Join us for a 2020 season kick-off event in the robot lab at BICS. We’ll watch the kick-off show live streamed for FIRST HQ and then begin work on planning our 2020 robot. We’ll wrap things up with a traditional pizza party at 1:00 p.m.
If you aren’t able to join us at BICS, you can watch the Kick-off live from FIRST HQ here: https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1747660/85b43e41-770e-4585-86bf-f0a69d289791
Our first District Event of the 2020 season is in Escanaba at the Escanaba High School. Once we finalize travel arrangements, those details will be posted here.
Our second District Event for 2020 will be at Alpena High School. Travel information will be posted here as it becomes available.
FIM HAS CANCELLED THE MICHIGAN STATE CHAMP EVENT. FIM is looking at options to conduct an alternate series of events at SVSU at a later date. CHeck back here or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for details.
The State Champ event returns to Saginaw Valley State University (where we competed in 2016 and 2017). We will work hard to return this year.
The detailed schedule for the event has not yet been published, but please note that it runs over three days rather than the two (as is the case for regional events).
Full event information from FIM will be posted here: http://firstinmichigan.us/FRC/events/
FIRST HAS CANCELLED THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT IN DETROIT.
Again this year the FIRST world championship events are split between two locations–Houston and Detroit. We qualified for the world championships in St. Louis in 2016 (when they were still a single event) and have attended the Detroit Championships as a guest of Consumers Energy after winning a state-wide Pit Display comeptition. We will work hard this year to return as a competitor in the event.
Here is a link to information about the Detroit World event: https://www.firstchampionship.org/detroit-home. The FIRST world event is more exciting than any other high school competitive event we know about. In addition to competition events for all four FIRST Leagues (FLL Jr., FLL, FTC and FRC), you can visit the teams in their pits and attend a full schedule of conference sessions that cover a broad range of topics of interest to students, parents and mentors that cover a variety of robotics and other topics. If you can make it there even for a day, we encourage you to go. It’s all free for general attendance at the matches and for all conference events.
Join us for a 2022 season kick-off event in the robot lab at BICS. We’ll watch the kick-off show live streamed for FIRST HQ and then begin work on planning our 2022 robot. We’ll wrap things up with a traditional pizza party at 1:30 p.m.
If you aren’t able to join us at BICS, you can join us by Zoom:
This year, FIRST® teams will explore the future of transportation. From the shipment of packages in rural and urban areas, to disaster relief delivery and high-tech air transit, teams will re-imagine faster, more reliable, inclusive, and sustainable transportation innovations that better connect and grow communities and economies around the world. Teams will address today’s global challenges related to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9, focused on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. By encouraging FIRST participants to think about future transportation sustainability, we’re also empowering them to be the next generation of leaders and innovators, tackling the world’s toughest challenges.
Our first District Event of the 2022 season is in Midland at H.H. Dow High School. Once we finalize travel arrangements, those details will be posted here.
Our second District Event of the 2022 season is in Kingsford in the UP at Kingsford High School. Once we finalize travel arrangements, those details will be posted here.
Click this link for directions to the venue. Additional information about the event is available on the Kingsford Event page at the First in Michigan site.
The team will depart from Welke Airport at 9:00 a.m. on April 7. The robot will depart late the prior day. It is about a 4:45 drive to the site so, with a few pit stops we should arrive there around 4:00 p.m. EDT, but because Kingsford is on Central time, the local time will be 3:00 p.m. EDT. We will leave Kingsford to return Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. local time and arrive back at CVX around 3:00 p.m. EDT. Our return flight is at 4:30 p.m.
The team will be staying at yje Days Inn in Iron Mountain, which is about three miles from the competition site. Reservations are available here. Directions to the hotel are here.
Our route to Kingsford will take us through Norway. However, because we will not disembark there, no passports will be required.
Join the BICS robotics team bIrobot for a cybersecurity camp. Learn how to defend PCs by understanding how they are attacked. Participate in a cyber-sec “capture the flag” game as you compete against students from across the state. It’ll be lots of fun and the skills you learn will help get you ready for the BICS CyberPatriot team launching in the fall. The class will be taught by long-time island summer resident and cybersecurity expert Chris Sorensen with assistance from bIrobot Lead Mentor Kevin Boyle. The camp sessions will be available online and in person, but those on the island are encouraged top plan to participate in person. Camp times are 8:30 to 11:30
Signup begins May 1. To sign up, send an email to cybersecure@birobot.org.
Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel our camp for this summer. Our team is small and its members are all busy with summer jobs this summer. We hope to build our ranks this year and offer a summer camp again next year.
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We plan to resume our robotics camp this summer! It’s a mini-FRC season packed into a week. We’ll spend a day one getting up to speed. Kick-off (and the game reveal) will be at noon on day two with build continuing through the morning of day five. The competition will be day five. Campers will form teams to design and build their own robots using the Lego EV3 platform. Teams will compete both on robotics performance and their ability to explain their design, strategy and approach to teamwork to judges who will visit them in their pits during the competition (just like at and FRC event).
Camp will run 8:30 to 12:30 Monday through Friday. The competition will start at 1:00 on Friday.
Check the bIrobot website for additional details and to sign up to be notified when online registration becomes available.
Please remember that FIRST is more than robots. Campers will also design team logos, banners and buttons. No prior programming or robotics experience is required, but campers with prior experience will be equally challenged.
