Gatorbotics Fall Newsletter
CalGames: Starting Off the Season on a Good Wheel!
Article By Carson Schultz
Although we did not win every match at CalGames (and in fact ended up dead last) the competition was a huge success for the team in terms of learning, becoming more efficient, and getting familiar with the competition environment! I personally thought that CalGames was a fun way to kick off the Gatorbotics season. As a new team member, I got to see what a competition was like, controlled the robot for the first time, and took a lot of photos of the team in action.
This preseason competition allowed the team to test autonomous code and our self-made gearboxes, and introduce new members to the FRC competition format. New and returning members alike were encouraged to try driving the robot, and the stands were filled with supportive fans and teammates. Entrepreneurship team members came to take photos of the team in action, and many members were able to complete outreach hours by monitoring the pit for safety. Team members were able to talk to other teams in our alliances, be a part of drive team, and learn to quickly fix the robot in the pit. Calgames was a successful bonding opportunity between new and returning team members, and we are more excited than ever for competitions in this upcoming season!
Fall Workshops
Article By Mea Heron
We started off the 2018-2019 season with our student-led workshops for both new and returning members to learn about Gatorbotics and how we run.
All team members are required to attend the Safety and Inventory Workshop where we learned about where things are in the lab, how to use basic power tools, and how to be safe while working with all the different tools in the lab. In the following workshop, we learned about our team’s designing process and strategy breakdown with our own Mock Kickoff, where we used 2016’s FIRST Stronghold game, brainstormed different strategies for when we build the robot, and debated the pros and cons of various mechanism designs using weighted objective tables. This workshop helped members think more critically about the design elements of the robot while letting new members know what to expect at Kickoff in January. At the electronics workshop, we learned all about the types of wires and the different ports for input and outputs on the robot. Then we had a Motors and Power Transmission Workshop where we learned about different types of chains and motors and practiced putting on chain and taking apart a gearbox.
All of the workshops have helped provide team members with a solid foundation for the season to come!!
Lead Interview: Riley Guggenhime, Entrepreneurship Lead
Article By Grace Kim
Riley Guggenhime is the current Entrepreneurship Lead of the team. Her job is crucial to make everything work; she fundraises, manages the team’s website and social media pages, creates team gear, and writes grants. One of Riley’s main goals for team 1700 this school year is to integrate the technical and entrepreneurship teams by hosting events and helping the team bond to create a stronger community. Not only does she want to focus of on integration within our team, but she also hopes to strengthen the relationship that Gatorbotics has with the Castilleja community. One of the biggest challenges for Riley so far is the organizational aspect of leading. Even with its challenges, Riley enjoys her role as the Entrepreneurship Lead because the job integrates a lot of her interests, including finance, graphic design, and photography.
Riley is an amazing photographer and she has a photography account @rileycharlottephoto, so take a look because she’s super talented! Riley is also such a kind and welcoming presence on our team, and is always understanding. I love working with her because she is very hardworking and driven, but also sweet and relaxed.
