[FIRST 2010] Silicon Valley Regional, March 18-20

 The 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition, Silicon Valley Regional  was held last weekend.

(Photo 1: The field) 

 First and foremost, I would like to thank Team 114 for letting me follow the team this season and to experience with them firsthand what this competition is all about. I would not have had a clue about what was going on at the event, had I not watched you build the robot over a matter of weeks and if you had not so kindly answered all my questions during that process and also on the day of the game. (I mean, seriously, the rules are not easy for a first-timer as myself.)

(Photo 2: Team 114) 

 And Team 114 did great! They got into the final tournament and competed in the quarter finals. 

 Their robot even seemed to know what makes a good story!  The team's seeding score was 9th (out of 50 teams) after the qualifications, which couldn't have been better for my article because it allows me to explain to my Japanese readers how the alliances are formed for the final tournament. (The top 8 teams become team captains for the elimination matches, they each choose 2 other teams to form an alliance, but the 1st team chose the 2nd, so team 114 moved up to become an alliance captain, and so on......  see, it's complicated.) 

 Moreover, the robot was the only machine that made a major runaway during autonomous mode and hit an opponent. This did end in a penalty, but again, these are the things that make an intriguing story.

(Photo 3: Robot makes runaway)

(Photo 4: Team 114 communicating with the MC)

(Photo 5: Team 114 was really good at scoring)

(Photo 6: The quarter finals) 
 

(Photo 7: Fixing the robot in the pit)

 

   

(Photo 8: 50 teams competed in the Silicon Valley Regional)

(Photos 1,2,4 Courtesy of Mr. Budd)

 For the time being, the season ends for Team 114 but GetRobo will be covering the  Championship to be held in Atlanta in April.