The Game
- "Triple Play" is the 2005 competition
- 3 vs. 3 matches
- Game pieces are tetrahedrons (Tetra) on a 27' x 52' field
- Nine tetra goals in a 3 x 3 matrix played similar to tic-tac-toe.
Team Composition
| On Team Rolls | St. Charles, MO | Cleveland, OH | Atlanta, GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 52 | 48 | 35 | 36 |
| Adults | 20 - 30 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
The Robot
Robot structure built primarily with "8020" system. Six 6" wheels driven by total of four #35 chain and four CIM motor using kit gearboxes.
Final sprocket arrangement was 15 teeth on gearbox to 18 teeth on 6" wheels. Initially, robot was perceived to be faster than necessary and lacked desired smooth turning control to position the tetras
Robot assembly was not rugged enough to withstand collisions and shaking that occurred during the game. The 8020 chassis had to checked after each match to retighten loose fasteners.
Mechanisms include:
- 38" travel slide powered by a van door motor and #25 chain
- 50" rotating arm powered by a Fisher-Price motor coupled to a Dewalt XRP 3 speed gearbox and two #35 chains
Schedule and Activities
May 31, 2004 Fundraising at Six Flags
Seven students and one adult earned $330.00
October 15, 2004 Fundraising at Six Flags
Eleven students and three adults earned $419.83
October 29, 2004 Fundraising at Six Flags
Seven students and four adults earned $376.85
November 6, 2004
25 students and 10 adults participated in the St. Louis FIRST regional Training Camp. Frank Dressel was Training Camp's co-chair. Eight different seminars available. Approximately 160 participants were trained.
December 2004 and January 2005 Go Fundraising scratch-off effort.
Cost $1,500 for 87 booklets plus minor administrative supplies
Students and staff turned in $2,798 for a net profit of $1,298. Note: most students did not use the scratch-off booklets but collected donations some other way. There are 18 unused booklets that can be used by those interested next year. Otherwise, this fundraiser method is not recommended for next year.
Kickoff at SLSC January 8, 2005
Game unveiled and kit issued
Met that afternoon at SLSC to inventory kit and began game strategy and design discussions.
Team met Mondays through Saturdays during the six week build window.
Students: 3,378 hours from Kickoff to Ship date
Adults: 633 hours.
Met the last Sunday February 20 but took Monday, Presidents Day off.
Students and parents handled each Saturday's pot-luck lunches and their varied menus with outstanding results.
St. Louis Regional, St. Charles, MO March 10-12, 2005
G4 1.5 lbs overweight - corrected by a few lightening holes and other refinements. G4 passed inspection.
Finishing 29th out of 44 teams with a 4-7-0 record
Team won St. Louis Regional Chairman's Award which qualifies team to compete again at the Championships.
Buckeye Regional, Cleveland, OH March 23-27, 2005
Finished 22nd out of 42 teams with a 5-5-0 record.
Selected for elimination rounds and won in quarter finals
Championships, Atlanta, GA April 20-24, 2005
Chairman's Award team gave 10 minute presentation to judges followed by Q&A.
Team finished 67th out of 85 teams in Archimedes Division. There were 341 high school teams present plus Lego League teams and Vex demonstration teams.