FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a high school robotics competition where teams around the world design, build, and compete mobile robots to complete a set series of tasks at competitions usually held at high schools. Teams in this
competition compete while interacting with their community by teaching them about STEM and spreading the FIRST values of discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun.
Ultimate Goal
This year's challenge (Ultimate Goal) will be announced on September 12th, and our first competition will be in early October. Based on hints from our competition, we predict that this year's game will center around shooting baseball-size projectiles.
"Goals" for Ultimate Goal
-Win the NJ Garden State Rumble (NJ State Championships)
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-Advance to the World Championships
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-Gain acceptance to the Maryland Tech Invitational (MTI)
Community Outreach - Girls Who Code
Our team works with our local STEM community in a multitude of ways. Prior to COVID, we taught Girls Who Code classes, which are free coding classes that encourage young women to enter STEM fields.
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Through Girls Who Code we taught at public libraries in Bergen County, such as Waldwick public library, Hackensack public library, Closter public library, and Dater School in Ramsey. Prior to COVID, we also planned to teach classes in Asbury Park.
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Over the two years that we've worked with Girls Who Code, we've taught more than 50 classes, and reached more than countless young women.
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"Goals" for Girls Who Code
-Teach more classes in a wider variety of libraries
-Expand our program to include multiple teams so that it will continue after our members graduate
-Create either a First Lego League or a First Tech Challenge team for Girls Who Code
Our team's CDC robot
CAD Challenges
To continue our team's learning during the offseason, we've participated in a number of CAD (computer aided design) challenges, where our members designed robots to complete a set series of tasks. We competed in CDC, Robot to the Rescue, and Caravan Cad Challenge
Containment Design Challenge (CDC) - 18th
For our first CAD challenge of the summer, our members designed a robot to collect wiffle balls, deposit them into plastic crates, and seal the creates with a lid, all while navigating treacherous terrain. Despite competing as a team of two, Tomàs and Eric were able to place 18th!
Robot to the Rescue
In our second CAD challenge of the summer, Tómas and Eric designed a robot that could restock shelves in supermarkets.
Caravan CAD Challenge (CCC)
In our last (and ongoing) CAD challenge of the summer, our members are working to design a robot to collect, store, and fire puck-shapped objects, after which the robot will "climb" a several foot high ladder. This is by far our most impressive robot for a CAD challenge yet, and we'll share it once the competition is over.