2005 Season (Our Rookie Year): Triple Play

 

MARS 2005 Team Highlights

The birth of MARS Team 1523 occurs in the fall of 2004, but groundwork had been laid a year previously. Interested professionals from GE Healthcare joined engineers and others already mentoring Team 179 “Children of the Swamp”. After watching and learning about FIRST firsthand, they approached a few high schools in the local area stating a desire to sponsor and help create a new team. Unlike other schools approached, Jupiter High School under the direction of Principal Dr. Paula F. Nessmith and with the committed involvement of Engineering Instructor Mr. Jim Zachariah eagerly welcomed the creation of a new FIRST robotics team. Having worked in neighboring Martin County and having had experience mentoring Team 180 “SPAM”, Mr. Zachariah was familiar with the goals, benefits and hours of work required. Strong mentor support came not only from GE Healthcare, but from former Team 179 member/then engineering college student Matt Bays, engineers, technicians and a machinist that mentored both MARS and Children of the Swamp, and MARS team parents with engineering, architecture and technical backgrounds.

A big thanks to all of our 2005 supporters. They made this season possible!

The Game

Triple Play is a high action game similar to tic-tac-toe. It is played by two alliances, red and blue, each consisting of three robots. The primary game pieces are called “tetras” which are tetrahedrons made from 7 inch PVC pipe. The game is played on a field set up like a tic-tac-toe board, with nine larger goals, also shaped as tetras in three rows of three. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by placing tetras on or into goals, getting three goals in a row capped with tetras, and/or having all three robots on an alliance in their end zone at the end of the match. A match is 2 minutes and 15 seconds long, beginning with a 15 second autonomous period. At the start of each match, the corner goals have hanging tetras, and robots can keep the tetras in the goals only if they knock them down in autonomous mode. In the spaces between the center row of goals and the home rows, four “Vision Tetras” are placed. A robot can locate these autonomously to score extra points. On the side of the playing field are automatic loading zones. These platforms are kept with a constant supply of single tetra for a robot to pick up and bring into play. On the opposing side of the field is the Human Player Loading Zone, where human players can run out and hook a tetra on their robot. By doing this, however, human players disable their robot until players return to their platform. A tetra is worth 1 point if contained, 3 points if stacked and capping 3 goals in a row by the same alliance at the conclusion of the match is worth 10 points. Having all 3 robots of an alliance in their end zone at a match’s conclusion earns an additional 10 points.

Major Rules include:

  • Intentionally damaging another robot or the playing field is not allowed.
  • At the beginning of a match, each robot must not exceed a volume of 28 inches by 38 inches by 60 inches tall.
  • Human Players must stand on designated pressure pad sensors. The robot is enabled only while the Human Player is on the pad.
  • A robot may not interfere with an opposing robot while the opposing robot is retrieving tetra in its loading zone.
  • Robots can remove contained tetras, but cannot remove stacked tetras.
  • Strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or entanglement of robots is not allowed.

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Our Robot


Name: “RamRod”

Design Inspiration: A fork-lift

Noteworthy Feature: High reach extension; able to pick up tetras from the ground and cap high goals. Motion deployed stabilizing roller feet prevent tipping, particularly when the robot’s arm is fully extended.

  • Two wheel drive with pneumatic rubber drive front wheels and rear casters. Drive wheels positioned nearest the tetra allowed it to turn close to the tetra.
  • Autonomous programming that consistently knocked off hanging tetra on low corner goal for reliable point score.
  • Motion deployed arm that would fall vertically into place when the robot drove forward and stopped.
  • A shear pin in the arm to protect against breakage from side impacts.
  • Spear with backstop on arm’s end for picking up tetras. The backstop prevented tetra from getting stuck on the arm.
  • Robot’s frame made from lightweight aluminum screen enclosure material.
  • Pop rivets and marine adhesives fastened joints.

View a video of the first tetra lift, or a video of our first scrimmage!

An Insider’s Observations:

For Team 1523’s rookie students and parents, FIRST was an unfamiliar organization. Having never seen a match and unfamiliar with any aspect of FIRST competitions, the existence of Lego Leagues was even a surprise. At the team’s first ever practice scrimmage in the winter of 2005 held at Team 179’s Swamp with other south FL teams, MARS’ moms were heard to gasp and complain loudly whenever other robots bumped into ours. Children of the Swamp enlightened the team, letting them know that the play was mild and reemphasizing the need to build a “robust” robot. At the Florida Regional’s Competition, many on the team were unfamiliar with the term “gracious professionalism” and expressed surprise when intense competitors would see if they could also be of help. During competition the team allowed different drivers, human players and adult coaches to try their hand at matches. Mars ended up in approximately 34th place and learned several valuable lessons. At the Mayhem at the Museum off-season event, Mars led the winning alliance. Composed mainly of freshmen students, every member expressed an interest in returning in 2006.