The Quantum Leap
Table of Contents 04
Member Spotlight
12
SERVATHON
16
FRC KICKOFF
18
MEET A MENTOR: MR. WRIGHT
24
ABOUT US
27
from the operations directors
Department Updates FTC MEET 2-3 & QUALIFIERS dodgeball bonding event
10 14 17
CHAIRMAN'S AWARD
23
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
25
mem mem spotl spot
mber mber light tlight
This issue, we wanted to feature two talented and dedicated members of OA Robotics to recognize all the hard work they put into our organization. ABIGAIL PHAN (8) and LUKE STEPHAN (8) are two members of our team who have consistently exhibited their love for engineering and robotics at each of our meetings. They work with the mechanical department, constantly getting our robot ready for our upcoming competition, Orange County Regional. Prior to our FRC Season, they trained within the team during their first year in-person with OA Robotics by helping build our publicity robot. Q: WHY DID YOU JOIN FRC? Abigail: Engineering is an interesting topic for me, because it seems like there are no limits to what someone can do. The possibilities are endless, although it takes hard work and determination to achieve. And so hearing about robotics fascinated me. Robots are created by us, and they do so many amazing things. Going through the process of building a robot and learning about how they are made is what I wanted to be able to do here. Luke: I decided to join because I like engineering in general, I like designing things, and I kind of just wanted to put that into practice. And building robots seemed cool to me, so it’s been really fun ever since. Q: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE? Abigail: In the future, I hope to be able to get a job in either biochemistry or engineering. Specifically, studying life sciences or architecture. Both of these fields involve creativity and math, two of my favorite things. Luke: I probably want to become an engineer when I get a job in the future. I’m not sure exactly what I want to do, [but] probably something to do with structure, robotics, or electricity. Those are the fields I’m most interested in right now.
Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN THIS FIELD OR THE TEAM? Abigail: At my elementary school, we had a STEM Lab that became my favorite place for its real experiments. I remember trying to design a baking soda rocket that would go the farthest. Not only were my engineering skills tested, but I realized that engineering offers a wide range of opportunities. During summer last year, I was considering clubs to join and saw the Robotics Club at registration where I met Jessica, who told me even more about the club. Luke: I became interested in the team through club rush, [where] I discovered that there was a Robotics team at Oxford. For me, I became interested in this field when I got a set called K’NEX, which helps you build your own roller coasters, so I really liked designing my own ones. Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF ROBOTICS? Abigail: I enjoy doing art and reading books. I usually take a book everywhere I go. Out of all the types of art, I enjoy doing origami the most, and drawing or painting at a close second. Luke: I play the flute in [our school’s] band and am also in Boy Scouts. I like to go to the beach a lot to go boogie-boarding and I like fishing a lot. I like cubing, which is solving a Rubik’s cube. Q: WHAT CURRENT PROJECTS ARE YOU INVOLVED IN? Abigail: I’m working with Jessica to organize some areas in the robotics middle room because members often don’t know where things are. We recently finished working on field taping, and now we are marking various spots for the balls to go. Other than that, mechanical is still waiting for materials to arrive. Luke: The current project I’m working on is with the FRC robot. I’ve been working both with the climber and the shooter mostly, with the mechanical and electrical work. I haven’t really been a part of the software part of the shooter or the climber, I’ve been more in the mechanical and electrical side. I like the more hands-on approach rather than the software, but that’s just my personal opinion.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIUMPHS OR CHALLENGES AS AN FRC MEMBER? Abigail: My favorite part about our team is that we communicate with one another and the club has a friendly atmosphere. Because of this, we can get many things done, with everyone doing what they need to do. My least favorite part about our team is the commotion that ensues after not following directions. We need to wear safety goggles at almost all times, and this rule gets broken most often. Luke: My favorite part is just the fact that we’re creating a robot and I just find it amazing that we can see a bunch of pieces of metal and bolts and actually put them together to make something. My least favorite part about the team… sometimes we have a lot of members in our weekly meetings and we don’t have enough jobs for everyone, but when we get to a competition we’re always scrambling for stuff, and maybe we could look ahead a bit more for that. Q: IF YOU COULD BUILD A ROBOT TO DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT DO? Abigail: If I could build a robot that could do anything, I would make it do chores around the house. Not only will this help to alleviate stress from my parents to allow them to live a more carefree life, but robots do not make nearly as many mistakes as we do. I drop dishes from time to time haha. Also, I would hope for the robot to have some personality, to relate to what my family members are going through. It would be nice to have such a companion. Luke: Sorry, but I’d have to make it do my homework. I think that’d be interesting, maybe not possible, but interesting. Q: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR IN 3 WORDS? Abigail: So far, it's been good. Everyone is welcoming and we learn new things every day. I know a lot more about robotics than I did at the start of the club! Luke: I’ve had a great time with it–I love the club. I try to make it a point to get to all the meetings, but it’s a lot of fun to be in.
Departmen
Mechanical
Preparing for OCR has been tough, especially for our Mechanical Department. Each member has been hard at work, perfecting the robot to stand out above all others. From making bumpers to building climbers, the team created all the components of our new robot to navigate all the obstacles of the competition. In the past couple weeks, they have assembled the drive train, built the shooter and climbers, and made the bumpers for the robot. Additionally, the team has built field elements, which help the drivers practice navigating the competition obstacles.
Electrical The electrical department began designing and building the new electrical board in the past few weeks. They were able to complete the CAN wiring (sends data throughout the system) and power (provides power to different parts) wiring. They also set up the PDH which serves as the central hub for all the electricity that runs through the bot. This is also what allowed them to wire the entire subsystem including the climber, shooter, and drive train.
nt Updates
Software
The Software Department has been programming our competition robot. Currently, they have a working arcade-drive drivetrain and shooter software, allowing our robot to be easily maneuvered by student drivers. Additionally, they are working on an auto-climb sequence, auto-drive sequence, and vision code so our robot can function efficiently on its own during different periods of the competition. This code has been essential to strategizing for the autonomous period, during which the robot functions completely without drivers to earn points.
Operations
The Operations Team has been writing for the Chairman’s Award for the past two months. Beyond that, they launched the Robotics Corner, a section in Oxford Academy’s weekly newsletter. This gives updates for the team’s progress and plans to families throughout Oxford. With OCR (the Orange County Regional) approaching, they plan on recording and publishing a “recap video” of our experience at the competition - from our preparation to performance!
servathon On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 17th, our team collaborated with the Environmental Conservative Organization and the RSVP (Raising Student Voice Participation) Club at Oxford to host a used electronics drive on campus during Servathon, a district-wide, annual event that is dedicated to serving and uplifting others. Here at Oxford, a host of clubs worked together to complete a variety of service projects to support their local communities. Our student volunteers from FRC, ECO, and RSVP headed out to the parking lot, fitted with safety equipment and positive energy, to collect various e-waste brought in by the Oxford community to be properly disposed of. The day ended with a hefty 2 tons of old computers, TV’s, etc. and 7000 batteries collected in total. After the collection, all of the waste was disposed of at Valley Vista Services, a family-owned organization with a commitment to recycling and keeping their environment clean. Even on their days off, our dedicated Robotics members continue to contribute to the better of our community.
FTC Meets 2-3 & Qualifiers
During January and February the FTC team competed in their last two meets of the season and attended the FTC Qualifiers. Our first year competing with an FTC team was full of hardships as we encountered unexpected challenges throughout the season. Our members learned to adapt through it all, and in the process, had fun developing their skills and learning about the FIRST Community. At both meets, members were able to observe other robots and helped combat issues with our robot’s code. Unexpected technical difficulties during the competitions became learning experiences for our mentors as they had to quickly adapt. During the last game at Meet 3, our robot’s code actually corrupted, so Sufyan, one of our FTC Members, sat in as a placeholder for the game wearing all three badges. At the qualifiers, our FTC team went head to head with other teams for the last time this season, as they did not qualify to continue on in the competition. However, our members gained great amounts of experience. Because it was the FTC Team’s first year competing, there was bound to be a lot of lessons learned. Aside from learning how to quickly adjust software and breaking the ice with more experienced teams, our members had fun bonding with each other through conversations about zip-ties, the robot, and other topics. Their experience was “chaotic” in a sense. For many members, it was the first time they had ever gone to a qualifiers competition. Thus, there were many lessons learned, and many memories made.
frc kickoff As an FRC team under FIRST, OA Robotics held an FRC Kickoff event on Saturday, January 8th, to start planning out our robot design, features, and competition strategy. While FRC Kickoff is no new topic to FIRST Veterans, it is always such a wholesome event that we hold. Every January, FRC Teams from across the globe all meet at their sites to start the new build season. Although everyone is nervous for the hours of work they are about to commit to FIRST, there is also a wave of excitement that fills everyone up. A mix of curiosity and community all rush in the room as the annual FRC Game Animation begins to play. What makes this day so special is how many members of our community often show up. Besides just mentors and students, there are always new and old faces joining. From alumni, some of whom graduated over 4 years ago, to school administrators, it is a time for the entire community to show that students can create real innovation. All sorts of opinions and ideas are joined to create a strategy plan that will serve as the vision for the entire build season. During the entire kickoff, our team makes it a point not to focus on the design of the robot. Instead, we try to create strategies that we want to play the game and build a robot that is built around that concept. This structure of the planning really shows that although this may be a robotics competition, it is the critical thinking and emotion of people that push it successfully.
can't dodge this!
the latest bonding event of oa robotics As busy as our members are, constantly dedicated to honing their skills in their respective fields and contributing to the progress of their teams, we at OA Robotics don’t forget about having a good time! On the warm, sunny afternoon of February 18th, the leads planned a bonding event as a chance for everyone to take their minds off of work for a day. It was also a secret birthday surprise for one of our alumni, though we celebrated the recent birthdays of a few of our other members too. That Friday, a few of our leads set up the playing field with long pieces of wood and lined up the yellow Robotics balls previously used during the in-season competitions. Participants competed in a “seniors v. all” dodgeball game, and the objective was not necessarily to eliminate all the players on the enemy team. With a twist to the game, OA Robotics placed three targets at each end of the team fields to be knocked down for the victory. After some exciting rounds of dodgeball, our members ended the bonding event with a minicelebration, replenishing their energy on the birthday cakes!
hello, mentor!
Meet Mr. Wright Mr. Wright is one of our first mentors of Oxford Academy Robotics. Joining in 2009, he has been a part of this team for 13 years now. Being such a crucial part during his time here, Mr. Wright has seen the team drastically change over the years. Checkout this interview highlighting his life both on and off the team! Q: WHAT DID THE TEAM LOOK LIKE IN 2009 AND HOW HAVE WE CHANGED SINCE THEN? A: Well, since we were a very new team, we chose to start with Vex because it was a lot easier to start competing. Besides being expensive, FRC had a lot of rules and regulations that [the team] needed more experience for, especially since there were really only 15 members. Now, our team has expanded tremendously. While having more members is definitely great, it can be good and bad because now students are often stuck not knowing what to do during meetings. However, I feel like the management team is working to make sure everyone is able to contribute. And now with so many people, we were able to establish a firm business team, something I have been fighting to create for a while now. Q: ANY DINING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT? A: Definitely, Harbor House Cafe in Sunset Beach. Open 24 Hours. Q: FAVORITE COMPETITION SEASON AND WHY? A: Ultimate Ascent, the one where we had to shoot frisbees. Because I really like frisbees.
Q: WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE TEAM? A: I worked at JPL (the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) for 27 years before retiring. I first started as a software engineer working on the Mars Rovers. When working with a robot that lives on Mars, you can’t just work on Earth time because the schedules aren’t exactly the same. Since we needed to program the robot’s commands while it “slept” during the night time on Mars, we worked around Mars time, not ours. Each day the time would shift roughly 40 minutes, so each day we would start work at different times, and you still had to adjust your personal schedule to your workplace schedule. This meant often waking for 5 am to 6 pm shifts, including the commute. And with that came trying to find places to eat at all times of day. However, working on such a huge project with the constraints that we had built a tight-knight community with all my coworkers. Riding in a vanpool, we would all bond over the crazy schedules we were on. Q: WHAT DID YOU MAJOR IN? A: I majored in Chemical Engineering. However I did Grad School in Computer Engineering and really never ended up using my Chem degree for the rest of my career. However, the skills and discipline that I learned from that degree are always used in my field. Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES?
A: I actually used to windsurf for years up until now. My wife got me into it years ago and I’ve always loved it. In fact, it is for windsurfing that I commute over an hour to work each day. My wife would say that by living by the beach now, whenever it's windy, we can go to the beach and go windsurfing; it's that easy. But if we moved inland, every time it would get windy we would debate if it's worth the drive and end up not going. I even got stung by a stingray one time but that wasn’t enough to get me to stop. Also, in grad school I really got into Ultimate Frisbee from a friend of mine. I really liked frisbee.
Q: HOW DO YOU DRIVE A ROBOT THAT'S ALL THE WAY ON MARS? A: So the rovers essentially drive themselves. Yeah, you definitely can’t use a joystick or some kind of controller for it because it takes at least 4 minutes for a signal to go from here to Mars or vice versa. If we were to just control it like an FRC bot or something, it wouldn’t perform the action until much later. So if I saw an obstacle in front of me and told the robot to maneuver around it, it can’t perform the action until minutes later (and consequently breaking). So instead, you tell the rover where you want it to drive. Sometimes the route is relatively safe because the operator is able to scan the surrounding areas. Other times, you can’t be sure and you have to instruct the robot to be careful and carry out specific driving modes based on the obstacles it encounters. Q: CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ROLE WITH THE MARS ROVER AND HOW YOU GOT TO BE A DRIVER? A: Before I joined JPL, I was researching how to use visualization software to drive robots. When I joined JPL as a software engineer, I got funding to study how to operate robots using that kind of technology that I was researching. So when it came to building a new rover for Mars after Pathfinder, they looked for both hardware and software engineers. To ensure that the operators of the robot could understand a full picture of the mechanics, they chose a person from each department. Since I had helped make a software package to get 3D imaging to see from the Pathfinder robot, I was chosen as one of the drivers. I got to drive from 2004 up until 2021 when I retired. During that time I operated 3 rovers: Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity. Q: HOW AND WHY DID YOU JUMP IN CAREER FIELDS? A: Well, even then, all engineers had to take some sort of computer engineering courses. While don’t get me wrong, the computers we had then were nothing like what we have now, they knew that understanding computers would be critical in the engineering world. So, I took the mandatory Comp Sci classes and realized that I actually enjoyed it. Working on different computer projects, it pushed me to do grad school in computer engineering.
Q: ARE THERE ANY NASA TOP SECRETS THAT YOU'RE HIDING FROM US? A: Of course not. But JPL is funded by NASA and they are federally funded. Pretty much everything NASA does is open source with all the data for everyone to see. *Interviewer insert: He may be saying that becuase he IS hiding something... Q: WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO HOUSTON THE MOST? A: Houston? Ohhh, you mean World Championships? I was like, "Why is he asking me about just some random city?" Well anyways, it's the measure of your ability. You can build a robot no matter what happens, if you win or lose. But going to World’s means that you have achieved a level of ability, experience, quality, effectiveness, or whatever the right word is. It says that you are up there with the other great teams. Oh, and also the empanadas.
Chairman's Award Last week, on February 17th, the Operations Team had officially submitted our “Chairman’s Award” documents! The Chairman's Award is, as defined by FIRST themselves, “the most prestigious award” that they offer. FIRST’s end goal is to cultivate love and interest for STEM through their intense competitions, and this is the focus of the Chairman’s Award. It recognizes teams that truly embody and spread the ideals of FIRST beyond their performance on a competition’s stage. Thus, they competed not with a robot, but with our initiatives and results. They were tasked with writing numerous short snippets describing how our programs and projects align with FIRST’s ideals alongside a 10000 character essay introducing our team. As soon as our Winter Break ended, the Operations Department quickly divided up the numerous writing portions of this event. They uncovered previous documentation of events and activities that we had hosted throughout the last few years. From Girl Powered STEM Day to publicity bot, they had a lot to cover! They invested weeks of brainstorming, writing, and revisions to ensure that we could properly express the impacts of Team 4079. The next step will be to prepare for our graded presentation and interview with FIRST!
about us FRC We are Team 4079 - Quantum Leap competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. During the off-season, we work on building our foundation for the upcoming season. We teach incoming students the basics of engineering, hold student-lead workshops, and compete in off-season competitions such as Beach Blitz. Our Build Season begins with the Annual FRC Kickoff followed by collaborative brainstorming, designing, and building our competition-ready robot. This year we are working on various projects during this off-season, including the creation of a publicity robot for the first time in our team’s history. We are scheduled to have the robot complete by the end of this calendar year!
FTC
We are Team 19812 - Quantum Leap competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge. An offshoot from our FRC team, our team mainly comprises junior members just starting to explore the world of engineering. During this Build Season, we are addressing the problems of the transportation of the future in this year’s challenge, Freight Frenzy. This is our first year having an FTC Team under the Quantum Leap program, opening up new opportunities for STEM in our community! Now that we have more opportunities for Junior High and young High School members to participate, our program has been rapidly expanding. You can see us competing at our first FTC Meet on November 13, 2021.
Upcoming schedule MARCH 2022 Every Monday: FRC NASA House Discussion March 9th-12th: Orange County Regional March 16th: OA Robotics Team Pictures
APRIl 2022 Every Monday: FRC NASA House Discussion April 6th-9th: Aerospace Valley Regional (AVR) April 20th-23rd: FRC Worlds
From the operations directors Hello everyone, Thank you for reading yet another issue of our newsletter! We are so excited to be bringing you the latest information about our team through each of our issues. Currently, we are working on the next newsletter which will have more fun segments so each of you can get to know us a little more. Other things we are considering doing with this newsletter include making physical copies available for you at select locations on our school campus for easy access as well as including fun interactive activities in those publications. Going into the spring season, we will have more updates about our progress throughout the FRC competition, as well as if we make it to Worlds like we did in 2019. Both of us are super excited to see how the season is going to unfold, and we hope you are too! We’re also looking forward to bringing in a new team of Operations Members later in March, so be on the lookout for applications coming soon for open positions on our team. In addition to working on newsletters, we also put together submissions for the Chairman’s Award (Mentioned in this issue) and run all social media accounts. We also conduct sponsor outreach to gain funding so that our team is able to compete to the best of our ability, and so that projects like this can take place! Thanks again for reading, and stay tuned for our next issue! Sincerely, Abdullah Fattahi and Donna Le OA Robotics Operations Directors 2021-2022
Designed and edited by: OA Robotics Operations FRC Team 4079 | FTC Team 19812 The Quantum Leap Sponsored by:
