Goodrich – They’ve won one, and lost one, but Goodrich robotics champions are still vigorously defending last year’s international title.
The team was knocked out of the most recent For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) competition, held at Wayne State University in Detroit. The crew made a last-minute change when faculty adviser Clint Densham left the March 19 tournament early, after injuring his knee jumping from a low bleacher step.
‘I had to take over as the driver coach,? said team leader Pat Major.
The Martian team was cut in the semi-final round, but awarded Radio Shack’s ‘Controls Award? for having the robot with the best remote operation system.
The Wayne State weekend was the second regional contest this year for the team, which gained fame last year by taking first place in the international championship in Atlanta. The 2004 title automatically earned the Martians an invitation to this year’s international event.
At an earlier contest held March 4 and 5 at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., the Goodrich team claimed top spot at the FIRST robotics competition, beating 32 other teams.
The team also earned an award for setting safety standards.
Eastman Kodak Company safety engineers reviewed team procedures in an effort to increase overall safety of the competition, said Major.
‘They were so impressed with our team’s procedures in the pit, they gave us their e-mail address to send them,? he said.
Goodrich emphasized safety through a student training program, and through use of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), documents listing a chemical’s ingredients and safe-handling procedures, required in the workplace by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). The team also had fire extinguishers in the crew’s work pit.
A new game plan is devised each year for FIRST teams, who must create a robot from a box of parts’without instructions’to perform specific assigned tasks. Previously, robots had to carry out a sequence of steps to win a game.
It’s both more and less complicated this season.
‘Last year, there were three to four aspects to design for,? said Major, such as climbing steps, lifting a ball, and swinging from a bar. ‘This year there’s just one aspect to design for. It’s harder in some aspects, in some aspects it isn’t.?
This year’s game, called ‘Triple Play? is like a giant tic-tac-toe square laid out on the field. Robots compete by stacking tetrahedrons on the grid.
After fine-tuning the Goodrich robot, the team is gearing up for its third regional competition April 1 at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich. before internationally defending its title at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta later this month.
‘The team feels very good about the Atlanta competition,? Major said.
‘We have continued to make improvements on our robot and we think we can run with the best of them.?