Teams were only encouraged to have a robot chassis. All of the teams (who had their kits) had a chassis and a simple program on their bricks! A HUGE thank you, PITSCO, for the "Getting Started with TETRIX Guide" for providing a great starting point for teams! (In addition, Samantha worked like a charm. We did not have any connectivity issues!)
Out of the ten teams who attended, half were rookie teams! In addition, we had two visitors who decided to start up teams at their school!
The Skills Driving course was a modified game field with modified obstacles and modied rules. A few of the "Bowled Over" elements were incorporated into the Skills Driving course. The main goal of the event was to get teams interacting with each other and practice driving and controlling the robots. Points were not tabulated nor were robots timed to complete the course.
Things learned at the Skills Driving Event:
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| Broken racquetball |
- The bowling balls are not easily controlled. Teams will need to develop an effective strategy to control the bowling balls.
- As bowling balls roll down ramps, the robots may want to be out of the way.
- Racquetballs can get stuck under a robot, and can be "pinched"
- Racquetballs can easily split in half when stuck under a robot (see note above and pic)
- Robots don't move very effectively or efficiently when a racquetball is under it. :)
- Teams learn so much by being around other teams and talking about their experiences.
Overall, teams were more prepared this year. Robots and students did a great job.
A huge THANK YOU! to Beta, Team #3550
Our next event is Oct. 22 in Oelwein, Iowa! Looking forward to seeing the teams there!
