News

This is the current news items about Downingtown Robotics, all the teams: FRC and FTC.

Remember to read about Current Events coming your way.

FINALISTS at MAR Championship - 8-11 April-2015

Sab-BOT-age continued its outstanding performance at this event. After a rocky start (Intake Arm pneumatics did not work during the first qual match due to disconnected wire), 1640 slowly worked its way up to 2^nd seed. We formed the 2^nd alliance with teams 303 (The Test Team) and 4635 (Ironmen Robotics), finishing the event as Finalists.

During the last Finals match, DEWBOT XI succeeded in placing three capped 6-tote stacks on the scoring platform after burgling two RCs from the step - a new performance record for us.

The team finished the Mid-Atlantic Robotics competition ranked 2^nd (after 225) in a field of 121 teams. We qualified for FRC Championships.

CHAMPIONS at Seneca - 20-22 March-2015

A good second competition for us. We finished qualifications as 1^st seed and invited 1218 (Vulcan Robotics) and 5113 (Combustible Lemons) to join the 1^st alliance. Together, we won the event. Sab-BOT-age again received the Motorola Quality Award. The team earned 73 MAR qualifying points.

FINALISTS at Hatboro-Horsham - 27-Feb - 1 March-2015

The team got off to a good start for the season at this week 1 event. Finishing qualifications as 3^rd seed, we accepted 1403's (Cougar Robotics)gracious invitation and joined the first alliance. Together with 3637 (The Daleks) we finished as Finalists. Sab-BOT-age also received the Quality Award (sponsored by Motorola). The team earned 61 MAR qualifying points at Hatboro-Horsham.

Team Sab-BOT-age made the photo banner on the FIRST website

Patrick, Abbilyn & Siri Maley

3^rd photo of 7. Patrick Curran, Abbilyn and Siri Maley at the 2014 FRC Championship.

Downingtown Area Robotics-TCHS-Penn FLL Qualifying Event 2014 - 7-December-2014

Downingtown's third annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Event was held on 7 December, 2013 at the CCIU TCHS Brandywine Campus in Downingtown, PA. This competition was hosted by Downingtown Area Robotics to allow area FLL teams to compete and qualify for the Penn FLL Championship in this year's game, WORLD CLASS^SM!

Eastern Pennsylvania FTC Qualifying Tournament - 6-December-2014

FTC 7314 Sab-BOT-age takes the Rockwell-Collins Innovate Award in its first Cascade Effect qualifier!

ArkemaNews Magazine - 24-November-2014

FRC 1640 sponsor Arkema posted an article in their intranet ArkemaNews Magazine regarding the team's outstanding 2014 performance and the overall program. All prior Arkema postings have been exclusively focused on the US portion of the company, but ArkemaNews Magazine has global visibility within the company.

DAR FLL Scrimmage - 22-November-2014

Downingtown's third annual FIRST LEGO League Tune Up, the D-Town Dust-off, at the CCIU TCHS-Brandywine in Downingtown, PA.

This non-qualifying event was hosted by Downingtown Area Robotics in cooperation with the TCHS to help area FLL teams gain experience and prepare for their Qualifiers in this year's game, WORLD CLASS^SM! 15 area teams participated.

1640 featured in FIRST media

Photographs of FRC 1640 are featured in FIRST's FRC Corporate Sponsorship flyer, FRC University Sponsorship Flyer and Season Recap. In addition, five of the 63 marketing tool photos in FRC's 2014 gallery show DEWBOT X and/or our drive team. One of these is shown at right.

Ramp Riot - 1-November-2014

Hosted by team 341 (Miss Daisy) at Wissahickon High School in Ambler PA. Team 1640 has participated at Ramp Riot every year of its existence. This year was an especially good one for teams Sab-BOT-age.

FTC 7314 won the FTC scrimmage, with the help of alliance partner 4433, Smoking Motors.

Team Sab-BOT-age ( FRC 1640) was 4^th seed, alliance captain and FINALIST at Ramp Riot.

Duel on the Delaware - 18-October-2014

Held at Salem Community College in Carney's Point, NJ and hosted by teams 365 (Miracle Workerz) and 316 (LuNaTeCs), Sab-BOT-age has participated every year starting 2007.

Teams 316 (LuNaTeCs), 1640 and 1089 (Mercury) were Duel on the Delaware CHAMPIONS! This is Sab-BOT-age's 4^th consecutive Duel victory.

Exchange Club of West Chester presentation & demo - 9-October-2014

Abbilyn, MacKenzie and Nicholas, with support from mentors Gary Deaver, Faith McKown and Andrew Weissman, reviewed FRC 1640's robotics program and community service to the Exchange Club of West Chester.

DASD School Board Presentation - 13-August-2014

Sab-BOT-age with DASD School Board President Jane Bertone and Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline

As a consequence of the team's outstanding competitive performance this year, we had the opportunity to present at the Downingtown Area School District's board meeting. While we are no longer affiliated officially with DASD, Sab-BOT-age is a DASD team by birth, and most of our students are from the district.

MAR Competitiveness Workshop

FRC 1640's Clem McKown and Mike Rizzo participated in a workshop organized by David Bodmar of FRC 11/193 (MORT & MORT Beta) on how to make MAR more competitive. Teams 25 (Raider Robotix), 222 (Tigertrons), 225 (TechFire), 341 (Miss Daisy), 1923 (Midknight Inventors) and 2590 (Nemesis) also participated.

Tippermans run Robot Springboard to teach robotics

For two years, FRC 1640's Hannah and Rachael have run Robot Springboard, bringing robotics, lessons to young students and attracting the attention of the US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. Their successful program has had international reach.

Main Line Kiwanis presentation & demonstration - 30-July-2014

Team Sab-BOT-age met with the Main Line Kiwanis to discuss our robotics program, the benefits to students and the team's competitive success.

Indiana Robotics Invitational - 18 & 19 July-2014

Held at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Indiana 18 & 19 July-2014. Participation is by invitation only and the level of play is simply awesome. Team Sab-BOT-age has participated in IRI every year since 2010; every year of swerve drive for us.

This year, we seeded 25^th in a field of 68 with a (5-4-0) qualification record. We were not selected for an alliance.

On the way home, we continued an ancient and time-honored team tradition by spending the morning of Sunday, 20-July at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, OH.

MAR Team Day at Dorney Park - 12-July-2014

The first MAR Team Day at Dorney Park was held on a beautiful day. In addition to Sab-BOT-age, students from six additional MAR team participated and helped to make this day a success. A big shout out to:

Team 25 Raider Robotix

Team 223 Xtreme Heat

Team 433 Firebirds

Team 365 MOE

Team 1257 Parallel Universe

Team 4954 4-H Palindrome Robotics

Midknight Mayhem - 28-June

Our all-new drive team and pit crew, together with a new, highly reliable 2-ball high autonomous earned us a 4^th seed spot with a (4-1-0) qualification record. We accepted team 869's (Power Cord) invitation to join the 3^rd alliance, but were eliminated in a quarterfinals rubber match, losing by 4 points.

Kids Fest - 21-June

Downingtown Area Robotics responded to a request from the office of PA State Representative Duane Milne (167^th District) and put together an FRC, FTC and FLL demonstration at Great Valley Middle School.

Visit by FRC Team 365 Miracle Workerz - 11-June-2014

Mentors and students from MOE visited for a detailed review and examination of Sab-BOT-age's swerve technology.

Congratulations to our Graduates

We've got a record number of graduates this year. These students not only witnessed, but drove a tremendous team transition. As Freshmen, these students were there for 1640's first ever official season victory at Philadelphia in 2011. As Seniors, they were on Einstein as we became FRC Championship Finalists. Congratulations and very best wishes for the future to:

• Molly K - Co-Captain, Pit Captain & Mechanical Lead - Avon Grove Charter School
• Dhananjay (DJ) R - Co-Captain & Programming Lead - Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy
• Patrick C - Safety Captain & Driver/Operator - Collegium Charter School
• Lucy S - Lead Scout & Designer - Avon Grove Charter School
• Ian W - Scout & Mechanical - Great Valley High School
• Jack R - Mechanical, Welding & Driver/Operator - Downingtown West High School
• Yahya M - Human Player & Mechanical - Downingtown West High School
• Sarah S - Programming - Downingtown East High School
• Tobias B - Mechanical - Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy

Best wishes to 1640 Alumni Graduates!

Carly walks at RPI

Carly McKown (DEHS class of '11) graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Carly goes on to doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee and research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Carly joined 1640 during the lead-in to the 2008 (DEWBOT IV) build season; ultimately serving as Co-Captian and Driver.

Paul Klufas (DEHS class of '10) received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Bucknell University. On team for 2007-2010 seasons; Co-Captain and Programming Lead.

Brianna Edwards (DEHS class of '10) received her degree in Advertising from Temple University.

Nicholas Z receives Shining Star Award

DMS and FTC 7314 student Nicholas Z was named a the Shining Star in the Keystone Federal Credit Union fifth annual Shining Star Award program.

Demo at Downingtown West High School - 2-May-2014

Mackenzie and Dana led a robotics demonstration for incoming freshmen and Downingtown West High School.

In Memorium - Miranda Ram-Nolte

Miranda

It is with greatest sadness that report the passing of 2013 Sab-BOT-age student, Miranda Ram-Nolte on 26-April.

FRC Championship Newton Division CHAMPIONS and Championship FINALISTS - 23-26 April 2014

Thanks to alliance partners 1678 (Citrus Circuits - alliance captain), 1114 (Simbotics) and 5136 (Mechapirates), we were Newton Division Champions and Einstein Finalists at FRC Championships. We achieved the hard goal we had set for ourselves nearly a year earlier.

This is an entirely new place for Sab-BOT-age.

MAR Championship 4^th seed & alliance captain - 10-12 April 2014

End of Einstein Finals

Another strong performance. Sab-BOT-age completed qualifications as 4^th seed with a (9-3-0) record. We led the 4^th alliance and while not advancing past quarterfinals, we earned a spot at the FRC Championship.

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Older news items can be found in:
News Archive 2014
News Archive 2013
News Archive 2012
News Archive 2011
News Archive 2010
News Archive 2009