FIRST Team 2219

Download this chapter in PDF format

Download this chapter in PDF format

This book uses the freely available Scheme implementation in PLT Scheme or also commonly known as Dr. Scheme. This first chapter deals specifically with Dr. Scheme, its interface, and how to properly configure it for examples that you will encounter throughout this text.

You can freely download PLT Scheme from http://www.plt-scheme.org for all major operating systems currently in use. After you download and install the software you should properly set it up so that you can follow the examples presented in this book. Execute the program and once it is running choose ‘Choose Language’ from the Language option in the menu bar.

Starting this month the Megahurts: Team #2219 from Carbondale, IL will be recruiting teams into the ranks of FIRST. The work began late in 2009 when the team hosted their first robotics workshop in the history of Brehm. Students from St. Mary’s, in Mt. Vernon, IL came to Brehm for an afternoon of robotics, featuring Vex and Lego projects. The afternoon was a success and we are currently working with students, teachers and administrators from St. Mary’s to start a FIRST Lego League (FLL) Team at the school.

Read this post to learn more about how the Megahurts can help your school start too.

Most people know, or are taught, at an early age, how to process information and develop an organized plan or strategy when confronted with a problem, whether that problem is social, academic, or job related. Others find such cognitive processes quite difficult. Learning disabilities have only recently been recognized as disabilities. This neurological disorder causes difficulty in…

Today, FIRST is using NI technology, powered by NI LabVIEW software, in all levels of the competition. Through hands-on, project-based programs such as FIRST, LabVIEW is making a difference in the lives of students around the world. Starting in 2009, students in the flagship FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school are using NI CompactRIO [...]

2010 Robot Code

2010 FRC Camera Code

2009 FRC Robot Code

With the close of the 2010 FRC Season, the Megahurts Programming Team would like to show off our LabView code we used for the Robot this year.  

You can find it at the brand new

Boston Dynamics builds advanced robots with remarkable behavior: mobility, agility, dexterity and speed. We use sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms. Our world-class development teams take projects from initial concept to proof-of-principle prototyping to build-test-build engineering, to field testing and low-rate production.
Organizations worldwide, from DARPA, the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps to Sony Corporation turn to Boston Dynamics for advice and for help creating the most advanced robots on Earth.

In the latest Draft version of the National Education Technology Plan ( Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology ) found here strongly indicates an agenda of improving STEM education in schools. Anyone that is involved in education should see the immediate need to foster young minds as they are the next great problem solvers of our world….

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni

Status:Team Alumni and Founding Member

“Sophomore”

Favorite Movie: The Collector

Job: Team Member
Hometown: Mars

Junior

Favorite Movie: Dukes of Hazard

Job:Captain
Hometown:Mason City

“Customfied”

8th Grade

Favorite Movie: Avatar

Job: Programer
Hometown: Mt.Vernon, IL

“darn i cot it on fire”

Senior
Favorite Movie: Avatar
Job: Mechanical Captain
Hometown: Larchmont, New York

“War is sweet to those who do not know it.” Erasmus (15/16th century)
“Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war.” Shakespeare
“War is hell.” Sherman

Senior

Favorite Movie: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Job: Journalist
Hometown: Philadelphia

“Those who work hard earn the rewards they’re worth.”

8th grade

Favorite Movie: Hurt Locker

Hometown: Lexington, Massachusetts

Sophmore

Favorite Movie: Zombie Land

Job: Mechanics
Hometown:Tacoma, WA
“first there was nothing, and then it blew up.”

By: Joseph J. Viscomi M.S. & Richard Collins Ph.D. {jviscomi, rcollins}@brehm.org
Secondary Schools dedicated to the education of students with learning disabilities face the responsibility of providing not only remediation, but state of the art instruction in all content areas to ensure that students have the information and formal training necessary to be competitive in college [...]

FIRST Robotics (FRC) is revolutionizing STEM education for students with learning disabilities at Brehm Preparatory School. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is “the varsity sport for the mind,” FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.  It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get.

http://webquest.org/
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/
http://www.seriousgames.org/
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/entrypoint/
http://www.techmatrix.org/
http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=148

The FIRST Robotics Competition has been held in Atlanta the past six years, but after the contract expires next year, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis will be the new location in 2011, 2012 and 2013, said Kitty Ratcliffe, president of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC). Kamen and the CVC plan to announce the news Wednesday night at the kick-off of SciFest, an international science festival at the St. Louis Science Center.

It is the “NCAA Tournament” of Robotics
Original Article

They were participating for the first time in the St. Louis Regional for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics competition this weekend at the arena on the St. Louis University campus….

The ninth-annual competition featured more than 500 high school students competing against other schools using robots each team has built. Part engineering event, part competition, part pep rally—the atmosphere is loud and raucous as robots are placed in a small playing rink and are operated by remote control…

During the competition, robots pick up soccer balls and place them in goals if they can overcome uneven surfaces, as well as other tasks. Teams are judged on their design, team spirit and good sportsmanship.

This section introduces you to all of the programs that the Megahurts and team members are a part of.

Profile for Mentor, Jonathan Cohen

Faculty: Brehm Preparatory School

Job: Team Mentor

Home Town: Des Plaines, Illinois

Profile for team mentor, David Gitz

Profile for team mentor, Joseph Strusz

Profile for team mentor, Joe Viscomi

FIRST Celebrates 40th anniversary of Moon landing with a new game field.

Lunacy is played on a 54×27 low friction field that simulates driving on the surface of the moon. Robots are equipped with slippery wheels and payload trailers. Lunacy game pieces are “Orbit Balls” designated as Moon Rocks, Empty Cells, or Super Cells. Two three-team robot alliances collect and score Orbit Balls in trailers attached to the opposing teams robots. Human players are positioned around the perimeter of the arena and can score from their stations………

FIRST plays soccer with a twist: This is the real World Cup

FIRST is a “varsity sport of the mind.” This year’s challenge was to design a robot
that could play soccer, with a few changes. Our team worked vigorously to challenge the
limits of our knowledge, trying new drive systems and making the smallest, and densest robot
the team has ever produced. Our students worked with instructors from John A Logan Community College
and students from Southern Illinois University to learn how to use Autodesk Inventor to meet this year’s challenge.