (wall).
“Like every year, the matches are two minutes and 30 seconds long and consist of two alliances of three robots each playing against each other,” said Eric Manneschmidt, mentor for Farragut High School’s Flagship 3140 team.
“The robots start a match with one note, which they try to shoot or place in one of two designated places (amplifiers),” he said. “Robots can pick up more notes throughout the game. The match starts with a 15-second autonomous period, which is when the robots perform pre-programmed moves.
“Following these 15 seconds, drivers take the controls and move their robots as quickly as they can to retrieve and play as many notes as possible,” Manneschmidt added. “In the last 30 seconds, each alliance moves to the ‘stage,’ a triangular-shaped area surrounded by a chain.
“Robots will gain more points if they hoist themselves onto the chain and additionally place a note in a container in the middle of the stage. At the end of the two-and-a-half minutes, the alliance with the most points wins the match.”
About 2024, “We are excited to start a new season,” Manneschmidt said. Farragut High School’s Flagship 3140 team has 33 members.
“We are scheduled to compete at the Smoky Mountains Regional, Sunday, March 3, through Wednesday, March 6, at the Knoxville Coliseum, and at the Rocket City Regional, April 3 through April 6 in Huntsville, Alabama,” he said. “Most of the local teams will be at both of those regionals.
“Obviously, if we win either of the regionals, we will go on to compete at Worlds in April in Houston, Texas,” Manneschmidt added.
He explained Saturday the reveal of the challenge, “where all the FIRST teams worldwide hear by video broadcast what the challenge is for 2024.
“While we have been getting prepared, at this time,” the key to success is “how to manage time and schedules, machine/tool training and determining the team leadership structure,” Manneschmidt said.
“Our team met Sunday afternoon to start strategizing how we are going to approach the challenge,” Manneschmidt said.
HVA’s RoHawktics 3824 Team has 35 members this year who plan to compete.
”I think we’re ready, yeah,” said Luke Daniel, RoHawktics captain.
“We’ve got a great team and a ton of experience,” he added.
His team will participate in the Smoky Mountain Regional and in Rocket City Regional
Getting the robot built and ready “takes a lot of experience and work ethic,” Daniel said.
I’m super-excited,” said Emily Ford, team captain for Webb School of Knoxville’s Team 1466, which has 40 members. “We came off with such good success last year, went to the world (competition).”
Last year, her team earned second place out of the regionals and a Dean’s List award. This year, they plan to compete in Smoky Mountain, Rocket City and Magnolia (Mississippi) regionals.
“The stake is high,” said Joe Laco, Knox Catholic High’s Robotichauns Team 2393 build captain and senior. “We love what we do. “
Laco’s team has about 20 members who plan to compete in the Smoky Mountain Regional, hosted by UT, and Rocket City Regional.
“There are six weeks of competitions then they have the world competition the first week of April,” he said.
