DEWBOT VI Indiana Robotics Invitational
16 and 17-July-2010 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, IN. This is the first year we've been accepted into the Indiana Robotics Invitational (IRI)! IRI is the largest and most selective of all off-season competitions and is even larger than any FIRST Regional, with 78 teams in attendance. Check out the event website for details.
Also, DEWBOT made the Indianapolis paper!
DEWBOT VI at IRI
Nineteen members of Downingtown Area Robotics made the long (but fun) drive to Indianapolis on Thursday. Most of us made the 12 hour drive in 12 hours, one car load did some sight seeing on the way so it took them 15 hours.
The team arrived at the event on Friday at 7:30 AM to one of the largest schools we've ever seen. The pit area was their indoor 1/4 mile track that held the 78 teams and a full sized practice field. We quickly set up and were ready for our first matches.
For the day we did pretty well at 4-2 ending up in 21st place. Full accounts of the DEWBOT VI IRI Matches cover the details of who we played with and the results. Carly, Sasha and Andrew were the primary players with Clem and Siri switching off as coach.
The evening meal was served by the host teams, pasta and salad and five kinds of desserts. After dinner some of the team stayed to work on the robot to get it ready for Saturday, some went back to the hotel and others stayed for the fabulous talent show.
Saturday was our last two qualifications where we won one and lost one. This put us in 31st place overall for the event. With the 47 regional wins and the two international champions in attendance, among other fantastic teams, it was a very good showing. (See the full statistics here.)
During the lunch break our mentor team showed their stuff in a Mentor only tournament. Mentors Clem, Siri and Rizzo drove the robot with Faith, Rizzo, Rita and Foster performing the human player role. Our season driver Carly was the team coach. The mentors (especially those who'd never driven before) all learned just how hard these games are to play.
After lunch we watched the elimination part of the tournament. The action was fast and hard, it was some of the most amazing driving that had been seen this season.
Our team dinner was at a giant buffet where everyone was able to get what they wanted.
On Sunday teams headed east and home. One car stopped at the National Air Force Museum, the other two cars did their own sight seeing. Everyone arrived home safe and happy.
VEX at IRI
We were invited to come play Swept Away the classroom / TSA version of Clean Sweep at IRI. The rules are similar, but it's on a 8 x 8' field and there is a limit of the parts the robot can have.
Jack and Foster built a robot 2 weeks before the event, borrowing ideas from past robots (the shoulder and slide extension) and a football basket Foster had seen at the TSA National Championships. Jack then spent a few hours honing his drive skills before heading west.
The practice paid off. Representing Team 1640 (sab-BOT-age) Jack took the event with 11 wins 0 losses. "Chris is me" from FRC 2791 Shaker Robotics took second place.
Jack did very well driving the wheels off the robot to make an unblemished win streak and to score 49 points (out of a max of 60) in a single match.
Jen S, one of Team 1640's graduating seniors shot this video of the Team 1640 robot and Jack hard at work. It's two preliminary matches and the two matches of the finals.
People
There were 19 of us that went to IRI, some people wrote trip reports and they can be found on the DEWBOT VI IRI Trip Reports page (or click their names below).
Roboteers
- Alex - Stands Cheering / Scouting
- Andrew - Human Player / Mechanical Pit Crew / Scouting
- Ben - Programming Pit Crew
- Carly - Driver / Strategy / Mentor Match Coach
- Doug - Pit Captain
- Jen - Scouting / Head Cheerleader / Videographer
- Jack - VEX Driver & Mechanic
- Matt - Mechanical Pit Crew
- Nicole - Scouting / Stands Cheering
- Sasha - Operator / Mechanical Pit / Safety Captain
- Anthony- Stands Cheering
Mentors
- Clem - Head Mentor / Pit Manager / Coach / Photographer / Scouting / Strategy / Mentor Match Driver, Operator & Alliance Captain / Van Driver
- Faith - Tour Manager / Mentor Match Human Player / Photographer / NEMO Meeting / Van Driver
- Foster - VEX Event / Mentor Match Human Player / Photographer / Programming Pit / NEMO Meeting / Van Driver
- John - Mechanical Pit
- Heather - Mechanical Pit Crew / Scouting
- Rita - Mentor Match Human Player / Team Dinner Planning / Logistics / NEMO Meeting / Van Driver
- Rizzo - Referee / Mentor Match Human Player & Driver
- Siri - Scout Team Management / Coach / Strategy / Pit Manager / Mentor Match Operator & Driver / Videographer / NEMO Meeting
Other pages about the DEWBOT VI Indiana Robotics Invitational
