This week we’re meeting another Rookie All-Star winner last year, Team 5459 The TIGERS (Technologically Inclined Group of Engineering Robotics Students)! This team is mentored by Dave Kneedler and Mike Judy. Dave is the Automotive MEMS Product Engineering Manager. His group is responsible for new product introduction of inertial MEMS deices to the Automotive marketplace, with focus on safety applications such as airbag deployment, electronic stability control, rollover detection, and advanced braking. They work in concert with the Marketing, Applications, MEMS and ASIC design, Advanced Technology, and Worldwide Manufacturing groups to bring these products from concept to mass manufacturing.
I got to talk with one of the Tiger students, Peyton Fitzgerald, about FIRST and his team and what it’s all about.
How did your team get its start?
We started up last year with the push of the couple of mentors we had. The Manchester-Essex team came to our school to spark interest, and we took it from there. We relied heavily on mentors to learn how to work efficiently in this kind of environment. It was tough to try and pull it off, considering we had only really started the team a week before kickoff, but we gained invaluable experience.
What got you involved with FIRST?
I personally got involved with FIRST when I heard about the meeting of a robotics team over the announcements. I had been vying for one for a while up to that point, and was enthused to hear that it was finally going to be a reality. A few of my friends and I went to the first meeting, in which I suddenly became the marketing/external affairs lead (though I still do a lot of mechanical work), and sort of worked my way to create my own program as well as my own “job description” with the guidance of one of our mentors.
What has FIRST done for you?
I have not only gained invaluable experience, but I have also gained a new family. I’ve learned how to manage projects, build, budget, plan, market, write concisely (working on it), and so much more. Beyond that, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing people. We’ve bonded through the hard work that comes with build season and developed a great team dynamic. This hasn’t always been easy, as there have been times where many people have been difficult to work with, but that is the reality of the work force. I’m getting valuable experience with dealing with these kinds of situations like that as well.
What does "More than Robots" mean to you?
“More than Robots” means everything to me. Not only have I gained experience in mechanical techniques, but I have also gained experience in corporate relations, talking about press releases, relating to the public, planning events, and most of all, project management. I have learned how to work effectively in a work place and create an environment so that others may do so as well. You can’t get that anywhere else.
What are some of the biggest challenges your team has faced in the past, and how did you overcome them?
As a rookie team last year, we honestly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We had one mentor whom had experience with FIRST, and she was a huge driving force. But other than that, we had a large amount of difficulty understanding the program, much less how to build a robot for it. We had undeveloped skills and no real plan going into it. We were able to utilize our resources and mentors, even though they didn’t build anything on our robot. We were able to learn and grow as engineers to produce our rookie year robot. This year, we took our weaknesses and turned them back around, working to alleviate any rough edge in our plans. We do not predict to get the process down until next year or the year after that, as this is a long-term thing that requires some experience and trial and error. As I always say…it’s a process.
If you could describe your experience with robotics in one word, what would it be?
Indescribable. Sounds sort of counterintuitive to describe it with the opposite word, but it’s the truth!
(I have to agree Peyton! FIRST is definitely one of those see-it-to-believe-it you-sort-of-had-to-be-there kind of experiences.)
What advice would you give to teams in their rookie season this year?
Try to get started as soon as possible. Prepare. Make sure that you seek all advice and utilize it effectively. No one’s rookie year robot performs outstandingly. But you can strive to be the one that does. It takes intense research, development of resources early, and a lot of dedication.
How’s the robot doing?
The robot is coming along very well. Due to a few snow days, we’ve been set back a little in our schedule, but learning from last year, we allowed for buffer room. We are only a week out from finishing a design we are very confident in.
We’re in the final stretch, and with one week to go you can bet some teams are starting to panic. Some will certainly pull all-nighters. Others are ready to rest easy. Here in Greensboro we are making a final push before next Tuesday’s bag-and-tag night. Will everyone be ready? Stay tuned next week to hear from a team that’s entering the world of FIRST for the first time.
This blog post is part of a series about FIRST robotics and the impact that ADI has on teams of students across the country and the world. Stay tuned for more posts during the FRC build season and competition season, culminating with coverage of the FIRST World Championships in St Louis in April 2016! Follow the conversation about FIRST with the hashtags omgrobots and morethanrobots on all social media platforms.