Robotics Updates (The Glen, Fall 2024)

FRC Robotics: ALT-F4 Wins International All Girls Competition

Bayview Glen’s Upper School FIRST Robotics Competition team, ALT-F4, recently participated in an all-girls offseason competition in Michigan The event, known as the Goonettes Invitational, is a two-day competition hosted by an American team ALT-F4 was the first international team to participate in both days of the competition.

After driving for over six hours and crossing the border, ALT-F4 finally arrived in Michigan . Feeling tired and needing rest, they headed straight to their hotel, preparing for the weekend ahead.

With a good night of sleep in the tank, they woke up ready to tackle the competition After breakfast at the hotel, they headed to the venue to set up the pit area and perform a systems check on the robot The team won their first qualification match of the day by 14 points, and continued their winning streak by winning five of the six matches they played in Despite growing issues with the robot’s turret, they were the second-seeded team at the start of the playoffs.

Round 1 of playoffs was a victory for the team, and they had started making a name for themselves in the competition Round 2 of the playoffs was a different story While they stayed on top for most of the match, it ended at 71-69, with ALT-F4 trailing behind by two points Everyone in the stands sat with bated breath, watching the screen and waiting for the final scores to be announced.

After the final scores for the match were tallied up, ALT-F4 won by a single point Even through the livestream, I could hear the shouts of joy from the stands and from our team Even though I wasn’t at the competition, I was exhilarated and filled with pride for my team.

Unfortunately, our luck didn’t last for very long, with the team losing the next two matches due to a broken turret, later being eliminated during the semifinals Still, the team’s performance was exemplary, and the practice from the day helped set them up for success during the second day of the competition.

After a rollercoaster of a first day, the team went to Olive Garden, which most people described as one of the highlights of the competition As they sat down at the large table and began ordering their food, they truly felt like a team With shared laughter and shared desserts, our team was strengthened and ready for Day 2.

Their hard work and time spent fixing up the bot didn’t go to waste The team ended up winning five of their six qualification matches and was the first-seeded team during the playoffs.

While the playoffs began with a rough start, with the team losing by three points in the first round, ALT-F4 didn’t give up Fueled by the previous night’s unlimited pasta and breadsticks, the team won every single game in the playoffs, securing a place in the finals.

The first round of the finals was a race for points, with ALT-F4 eventually beating the other alliance by six points After winning the first round, the team only had to win one more round of finals before securing the win and becoming the first international team to win the competition.

The second round of finals started off roughly, with our robot stalling out during the autonomous period of the competition We ended the match at a tie of 63/63 points The judges and referees still had to go over the match and decide who won One of the robots on our alliance was given a yellow card Everyone waited anxiously for the judges to announce the victors, until the deciding message flashed on the screen “RED WINS”Unfortunately, our robot was on the blue team Now, the competition was neck and neck.

The autonomous period for the third round ended with a 29/29 tie, and the drivers eagerly took control of the robots Slowly but surely, we widened the gap between ourselves and the opposing team Our team ended the match with an all-but-confirmed win, at 103 points to our opponents’ 53 The judges took a few minutes to look over the match and calculate additional penalties and points Everyone on the team, from people at the competition in the middle of the action to people watching the livestream in their living rooms back in Toronto, waited for the result.

“BLUE WINS!” We all erupted in cheers as the team was presented with their banner (an award given at FRC competitions in place of a trophy).

Once the team returned to Toronto, we put up the new banner in the robotics lab A great start to the season!

LukasMedia & Marketing LeadGrade 10 Student

Mikaila EditorGrade 10 Student

FLL Robotics: Lego League

Bayview Glen’s FIRST Lego League teams are off to a strong start this Fall On September 29, Bayview Glen hosted the annual Ontario FLL Kickoff event for the 12th consecutive season Teams from all over the province benefitted from our children’s leadership and technical skills in our student-led workshops Bayview Glen is proud to maintain its position as a national leader in Robotics and Innovation .

The SUBMERGED season’s Innovation Project will challenge the teams with researching and developing innovative solutions related to ocean exploration, and the Robot Game is a complex undertaking that requires complex engineering, building, and programming skills In all things that the teams do, they are guided by the FIRST Core Values of Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun