Oxford Academy Robotics is proud to announce the first edition of our seasonal newsletter, The Quantum Leap! We’ll be covering the nuts and bolts (pun intended) of our program, our upcoming competitions, and how we’re working towards making it to Worlds in the 2022-2023 school year. As a bit of an introduction, the OA Robotics Program is a STEM oriented organization composed of three groups: the FRC team, the FTC team, and the Operations department. The FRC team, short for FIRST Robotics Competition, creates industrial-sized robots to compete in obstacle courses and other challenges, with the designation of Team 4079. Our FTC team, short for FIRST Tech Challenge, creates robots on a smaller scale for similar purposes; to compete through a variety of challenges, with the designation of Team 19812. Lastly, our Operations department is the bread and butter of our team, managing funds, organizing events, and making our teams known to the world through projects like this newsletter. With that said, feel free to see what we’ve been up to!
The FRC Game is a complex system filled with various objectives and different paths to reach those goals. As scoring points often requires unique interactions with game components, we need specific mechanisms on our robot. The Mechanical Department is in charge of designing and constructing these machines. In the past, they have created various subsystems such as an Elevator, Climber, Low Dumper, High Shooter, and Flywheel, among others. They deal with motors and other tools like sprockets, chains, belts, and gearboxes. Some of the tasks they are in charge of include CAD, designing, and machining.
In order to bridge the different mechanical components of the robot and utilize software to control the mechanism, the electrical systems are needed. The Electrical Department is responsible for all such wiring, electrical devices, and sensors. They start the season by working on the Power Distribution Hub, which powers the motors of the drivetrain. In the past, they have created Test Boxes and Systems for the software team to test, designed and fabricated the Electrical Board. Some of the tasks they are in charge of include soldering, motion control, and power delivery.
The Electrical and Mechanical Departments each create different structures that are responsible for different functions of the robot. The Software Department is in charge of programming to integrate both these systems to control the robot. This off-season, software created a Vision program that used a Limelight camera with a ring light to detect targets. They use this program to identify how far they are from the target, allowing the driver to gain a better understanding of the position of the robot. The Software Department is also responsible for Java and Python programming, PID programming, and management and operator control.
Technical and hands-on activities aside, our FRC team also consists of a publicity department that actively seeks to communicate our mission learn, compete, and thrive. Operations focuses on publicizing our team to the community, sharing various media and updates of our team with students, parents, and sponsors. The department creates videos, posters, and newsletters that represent our team. While the operations department does not physically work on building and maintaining the robot, the entire branch works hard to support the team and make sure the team can keep on running.
The JPL Invention Challenge is an annual competition held by JPL that challenges young innovators to combine their skill sets to solve STEAM oriented problems. The competition consist of a Regional and a Final. This year, the Regional took place on November 19th at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana. Our teams worked very hard to prepare for the competition. Despite all of our efforts combined we did not place in the competition. However, there is still hope to get invited for the Finals. Non placed teams will get a chance to an invitation to compete in the Finals. The Finals will be held at NASAJPL in Pasadena. A special shoutout to all the parents, mentors, teachers, and above all the students who made this possible.
FTC Kickoff marks the start of the 2022 season, where game rules and criteria for the competition are revealed. While the FRC kickoff is still several months away, the FTC Kickoff was held on September 10. Members watched the live stream and game reveal, split into groups to go over the game manual and create potential strategies, all while bonding with the rest of the team. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this Kickoff a success!
This year's Beach Blitz was filled with fun and provides us with an opportunity to better improve our robot. A highlight from this event is that our team received a $1000 dollar grant from OCRA!
Dear readers,
Thank you for your endless support in the development of our teams this past year. Last year, our heads of Operations made it their goal to develop OA Robotics newsletters in an effort to spread the message of our team in an accessible, interactive way. Inspired by their motivation, it is now our goal to continue producing team newsletters as we work towards updating students, parents, and mentors alike regarding what both our FRC and FTC teams have accomplished, and what they continue to work on.
This year, we've faced major setbacks following the graduation of a lot of our more experienced upperclassmen. However, we've worked hard to ensure that we can become strong members of the OA Robotics Operations team and build a foundation and image for the team as a whole. With effort from the Operations Department, we've managed to accomplish a great variety of things, and we know that as the year progresses, we will continue to do so.
The first issue of the year marks the beginning of an entire FTC and FRC season filled with STEM, collaboration, and fun. We hope you follow The Quantum Leap along its journey throughout the year, staying updated on our progress as we move along! On behalf of OA Robotics, it is our goal to develop a warm, welcoming community for everyone, and we hope that our documentation of this coming year allows you to live through these incredible moments with us. Happy holidays, we'll see you next time!
OA Robotics Operations Directors 2022 2023
Sincerely, Maanya Arora and Tatiana Otieno
Designed and edited by: OA Robotics Operations
FRC Team 4079 | FTC Team 19812 The Quantum Leap Sponsored by: