Subteam Updates
The brainstorming phase of Build Season is over! Spartronics has split up into its subteams, where everyone’s working hard together to construct a great robot.
Students in the Mechanics subteam have finished prototyping, and are moving on to finalizing various mechanism designs. They’ve also split up into five groups who, aided by students working on CAD and Electronics, are working on various elements of the robot’s design. The subteam hopes that they’ll be able to begin building within the next few days!
The Electronics subteam is helping all but one of the aforementioned groups in the Mechanics subteam with the electronics in their designs. They’ve also managed to secure space in the overall robot’s design for electronics.
Programming has also been keeping busy. They’ve done some initial coding, but are waiting until more details of the robot’s hardware are finalized to do more. Additionally, they’ve also got a camera working. This provides an additional option for this year’s Sandstorm phase.
The Sandstorm phase takes the place of the usual autonomous phase, taking up the first 15 seconds of each game. In it, robot driver’s view of the field is obscured. Robots can either be programmed to run autonomously or be driven with the aid of cameras. While we don’t know what method we’ll be using, Spartronics is excited to see how we’ll perform during this novel game phase! [Watch this year’s Game Video from FIRST to see the Sandstorm phase.]
After the conclusion of a very successful fundraising season, with a record 33 Sponsors, the Marketing subteam has made a smooth transition into Build Season. They’ve started the process of updating some of our outdated website pages and have finished this years’ new sponsor banner, which can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Finally, they’ve also completed this year’s Team Shirts and other cool Spartronics swag, including an all-new jacket.riven with the aid of cameras. While we don’t know what method we’ll be using, Spartronics is excited to see how we’ll perform during this novel game phase! [Watch this year’s Game Video from FIRST to see the Sandstorm phase.]
NEW! Spartronics Joins the Peninsula Alliance
Spartronics is excited to announce its membership in the Peninsula Alliance. The Peninsula Alliance is a new organization which is coordinating the efforts of six participating teams in order to construct a practice field for this year’s game at Central Kitsap High. The six teams are Spartronics (Team 4915), ROCK (Team 3223), Roboctopi (Team 4918), SRF (Team 3826), Bremertron (Team 3049) and Aldernating Current (Team 5295).
Having a practice field will allow Alliance members to better prepare and practice for “Destination Deep Space” this year’s game. Spartronics Co-Captain Cruz Strom will be leading our field elements team in building a Habitation Platform (CAD illustration above). The HAB is Spartronics’ contribution to the practice field. But that’s not the only noteworthy thing about Cruz Strom…
Dean’s List Nominees
Co-Captains Cruz Strom (left) and Declan Freeman-Gleason (right) have been named by the team’s professional mentors and Coach Chee as the team’s nominees for the 2019 Dean’s List Award.
Sponsored by the Kamen family, the award aims to recognize students with exceptional leadership, creative or technical abilities who best represent FIRST’s values. Finalists will be chosen at the regional or state level and winners will be selected at the World Championship.
Cruz, the Mechanical subteam lead, and Declan, the Programming subteam lead, both said that they were “honored” to be nominees. We wish them both the best of luck!
Sponsor Spotlight:
Jason Shutt, REALTOR®
Students may know him as “Mr. Shutt,” a former well-known science teacher at Woodward. Today he’s also a prominent community leader and a perennial Spartronics Sponsor.
Spartronics: Why are you supporting Spartronics?
Jason: When I was a science teacher at Woodward Middle School, my goal was always to get kids out of their seats and actively engaged in problem-solving activities where they built confidence by finding success under their own determination. What I see in Spartronics is just that: an opportunity for students to collaborate in teams and pursue their own ideas for the ultimate problems solving, engineering. The successes I see on the kids’ faces, and in the program itself, tell me it’s a “teaching style” that I favor. Except, instead of some elemental understanding of Newton’s Laws or plate tectonics, the outcome of Spartronics is experiential learning in the values of teamwork and goal accomplishment; those are preparing you all for life in much grander ways.
Spartronics: How can Spartronics fans support you?
Jason: For any adults who are interested in an analysis of the island’s real estate market, they can view my 99-second infographic here, and sign up for monthly delivery. Liking my Facebook Page and Instagram profile is always appreciated as well.
Thank you Jason Shutt! We greatly appreciate your support! Also check out his website that features some super-cool videos (shot by a team that includes a Spartronics’ alumni) and a GREAT list of the Public Beach Access Points across Bainbridge Island.