Today at 11:59:59 (04:59:59 GMT) is the end of the 2018 build season for FRC teams all around the world including the BICS bIrobot team.  bIrobot is among more than 3,000 teams in 30+ countries completing robots that are custom designed and built to compete in this year’s FRC game named Power Up!  The six week qualification round period begins next week with the bIrobot Team heading to matches at Grand Valley State University on March 22-24 and Marysville High School on April 5-7.  You can see the completed 2018 bIrobot at the annual Chili Cook-off at BICS the evening of March 2.

About the 2018 bIrobot

This year’s robot is unlike any the team has built before.  It has a six wheel drive system with four closely spaced pneumatic tires (two on each side and all powered) and two “omni” wheels (that can drive forward and roll sideways) far forward on the chassis (one on each side).  On board the robot are four major sub-systems.  First, the telescoping, two stage lift system can extend from 50 to 100 inches in height and move its main stage from floor level to the top position of the lift.  The lift system caries  the second system, a cube handling system that can pick-up a milk crate sized, nylon covered cube from the floor in any orientation, and eject it at any level the lift can reach. The lift systems also caries the third system, a climbing assist mechanism that can extend a cantilever arm to a bracket and then work with the lift system to climb the entire robot at least 12 inches off the floor.  The final mojor system is an electronics bay that includes the computer, power supply, motor controllers and safety systems that control the robot.

Today at 11:59:59 (04:59:59 GMT) is the end of the 2019 build season for FRC teams all around the world including the BICS bIrobot team.  bIrobot is among more than 3,000 teams in 30+ countries completing robots that are custom designed and built to compete in this year’s FRC game named Destination: Deep Space!  The six week qualification round period begins next week with the bIrobot Team heading to matches at Orchard View High School in Muskegon on March 14-16 and Lake Superior State University on April 4-6.

About the 2019 bIrobot

Well, we can tell you much about it now because we won;t know the challenge for the 2019 season until January 5, 2019.  But, for now we can tell you about last year’s robot. Our 2018 robot was unlike any the team has built before.  It has a six wheel drive system with four closely spaced pneumatic tires (two on each side and all powered) and two “omni” wheels (that can drive forward and roll sideways) far forward on the chassis (one on each side).  On board the robot are four major sub-systems.  First, the telescoping, two stage lift system can extend from 50 to 100 inches in height and move its main stage from floor level to the top position of the lift.  The lift system carries the second system, a cube handling system that can pick-up a milk crate sized, nylon covered cube from the floor in any orientation, and eject it at any level the lift can reach. The lift systems also caries the third system, a climbing assist mechanism that can extend a cantilever arm to a bracket and then work with the lift system to climb the entire robot at least 12 inches off the floor.  (This sub-system contributed to our team winning a technical achievement award at one of our events in the 2018 season.) The final major system is an electronics bay that includes the computer, power supply, motor controllers and safety systems that control the robot.

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.