Recent Events
2/22/10- We ship the Robot!
1/9/10 - 2/22/10 - The 2010 Build Season
1-9-10 AIM Robotics was at the 2010 FRC Kickoff!
1-2-10 JAVA Session for students
More...
Twitter Feed
Winners of the ROCKWELL AUTOMATION INNOVATION IN CONTROL AWARD
Component: The Kicker
Autodidactic Intelligent Minors (team #1123) is a dedicated group of students, families, and mentors teamed up together to participate in the FIRST Foundation's robotics competition. Our team is unique because we are a community-based team. AIM offers an opportunity for any student to participate regardless of their school affiliation
"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes."
Dean Kamen, Founder
AIM robotics takes pride in volunteering to help other organizations with similar
goals of promoting science and technology. We also display our robot to
young crowds such as elementary schools, museums, and festivals, to get them
excited about science,
technology, and engineering.
Click HERE for more infomation
Team 1123, AIM Robotics, was founded in 2003 by a group of home school families who desired to give their students an educational experience of a life time. Thus, we pride ourselves in accepting students of all ages, all education levels and all experience levels. Unlike some teams which attend only set events every year, we make ourselves open to many possibilities. In our last six years of attending regional competitions, we have gone thrice to the VCU/NASA Richmond regional and thrice to the Annapolis regional. We also go to a multitude of off season competitions, including the Maryland state fair, the York, the Pennsylvania Summer Frenzy (hosted by team 225), and all of the Robot Rumbles in the Virginia State Fair since its inception in 2006.
This year, the student members of AIM robotics are dedicated to learning. This means students can get involved in whatever they are interested in, rather than being assigned to a particular area or being confined to a specific topic. We also want to build a successful robot that will perform well during the regional competition. Therefore, our ultimate team goal is for our veteran members to help our rookie members get acclimated to the FIRST climate by giving them experience that will allow them to take control in the following years.
To see our full colection of pictures,CLICK HERE
AIM Robotics would like to thank its sponsors, , and volunteers for their generous contributions. We appreciate your assistance, without which we could not have reached our full potential.
Thank you.
mentors
To see a full list of our sponsors, CLICK HERE
Click Here for more information about our mentors
We would be more than delighted to hear from you!
Email: aimrobotics_gmail.com
Phone: 703-250-5787
Aim Robotics meets at: 9916 Rand Dr.
Burke, VA
22015
What is FIRST
Gracious Professionalism
FIRST
Robotics
Competition
FIRST Lego
League
'09 FRC Competition
FIRST Tech
Challenge
'08 FRC Competition
'07 FRC Competition
FIRST Vision
-Dean Kamen, Founder
FIRST was founded by Dean Kamen in 1989. The first robotics competition took place in 1992 with 28 teams in a New Hampshire high-school gym. FIRST provides students of all ages around the country, and even around the world, to apply science, math, and engineering to build robots for competition. Even more notably, through the FIRST experience students gain the knowledge and skills that ultimately motivate them to go into higher education and pursue careers they never thought possible. FIRST presents four areas of competition that are available from students as young as six to those in their senior year in high school.)
Click HERE for video
Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the term "Gracious Professionalism."
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.
In the long run, Gracious Professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing one has acted with integrity and sensitivity.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high-school-aged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be.
The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals.
FIRST redefines winning for these students because they are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Scoring the most points is a secondary goal. Winning means building partnerships that last.
What is unique about the FRC program?
* It is a sport where the participants play with the pros and learn from them
* Designing and building a robot is a fascinating real-world professional experience
* Competing on stage brings participants as much excitement and adrenaline rush as conventional varsity tournaments
* The game rules are a surprise every year
FIRST Lego League
FIRST LEGO League (FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an exciting and fun global robotics program that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9 to 14 (16 outside of the U.S. and Canada).
Each year FLL teams embark on an adventurous Challenge based on current, real-world issues. Guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors, the kids:
* Research and solve a real-world problem based on the Challenge theme
* Present their research and solutions
* Build an autonomous robot using engineering concepts
Using the yearly Challenges, FLL:
* Entices kids to think like scientists and engineers
* Provides a fun, creative, hands-on learning experience
* Teaches kids to experiment and overcome obstacles
* Builds self-esteem and confidence
* Inspires kids to participate in science and technology
No matter what the child’s subject interest, FLL offers an opportunity for engagement. Whether it is by creativity, technology, or research, FLL dares kids to test, explore, expand, or completely change thoughts and approaches for different sciences each year.)
What Is FTC?
The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics Competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering.
In 2005, FIRST and RadioShack teamed up to present the FIRST Vex Challenge (FVC) demonstration at the FIRST Championship in Atlanta, GA. The purpose of the FTC demonstration tournament was to stimulate and explore interest in FIRST Vex competitions. The event was an overwhelming success. FIRST began a full pilot of the program during the 2005-2006 FIRST season. After two years as a pilot program, the FIRST Board of Directors approved FTC as an official FIRST program, changing the name to FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) in 2007.
During the first official season, FTC grew to 799 teams and 31 official events, reaching about 8,000 students across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 2008 a new kit of parts was developed and showcased at the FTC World Championship in Atlanta. The new kit is more powerful and has more options. It also allows for a smoother transition from FLL into FTC by using the same NXT controller FLL teams have been using for a number of seasons. FTC will use the new kit beginning in the 2008 season.
Click HERE for slideshow
FIRST Overdrive is played on a 54 ft (16 m) by 27 ft (8 m) track divided lengthwise by a fence into a Red side and a Blue side. The fence is crossed by an overpass marking the red and blue finish lines. Two three-team alliances race around the track in a counter clockwise direction manipulating Trackballs.
The game is made up of two scoring periods. The first 15 seconds of play is the Hybrid period in which robots are autonomous, and may also respond to digital signals sent by team Robocoaches stationed at the corners of the track. The next two minutes of play is the Teleoperated period. At this time, robots are radio controlled by team operators standing at either end of the field.
Courtesy: FIRST
The Rack 'n Roll field is dominated by 'The Rack', a large metal contraption
with three levels of hanging metal bars, with each level having 8 arms evenly
spaced in an octagonal manner. Each arm (known as a 'spider leg') has space
for two game pieces. Game peices are large inflatable pool rings.
Each match of Rack 'n Roll is 2 minutes 15 seconds long, divided into three segments. The first segment is a 15 second autonomous period, where robots may attempt to place keepers onto the rack without human input. Once autonomous mode is complete, any keepers not already on the rack are no longer valid for scoring. The second segment, the teleoperated mode, is 2 minutes long, during which robots are operated by the drivers and may roam anywhere on the field. In the final 15 seconds, the end game, robots may not enter their opponent's end zone, but all other rules remain the same from the teleoperated period. Though the head referee may pause the game between the autonomous period and the teleoperated period, the end game follows directly after the teleoperated period.
Our 2007 Robot!!
LUNACY is played on a 54' x 27' low friction field. 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. Robots are autonomous during the first 15 seconds of play, and teleoperated for the remaining 2 minutes. Trailers begin each match empty, and robots may be loaded with up to 7 Moon Rocks by their team prior to the start of the match. Human players are equipped with 20 Moon Rocks, less the number they load into their robot, and a quantity of Empty Cells and Super Cells determined by the outcome of their previous match. If a team has not yet played a match, the human player receives 4 Empty Cells and 2 Super Cells. Moon Rocks and Empty Cells scored in an opponents trailer, at any time and by any player, are worth 2 points. Super Cells scored in an opponents trailer are worth 15 points. Super Cells must be activated before they can be played. Activation
occurs when a robot delivers an Empty Cell from their Outpost to their Fueling Station. Empty Cells can be delivered throughout the match. Super Cells may only be played during the last 20 seconds of a match.
Community Services and Recent Events
2010 Build Season
Catch Your Mind, Movie Premiere
Burke Center Fall Festival
Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum
Bonnie Brae Elementry School Science Fair
NOVA Home Educators Conference
Cherry Hill Elementry School Lego FRC Team
List of our
2010 Sponsors
Team History
Team 1123, AIM Robotics, was founded in 2003 by a group of home school families who desired to give their students an educational experience of a life time. Thus, we pride ourselves in accepting students of all ages, all education levels and all experience levels. Unlike some teams which attend only set events every year, we make ourselves open to many possibilities. In our last seven years of attending regional competitions, we have gone thrice to the VCU/NASA Richmond regional, thrice to the Annapolis regional, and once to the DC Regional. We also go to a multitude of off season competitions, including the Maryland state fair, the York, the Pennsylvania Summer Frenzy (hosted by team 225), and all of the Robot Rumbles in the Virginia State Fair since its inception in 2006.
Team goals
Team strengths
One of the strengths of Team 1123 is the independence it has for being un-affiliated with a specific school. As a team that accepts any and all students who want to join, it is a team that prides itself with having students who have a variety of interests. This translates into new and innovative ideas for accomplishing the FRC challenges. The ROCKWELL AUTOMATION INNOVATION IN CONTROL AWARD shows that this strategy is working for Team 1123.
Robot design and game strategy
This year, our robot's design strategy is "Simple and Sturdy". We learned from last year's FRC experience that complicated design may have many features, but it compromised our robot's robustness. Team 1123 looks foward to a great 2010 FRC season!
Resources
Useful Links
Chief Delphi - A forum for discussing FIRST related topics
The Blue Alliance - A site with information about FIRST teams, matches, and video tutorials
FIRSTAutodesk - The Autodesk site forFIRSTstudents and mentors
NASA - The NASA website
NASA Robotics - The NASA website affiliated with robotics
FIRST -TheFIRSTwebsite
Useful Widgets
Torque Calculator
Force Unit Conversion Calculator
Aim robotics takes pride in volunteering at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum. Since 2006, Aim Robotics has helped spread the FIRST Vision of science and technology to other young minds by explaining vital concepts with hands on tools. We also help the museum on important events such as, Air or Scare (Halloween special event), Earth Day, Space Day, and much more.
Catch Your Mind
Team 1123, AIM Robotics, volunteered at the Worldgate Center to help spread the message about FIRST Robotics to old and young minds alike. Commitment, teamwork, leadership, and motivation, all necessary to a successful FIRST team, are shown in the 2008 blockbuster Catch Your Mind. This film shows these traits in action with a young man named Bruce who adapts these characteristics to help create a successful FIRST Robotics team.
The trailer for Catch Your Mind
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
During week three, we measured and cut the bumpers. We finished constructing the frame of the robot to the maximum allotted dimensions. This would allow for building backwards without the worry of fitting in the dimensions. In addition, we finalized the design of the robot as a kicker robot and started to build the kicking mechanism.
Mentors
Dr. Bruce Swett
Mr. Brian Reiche
Mr. Jason Stern
Even though we came across him last summer in 2008, it feels like mentor Bruce Swett has always been on the team. He has years of experience in the robotics industry and has a PhD in neuroscience. As head build mentor, he has helped us engender great ideas and has helped us apply them to the robot. He also has been incredibly generous and has let the team build in his basement.
Thank You.
Why do you mentor us?
Ever since mentor Jason Stern joined this team, he has been a library of brilliant ideas. The team met him while volunteering at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum. Employed at Booz Allen Hamilton, he was able to get the team a $3000 grant from his company. At the meetings, Mr. Stern specializes in mentoring in electronics and wiring, vital components of the robot. We are extremely grateful to Mr. Stern for his time and effort.
Our Robot at the 2009 DC Regional Scrimage
2010 FRC "Breakaway"
