>> PLEASE WELCOME FIRST PRESIDENT, PAUL GUDONIS.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
>> WELCOME TO THE 2008 FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION LIVE FROM MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
WE CAN NEVER THANK ENOUGH THE SUPPLIERS AND THANKFUL THAT GOVERNOR JOHN LYNCH FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS HELPED US KICK OFF THE SEASON.
GOVERNOR.
>> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
WELL, HELLO FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.
AND GOOD MORNING.
I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE FOR THE KICKOFF OF FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION.
I FIRST WANT TO THANK DEAN KAMEN AND FIRST FOR PUTTING TOGETHER ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY COMPETITION.
WE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE VERY PROUD THAT WE ARE THE HOME OF FIRST.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.
LET'S NOT FORGET TO THANK YOUR TEACHERS, PARENTS, MENTORS AND SO MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUR EFFORTS OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS.
NOW, I KNOW YOU'RE UNVEILING OF THE GAME SO I'LL BE VERY BRIEF.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THIS COMPETITION IS ABOUT SCIENCE, MATH, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING IT IS ALSO ABOUT INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY.
IT IS ABOUT LEARNING TO DREAM HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
AND THEN DARING TO INVENT TO MAKE THAT DREAM COME TRUE.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN SCIENCE AND MATH TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING.
THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE DEMAND THESE SKILLS.
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE YOU DEVELOPING SKILLS IN THESE AREAS.
TO HELP KEEP OUR STATE MOVING FORWARD AND TO KEEP OUR ECONOMY STRONG.
IT WILL BE INVENTORS AND ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS AND OTHERS LIKE YOU WHO LEAD THE WAY IN INNOVATION.
I WANT TO WISH YOU THE VERY BEST OF LUCK AND MAY YOU REACH YOUR GOAL OF MAKING IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATLANTA.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]
>> PLEASE WELCOME FIRST CHAIRMAN JOHN ABELE.
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL AND TO THE 318 ROOKIE TEAMS AND 1,190 VETERAN TEAMS PARTICIPATING THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE 49 LOCAL KICKOFF SITES, REMOTE SITES THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPLIERS.
WITHOUT YOU, THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
ONE OF FIRST'S MAJOR SPONSORS, NASA, MAKES THIS BROADCAST AND WEBCAST POSSIBLE AND WE ARE ALL VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU.
THIS YEAR, THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION HAS ADDED FOUR NEW REGIONALS BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER TO 41, PLUS THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATLANTA.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS GROWING INTEREST OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES AS WELL, INCLUDING 66 TEAMS IN CANADA, 36 IN ISRAEL, 14 IN BRAZIL, 5 IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, TWO IN MEXICO, ONE IN THE NETHERLANDS AND ONE IN CHILE.
THE WORLD IS INDEED GETTING FLATTER.
THANK YOU ALSO TO THE TEAM LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE ATTENDING EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY THIS MORNING.
THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION, AS WE KNOW, IS NOT ABOUT MACHINES, IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE.
IT IS ABOUT LEARNING TO WORK TOGETHER, LEARNING TO WORK TOGETHER WITH OTHERS WITH A SHARED GOAL.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORLD.
ARE YOU LISTENING, POLITICIANS?
FIRST IS ABOUT TEAMWORK.
IT IS ABOUT FINDING AND USING EACH INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE TALENT TO MAKE THE PROJECT TEAM GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
IT IS ABOUT APPLYING SKILLS THAT WILL LEAD TO SUCCESS IN WHATEVER YOU MAY DO IN LATER LIFE.
FIRST WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY WERE IT NOT FOR THE CORE VALUES AND THE MANY, MANY VOLUNTEERS, 65,000 OF THEM, WHOSE PASSION FOR THIS MISSION MAKES IT WORK.
SINCE THE BEGINNING, FIRST HAS INSTILLED IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM ESSENTIAL VALUES.
IT'S MORE THAN MACHINES.
IT'S SKILLS OF COOPERATION, MENTORSHIP, TEAMWORK, GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
>> FIRST HAS BEEN MAKING AN IMPRESSION A AND EXTENDING ITS REACH SINCE 1992 WHEN DEAN KAMEN, AND WOODIE FLOWERS CREATED THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION.
DEAN AND WOODIE JOINED FORCED TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE CELEBRATED, WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE DREAM OF BECOMING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HEROES, FROM THE BEGINNING, FIRST HAS DEPENDED UPON AND GROWN FROM THE GENEROUS EFFORTS AND COMMITMENT BY THOUSANDS OF PASSIONATE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE VOLUNTEERS.
FROM THE BEHIND THE SCENES PLANNING COMMITTEES AND PARTNERS TO THE JUDGES, COACHES, MENTORS AND FIELD CREWS AT EACH COMPETITION, FIRST IS BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF VOLUNTEERS.
DEDICATED ENGINEERS, EDUCATORS, BUSINESS LEADERS, FIRST ALUMNUS, CELEBRITIES, PARENTS, STUDENTS JOINING TOGETHER TO HELPFUL FILL THE MISSION OF FIRST.
TO OFFER ACCESSIBLE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT NOT ONLY BUILD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS AND INTERESTS BUT ALSO SELF-CONFIDENCE, LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS.
WHAT MAKES FIRST VOLUNTEERS SO DIFFERENT?
WHY ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS SO LOYAL, GIVING EVEN MORE OF THEIR TIME AND TALENTS EACH YEAR?
WE LIKE TO THINK THAT EVER SINCE THE BEGINNING, FIRST HAS BEEN DIFFERENT.
FIRST CREATES A UNIQUE, COMPETITIVE ARENA A. IT IS AN ARENA WHERE FIERCE COMPETITION AND MUTUAL GAINS ARE NOT SECOND NATURE.
WE TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT.
WE CALL IT GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
>> GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM IS PART OF PURSUING A MEANINGFUL LIFE.
THROUGH IT ONE CAN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION AND HAVE THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING THAT SHE OR HE HAS DONE IT WITH INTEGRITY AND SENSITIVITY.
BACK IN THE 1970s AT M.I.T. WE GAVE STUDENTS A KIT OF MATERIALS AND ASKED THEM TO BUILD A MACHINE TO ACCOMPLISH A PARTICULAR TASK.
JUST A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT, THEY ACCEPTED A MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED TASK, THAT OF COMPETING LIKE CRAZY WHILE HELPING EACH OTHER.
WE WERE DELIGHTED TO DISCOVER HOW WELL INTENSE COMPETITION AND GRACIOUS BEHAVIOR GO TOGETHER.
THAT EXPERIENCE MADE IT CLEAR THAT NUGGET HAD TO BECOME PART OF THE FIRST CULTURE.
IT WORKED.
THE FIRST COMMUNITY HAS TAKEN GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM TO NEW HEIGHTS.
FIRST HAS BECOME THE UNIVERSITY OF GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
>> SO A GAME, BOTH GRACIOUS AND PROFESSIONALISM ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE KIND OF MEANINGFUL LIFE WE ALL WANT TO LIVE.
BUT OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDY BOTH ARE RARE.
MOST CLASSES DWELL ON NEITHER, BUT FIRST, WE FOCUS LIKE A LASER ON BOTH.
AT FIRST YOU CAN GET A PH.D. IN GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
IT'S EXPECTED.
WE EXPECT IT FROM THE STUDENTS, FROM THE MENTORS, FROM THE VOLUNTEERS, FROM THE FIRST STAFF.
IT IS WHAT MAKES FIRST.
>> WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP FOR FIRST, FOR THE STUDENTS AND FOR SOCIETY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM AND BEING A ROLE MODEL BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE COMPETITIONS.
THANKS TO YOU, LIVES ARE BETTERED, CAREER OPTIONS FROM BROADENED, ATTENDING COLLEGE IS A REALITY, AND POTENTIALS ARE REALIZED.
THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE US FIRST.
[APPLAUSE]
>> IN KEEPING WITH THOSE VALUES, FIRST'S HIGHEST AWARD ISN'T ABOUT MACHINES, IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE.
THE ULTIMATE FIRST PRIZE, THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD, GOES TO THE TEAM THAT BEST EXEMPLIFIES LEADERSHIP, INVOLVEMENT, INCLUSION, ENTREPRENEURIAL SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY NEEDS.
IN FACT, TEAMS THAT HAVE WON THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARDS ARE OUR ROLE MODELS FOR TRANSFORMING THE CULTURE INTO ONE THAT HONORS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARDS TEAMS, 14 TEAMS HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE FIRST HALL OF FAME.
THE HALL OF FAME TEAMS REMAIN ACTIVE IN OUR CAUSE AND SERVE AS EXAMPLES FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
THE TEAM THAT WINS THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD IS NOW ALSO GIVEN A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER PAUL LAZARUS ON A VIDEO.
EACH YEAR THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD WINNING TEAM IS GIVEN A BROADCAST QUALITY VIDEO CAMERA FOR A FEW MONTHS TO CAPTURE SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES AND THEN PAUL AND HIS CREW IN HOLLYWOOD EDIT THE FOOTAGE TO MAKE A RECORD OF THE TEAM AS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
LAST YEAR'S WINNER, TEAM 367, DUPONT ENGINEERING FIRST STATE ROBOTICS AND MOE ROBOTICS GROUP IS BUSY MAKING THEIR VIDEO THAT WE'LL SEE AT THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATLANTA.
THE WINNER IN 2006 WAS TEAM 111.
MOTOROLA'S WILDSTANG FROM SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS.
HERE IS THEIR STORY.
>> WOW, LOOK AT ALL THE COLORS, MAN, RED, GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE.
>> AS THEIR WEBSITE CLAIMS, THIS ROBOTICS TEAM IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
ATLANTA, 2006.
>> WE SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR'S CHAIRMAN'S AWARD WINNER, 111, WILDSTANG.
>> MOTOROLA, ROLLING MEADOWS IN ILLINOIS.
>> CHAIRMAN'S AWARD WINNING TEAMS PROVES WHEN WE PUT OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO IT THERE IS NO CHALLENGE WE CANNOT REACH.
>> 111 IS TOTALLY DIALED IN WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING A TEAM.
HARD WIRED TO ITS PARENTS, TEACHERS, ENGINEERS AND LONG TIME SPONSOR, MOTOROLA.
>> I LOVE MOTOROLA.
THEY PROVIDE US WITH A WAREHOUSE TO HOUSE ALL OF OUR STUFF.
WE HAVE A FULL SIZE PLAYING FIELD.
WE HAVE THE RUN OF THEIR MACHINE SHOP.
WE HAVE THESE AMAZING ENGINEERS.
>> WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE FOUNDING SPONSORS OF THE FIRST PROGRAM AND REALLY EXCITED TO BE AN ACTIVE PART OF IT TODAY.
>> GO WILDSTANG.
>> SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO TO MAKE US MORE OF A FAMILY THAN JUST A TEAM OF PEOPLE IS WE HAVE BARBECUES TOGETHER, WE HAVE SOFTBALL GAMES WE PLAY TOGETHER.
WE HAVE A SOFTBALL TEAM.
WE HAVE STUDENT BAND, ADULT BAND.
AN AWARD CEREMONY EVERY YEAR.
>> COMMUNICATION EXPERTS, WILDSTANG IS OUT THERE SPREADING THE WORD.
>> WE SPREAD THE WORD OF FIRST IN OUR COMMUNITY BY TALKING TO ANYBODY WHO WILL LISTEN.
>> WE WENT DOWNTOWN CHICAGO TO THE DAILY PLAZA.
IT WAS COOL TO SEE ALL THESE ROBOTS PLAYING THEIR GAME IN THE BUILDING OF THE PLAZA NEXT TO THE PICASSO SCULPTURE.
>> WHEN WE GO TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORKDAY WE BRING THE ROBOT, SHOW MOVIES, SHOOT BALLS AT THEM, GIVE A PRESENTATION AND LET THEM INTERACT WITH US.
>> THEY SPREAD THE WORD IN A BIG WAY IS TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE MEDIA.
WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE DIFFERENT TELEVISION STATIONS COME AND CONTACT US.
>> WILDSTANG ROCKS.
>> LEADERS IN SPORTSMANSHIP, GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
TEAM SPIRIT, WILDSTANG IS ALL ABOUT HELPING OTHERS.
>> WE WANT TO ACT AS IF YOUR GRANDMA IS WATCHING AT ALL TIMES.
YOU WANT TO BE NICE TO EVERYONE.
>> WE HAVE THE WILDSTANG INVITATIONAL BEFORE WE SHIP THE ROBOT.
WE INVITE TEENS FROM ALL AROUND THE AREA WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME AND HELP PRACTICE WITH THE ROBOT BEFORE THEY GET TO AN ACTUAL COMPETITION.
>> WE PASS OUT SIGNS TO SAY WE CAN HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING FROM ELECTRICAL TO MECHANICAL TO SOFTWARE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COME TO OUR PIT AND ASK.
>> TEAM 111 IS RAZOR SHARP WITH IT COMES TO MENTORING.
>> WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE STUDENTS ON THE TEAM TEN YEARS AGO HAVE COME BACK ONTO THE TEAM AS MOTOROLA ENGINEERS.
GONE THROUGH COLLEGES, GRADUATED WITH AN ENGINEERING DEGREE AND THEY'RE HELPING TEACH THE NEXT GENERATION OF FIRST ROBOTICS STUDENTS.
>> WHAT IS KEEPING YOU AS A MENTOR IS THE TRANSFORMATION WHO COME INTO THE PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY GIRLS.
THEY'RE RESERVED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
AS THEY PUT THEIR FOOT IN THE WATER AND START GETTING INVOLVED IN MORE AND NEW AREAS THEY BECOME THESE OUTSPOKEN CONFIDENT STUDENTS THAT IS GREAT TO SEE AS A MENTOR.
>> GREAT PART OF SPORTSMANSHIP.
PART OF THE WIN/WIN PHILOSOPHY AND WHAT YOU SEE SO MUCH IN SOCIETY.
THERE IS A WINNER AND LOSE -- LOSER.
WE'RE TEACHING THEM ABOUT WIN/WIN.
>> I DON'T BELIEVE WE'LL SEE A STUDENT WHO MADE IT THROUGH FIRST ON THE NEWS DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
I BELIEVE THEY'LL BE MODEL CITIZENS.
MORE THAN JUST MODEL CITIZENS, THEY'LL BE ROLE MODELS.
>> WILDSTANG, I THINK I LOVE YOU!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
>> PLEASE WELCOME BACK FIRST PRESIDENT, PAUL GUDONIS.
>> THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO IN LEADING THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION INTO THE FUTURE, JOHN.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD WINNER.
WE HAVE A RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S KICKOFF.
WE HAVE OVER 1,500 ROBOTICS COMPETITION TEAMS WITH 15,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THOUSANDS OF OTHER PROFESSIONALS AS THIS YEAR'S TEAM.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE VETERAN TEAMS WHO HAVE RETURNED FOR HARD FUN.
AND THANKS FOR RECRUITING FOR MENTORING A ROOKIE TEAM THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE A RECORD 318 ROOKIES THIS YEAR.
WELCOME ALL YOU BRAVE SOULS.
THANK YOU, LET'S GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL THOSE ROOKIES.
[APPLAUSE]
>> WHAT A SEASON WE HAD LAST YEAR.
TEAMS PLAYED THE RACK 'N ROLL GAME THAT LED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATLANTA IN APRIL.
IT'S A HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY SPORT IS OUR GOAL.
WHEN I WAS BACK IN MY HOMETOWN AT THE CHICAGO REGIONAL I WAS PLEASED TO SEE IN THE SPORTS SECTION OF THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE" TWO STORIES ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS.
THEIR AWESOME BASKETBALL TEAM AND THIS STORY ABOUT THE POWERHOUSE FIRST ROBOTICS TEAM.
GOOD LUCK AGAIN THIS YEAR, SIMEON.
[APPLAUSE]
>> IN APRIL AFTER THE CHAMPIONSHIP PRESIDENT BUSH INVITED THE WINNING TEAMS TO THE WHITE HOUSE LINE WINNERS OF THE SUPER BOWL TO CELEBRATE THEIR BRAIN POWER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
THEN THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE TEAM HE WERE INVITED TO IBM'S NANOTECHNOLOGY LABS IN CALIFORNIA AND PRESENTED A RESEARCH PROJECT TO THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND TOP SCIENTISTS.
AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR, YOUTUBE FOUNDER CHAD HURLEY AND I TALKED ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE.
I SELECTED 20 TEAMS TO BE PART OF THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE THIS YEAR.
THESE 20 TEAMS WERE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF ENERGY AND CREATIVITY THAT ALL FIRST TEAMS GENERATE.
WE RECEIVED SOME TERRIFIC VIDEOS.
THEY WERE ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE AND I CAN'T SHOW YOU ALL 20 THIS MORNING BUT WE DO HAVE A GAME TO UNVEIL.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE TEAMS BY SHARING A SMALL SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE VIDEOS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO YOUTUBE.
>> ON MAY 1 I'M GOING TO POST A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE.
THEY MADE IT THIS SUMMER.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE KICKOFF IN MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
(music)(music)
>> THEY GIVE THEIR HELP TO MANY NEW TEAMS THAT ARE STARTING IN THE COMPETITION.
>> FOR INSPIRATION OF RS AND T.
>> I'M ERIC AND HERE TO TELL YOU HOW WE START NEW FIRST TEAMS.
WE STARTED FRC TEAMS.
(music)(music)
>> SETTLE DOWN, CHILDREN, ACTUALLY TEAMS MAKE ROBOTS BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO EVEN START A TEAM.
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AN FRC TEAM CALLED THE K TEAM.
VERY FEW TEAMS WERE IN THEIR AREA AND THEY NEEDED ALLIANCE PARTNERS.
>> FOR INSPIRATION AND RECOGNITION AND SCIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY.
>> THIS IS NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE.
>> THIS IS A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> AS YOU CAN SEE, LOTS OF ENERGY AND CREATIVITY.
I INVITE YOU TO VIEW ALL THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE VIDEOS ON THE FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
THESE VIDEOS WERE JUST THE BEGINNING.
MOST IMPORTANTLY THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE TEAMS WORKED TOGETHER SINCE LAST SUMMER TO RECRUIT AND SUPPORT ROOKIE TEAMS AND PUT TOGETHER A SET OF MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO ALL TEAMS ON THE FIRST WEBSITE.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE SO THOSE TEAMS AT THE KICKOFF LOCATIONS, PLEASE STAND AND HERE IN MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WE HAVE TEAMS FROM MEMBERS 1138, 341, 45 AND TEAM 25 WHO BRAVED THE SNOW AND COLD TO BE WITH US IN PERSON.
[APPLAUSE]
>> ON BEHALF OF ALL THE ROOKIE TEAMS AND EVERYONE HERE AT FIRST, THANKS AGAIN.
I ENCOURAGE ALL THE TEAMS TO APPLY TO THE PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE WHEN I ISSUE A NEW CHALLENGE IN ATLANTA AGAIN THIS APRIL AND POST IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS THIS MORNING.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE GOOD FOLKS FROM PUBLIC BROADCASTING.
THIS INCLUDES PEOPLE FROM THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC TV, KETC SAINT LOUIS AND A CREW FILMING A NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ON FIRST.
YOU CAN SEE THE FILM ON PUBLIC TV IN A YEAR OR SO.
THE FILM IS ONE PART OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL CONNECT FIRST WITH PUBLIC TV'S NATIONAL AUDIENCE AND 300 LOCAL PUBLIC TV STATIONS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THIS PARTNERSHIP IS JUST BEGINNING NOW.
YOU'LL SEE MUCH MORE ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S BEEN A RECORD YEAR OF GROWTH FOR FIRST.
WE HAD OVER 100,000 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT WERE PART OF THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE TEAM THIS FALL.
THESE 10,000 FLL TEAMS FOCUSED ON POWER PUZZLE.
THEIR RESEARCH PRODUCT WAS TO AUDIT A BUILDING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND RECOMMEND ENERGY HE FISH EN SEES.
BASED ON THE SAVINGS THE JUDGES SAW IN THE FLL PRESENTATIONS TEAMS AVERAGED $10,000 IN ENERGY SAVINGS PER BUILDING.
NOW, IF THE ADULTS WOULD JUST LISTEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUR WORLD WOULD CONSERVE OVER $100 MILLION OF ENERGY EACH YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S SOME PRETTY GOOD WORK FOR 9 TO 14 YEAR OLDS.
LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL THE FLL TEAMS.
[APPLAUSE]
FIRST ALSO EXPANDED THE FIRST TECH CHALLENGE PROGRAM TO OTHER AREAS AROUND THE COUNTRY BRINGING ITS RANKS TO OVER 800 TEAMS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE FRC TEAMS WHO MENTORED FLL OR FRC TEAMS IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU SERVE.
FIRST IMPACTS LIVES STARTING WITH THE YOUNGEST TEAM MEMBERS IN JUNIOR FIRST LEGO LEAGUE AND WELL PAST THE YEARS OF FRC PARTICIPATION IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE INTO HIGHER EDUCATION.
HERE IS FIRST BOARD MEMBER URSULA BURNS, THE PRESIDENT OF XEROX CORPORATION, TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT OF BEING PART OF A FIRST TEAM.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I KNOW THE KICKOFF IS ABOUT ONE THING, THIS YEAR'S GAME.
VERY SHORTLY THE GAME WILL BE REVEALED AND IT WILL COME CLOSE TO DEFINING YOUR LIFE FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.
I'M NOT GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT ONE THING.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT DEFINING YOUR LIFE BEYOND THE NEXT SIX WEEKS AND BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT COLLEGE.
I HOPE THAT YOU'LL TAKE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED AT FIRST AND BUILD ON IT IN COLLEGE.
I ESPECIALLY HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO FIRST STUDENTS.
REMEMBER I SAID I WASN'T HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ONE THING.
I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT NINE MILLION.
FIRST HAS OVER $9 MILLION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 100 ORGANIZATIONS OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING $9 MILLION.
WITH THE SOARING COST OF COLLEGE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A FIRST SCHOLARSHIP IS A GREAT BENEFIT OF BEING ON A FIRST TEAM.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES DONATED BY THE COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, CORPORATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL GO ASSOCIATIONS WHOSE LOGOS YOU SEE.
MANY SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FOR ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND DESIGN.
OTHERS ARE FOR ANY COURSE OF STUDY YOU CHOOSE.
WHY DO SO MANY COLLEGES OFFER YOU SCHOLARSHIPS?
THEY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SKILLS SUCH AS PROJECT MANAGEMENT, TEAMWORK AND PROBLEM SOLVING.
THEY KNOW THAT YOU WORK HARD AND ACCEPT A CHALLENGE AND THEY KNOW THAT FIRST HAS EQUIPPED YOU TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE.
FOR DETAILS ON THESE SCHOLARSHIPS AND DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY, GO TO THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP WEBPAGE.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.
WORK HARD, WORK SMART AND HAVE FUN.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU, URSULA.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE HERE TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERS THEIR TIME FOR FIRST.
THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN SAY OR DO TO FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY TO YOU TEAM LEADERS AND MENTORS, THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GENEROSITY.
FIRST SIMPLY WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU.
TEAM MEMBERS, LET'S JOIN IN A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR MENTORS AND TEAM LEADERS.
[APPLAUSE]
>> IN A MINUTE I WANT TO WELCOME THE NEW REGIONS THIS YEAR.
FRC'S GROWTH IS EXTRAORDINARY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THE GRAPHS.
WHAT HAPPENS AT FIRST IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
EVERY TEAM IN EVERY TOWN HAS STORIES ABOUT HOW FIRST CHANGES LIVES.
JUST ONE EXAMPLE FROM LAST YEAR IS KEATON WHO WASN'T AS SERIOUS A STUDENT AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
HE WASN'T SURE IF HE WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE.
HE JOINED THE ROBOTICS TEAM AT CIMARRON-MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL FROM LAS VEGAS.
WELL, THIS IS A SPECIAL TEAM.
THEY WERE PART OF LAST YEAR'S WINNING CHAMPIONSHIP ALLIANCE.
KEATON IS OFF TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA TO STUDY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING THANKS TO WHAT HE FOUND AS PART OF BEING A FIRST TEAM MEMBER.
HERE IS HIS TRUCK WITH HIS TEAM DECAL.
WAY TO GO, KEATON.
[APPLAUSE]
IN FACT, FIRST TEAM ALLIANCES CHANGE LIVES IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS.
LEITH AND SARAH ATTENDED MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL AND MET ON TEAM 67, THE HEROES OF TOMORROW, THE HOT TEAM.
THEY WERE MARRIED THIS PAST OCTOBER.
TAKE PARTICULAR NOTE OF THEIR CAKE WITH THE FIRST LOGO.
[APPLAUSE]
LEITH SAID IT WAS A COMPLETE LIFE CHANGE.
NOT ONLY DID HE MEET SARAH BUT STARTED HIGH SCHOOL GETTING Cs AND Ds THINKING HE WOULD SERVE BURGERS FOR A LIVING.
SINCE BEGINNING PART OF A FIRST TEAM HE GRADUATED AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS FROM THE UNIVERSITY TO GET A DEGREE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND WORKS FOR KAWASAKI ROBOTICS.
WHILE IN COLLEGE HE PULLED DOWN STRAIGHT As, HE AND TWO OTHER MEMBERS STARTED TEAM 1596.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
[APPLAUSE]
IT'S NOW TIME TO WELCOME OUR NEW REGIONALS.
THE MORE LOCAL TOURNAMENTS WE CAN LAUNCH THE MORE LIVES WE CAN TOUCH LIKE KEATON, SARAH AND LEITH.
WE'RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF FOUR NEW REGIONALS THIS YEAR.
MINNEAPOLIS, GOOD MORNING, MINNEAPOLIS!
AND OKLAHOMA WHERE THERE ARE 350 PEOPLE AT THE KICKOFF THIS MORNING.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, TEAM WASHINGTON THEY CALL THEMSELVES OUT THERE.
THEY HAVE 20 TEAMS AT THEIR KICKOFF SITE.
GOOD MORNING, TEAM WASHINGTON
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
AND TO THE EARLY BIRDS IN HAWAII WHERE IT'S 5:00 IN THE MORNING, GOOD MORNING, HAWAII AND THANK YOU, GOVERNOR, FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT.
>> ALOHA.
WELCOME TO HAWAII.
ONE, TWO.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
>> ALOHA, HAWAII.
WELCOME ALL OF YOU IN ALL THE NEW AREAS OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY.
FINALLY AS ALL OF YOU JUMP INTO ANOTHER SEASON I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN AS YOU DESIGN, BUILD AND COMPETE WITH YOUR ROBOTS.
ALSO WANT TO REMIND YOU TO BE SAFE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
WE TAKE SAFETY VERY SERIOUSLY HERE AT FIRST.
WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES, THE ULTIMATE BRAND IN PRODUCT SAFETY FOR THE SAFETY PROGRAM AT FIRST.
INCLUDING REGIONAL SAFETY EXPERTS, TRAINING FOR SAFETY ADVISORS AND SAFETY SUPPLIES.
LEARN FROM YOUR SAFETY ADVISORS AND FELLOW TEAM MEMBERS.
WE'RE ALSO GRATEFUL TO AUTO DESK FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT FOR THEIR 2008 INVENTOR AND SOFTWARE.
TEAMS CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AUTO DESK SOFTWARE THROUGH THE FIRST SPACE SITE ON THE FIRST WEBSITE.
WHERE ARE THE SOFTWARE THEY HAVE PROVIDED TEAMS SUBMITTED A COMPUTER BASED ANIMATION VIDEO TO HELP US HIGHLIGHT ONE ASPECT OF SAFETY.
THIS YEAR'S WINNER IS TEAM 1726 FROM SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA, CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM AND JOIN ME IN WATCHING THIS VIDEO AND I'LL SEE YOU AT ONE OF THE REGIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ATLANTA.
GOOD LUCK, ALL TEAMS!
>> SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE A TOP PRIORITY IN THE WORKPLACE.
USING THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SAFE SUCCESS AND A DANGEROUS DISAPPOINTMENT.
IF YOU SEE A TEAMMATE BEING UNSAFE GRACIOUSLY LEND A HELPING HAND.
WORKING WITH A PARTNER CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY.
REMEMBER TO BE SAFE, SMART AND RESPONSIBLE THIS BUILDING SEASON.
GOOD LUCK, TEAM.
(music)(music)
>> PLEASE WELCOME FIRST FOUNDER, DEAN KAMEN!
[APPLAUSE]
>> GOOD MORNING!
GREETINGS.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF PIECES OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
NUMBER ONE, I'M THE LAST ONE YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU SEE THE GAME.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
IF YOU'VE LISTENED TO EVERYTHING THAT'S GONE ON THIS MORNING THE ENERGY OF EVERYBODY HERE, WE ARE IN OVERDRIVE.
THAT'S NOT A CLUE.
WE ARE IN OVER DRIVE.
THERE IS NOTHING LEFT I NEED TO SAY SO I'LL THINK I'LL BE MAYBE HERE TO GIVE A BOOSTER SHOT TO ALL THE RETURNING VETERANS AND MAYBE TO ALL THE ROOKIES.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE FOCUS JUST FOR A COUPLE OF MOMENTS ON SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
WHY WE DO THIS.
FROM THE BEGINNING, WE PUT FIRST TOGETHER BECAUSE OF A COUPLE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES.
WE BELIEVE THAT IN A FREE SOCIETY YOU GET WHAT YOU CELEBRATE.
AND WE COULD SEE, WHEN WE STARTED THIS THING 15, 16 YEARS AGO, WE CELEBRATE SPORTS.
NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WE CELEBRATE ENTERTAINMENT.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
BUT IN OUR CULTURE SOMEHOW THEY BECAME SO BIG THEY WERE CROWDING OUT PARTICULARLY FOR LOTS OF KIDS AND PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND MINORITIES, THEY WERE CROWDING OUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INVENTING, CREATING, THINKING, SOLVING PROBLEMS.
IT WAS CROWDING OUT FOR THESE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PREPARED BY DEVELOPING THE SKILLS AND GETTING AN EDUCATION THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF PEOPLE THAT WILL CREATE SOLUTIONS, CURE DISEASES, SOLVE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.
AND WE SAID WE'VE GOT TO COMPETE FOR THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF KIDS WITH A CULTURE THAT IS JUST SORT OF GONE AWRY.
BUT WE STOLE FROM THE BOOKS OF THE WORLD OF SPORTS BECAUSE IT'S SO POWERFUL AND WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A COMPETITION THAT IS EVERY BIT AS EXCITING AND REWARDING AND EVERY BIT AS ACCESSIBLE AS BOUNCING A BALL OR STANDING ON A STAGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE BY OUR GROWTH, IT'S WORKED.
BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE YOU GET IT.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE WORLD OF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT HAVE TRAPPINGS WITH THEM THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE.
WINNING AT ANY COST.
THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR WE SEE FROM A LOT OF OUR SPORTS ROLE MODELS.
THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR WE SEE FROM THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND SOME OF OUR HOLLYWOOD ROLE MODELS.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
SO HOW DO WE BALANCE THE FACT THAT EVERY YEAR OUR SPORTING EVENT GETS BETTER AND MORE EXCITING AND TOUGHER?
HOW DO WE BALANCE THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO COMPETE BY MAKING THINGS SO EXCITING THAT WE ARE THE ULTIMATE SPORT, BUT THAT WE NEVER END UP WITH THE TRAPPINGS THAT I THINK ARE SO UNFORTUNATELY ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE OTHER THINGS?
AND MAYBE IT'S BY EVERY YEAR REMINDING OURSELVES THAT UNLIKE OTHER SPORTS, WE HAVE A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE TO DEAL WITH.
YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SOME OF WHAT THAT IS.
BUT FIRST SORT OF WANTS TO BE WHAT THE NFL OR THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE IS TO THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, WE WANT TO BE THAT COMMON GROUND AND COALITION FOR AN ACTIVITY THAT, FRANKLY, HAS WAY, WAY, WAY MORE SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES THAN HOW WELL WE BOUNCE BALLS.
SO IN A FEW MINUTES YOU'LL START THIS NEW SEASON.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING COMPETITION.
YOU'LL BE FOCUSED ON BUILDING GREAT MACHINES.
YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF SLEEP.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE HATING ME AND DAVE AND VINCE AND WOODIE FOR DIABOLICAL, FRUSTRATING THINGS.
BUT I WOULD ASK EVERYBODY, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GET INTO THE ROBOTICS OF IT ALL, TO REMEMBER THAT AGAIN UNLIKE OTHER SPORTS, WE'RE REALLY NOT ABOUT HOW MANY POINTS YOU GET.
THE END GAME IN BASKETBALL IS HOW MANY POINTS YOU GET.
THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.
THAT'S WHATEVER -- YOU HAVE A SKILL SET OF WHATEVER IS THAT PARTICULAR SPORT BOUNCING A BALL.
THERE IS NOT A LOT OF OTHER COLLATERAL PLACES YOU CAN USE THAT BALL-BOUNCING SKILL.
WINNING MATTERS.
IN FIRST, THE SKILL SETS YOU DEVELOP, THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND PROBLEMS AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM, YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF MATHEMATICS AND REASONING AND LOGIC, ANALYTICS, THE CONSEQUENCE OF PARTICIPATING IN FIRST YOU START TO THINK ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, YOU START TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
THAT'S WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHETHER THIS ROBOT BOUNCED THE BALL OR DIDN'T BOUNCE THE BALL.
SO I'M LITERALLY BEGGING EVERYBODY THAT PARTICIPATES TO REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE OF FIRST.
THE ROBOTS, NO OFFENSE, ARE JUST A VEHICLE.
FIRST ISN'T ABOUT ROBOTICS, IT IS NOT ABOUT BUILDING THAT MACHINE OR THAT MUCH.
IT IS ABOUT BUILDING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE PREPARED, THAT HAVE THE POWER AND TOOLS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THINKING.
FIRST IS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN KIDS AND SERIOUS ADULTS.
PEOPLE HAVE CREATED OUR STANDARD OF LIVING, QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT'S ABOUT CREATING HOPEFULLY THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS THAT WILL KEEP RAISING THE BAR AND MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYBODY.
THE ROBOTS HELP MAKE IT FUN AND ATTRACT PEOPLE BUT UNLIKE OTHER SPORTS, OUR MISSION IS WAY, WAY BIGGER THAN THE POINTS AND SO I HOPE NO MATTER HOW INTENSE IT ALL GETS, YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT AS WOODIE ALWAYS SAYS, IMAGINE YOUR GRANDMOTHER IS WATCHING EVERYTHING YOU DO.
REMEMBER, IT'S ABOUT GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM.
REMEMBER THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN FIVE OR 10 OR 15 YEARS MAY BE WHAT INSPIRED SOMEBODY TO CURE CANCER OR BUILD AN ENGINE THAT DOESN'T POLLUTE.
IN THAT YEAR NOBODY WILL REMEMBER WHICH ROBOT WON OR LOST BUT I HOPE IN THAT YEAR EVERYBODY THAT EVER PARTICIPATED IN FIRST WILL REMEMBER BACK TO THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE AND REMEMBER BACK TO THE RELATIONSHIPS WE'VE ALL CREATED AND REALLY BELIEVES THAT EVERYBODY IS A WINNER IF WE DO THIS RIGHT.
SO I HAVE TO NOW GO ON TO A COUPLE OF THE TRADITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN FIRST.
LAST NIGHT JOHN ABELE AT MY HOUSE SAID AS HE LOOKED OUT AT A CROWD AT OUR TRADITIONAL KICKOFF, HE SAID DEAN, YOU NEED A BIGGER HANGER.
JOHN, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AFTERWARDS AND THE FIRE MARSHAL WAS PRETTY ADAMANT, WE HAD TO HAVE LESS THAN 650 IN THAT ROOM.
WE HAD LESS THAN 1% OF THE PEOPLE, LESS THAN 1% AT THAT HUGE EVENT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
BUT THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY PEOPLE NOW ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD ARE PARTICIPATING.
I DID MENTION LAST NIGHT AT THAT KICKOFF BY TRADITION WE REMIND PEOPLE OF THINGS.
I'LL APOLOGIZE TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE LAST NIGHT I'LL REMIND THE OTHER 99% RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE ABOUT COMPETITION AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY WINS.
WE'RE ABOUT VETERAN TEAMS HELPING ROOKIE TEAMS, HELPING THEM, NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND USING IT AS A WEAPON, BUT USING IT AS A TOOL SO THAT NEXT YEAR WE DON'T HAVE 65,000 VOLUNTEER MENTORS, WE HAVE 100,000.
WE NEED OUR MESSAGE AND OUR FAMILY TO GROW REALLY FAST BECAUSE THE WORLD REALLY IS IN A RACE, I THINK, BETWEEN COMPETENCE AND CATASTROPHE.
SOMETIMES I THINK CATASTROPHE IS WINNING.
SO WE NEED TO REALLY REMEMBER WHAT FIRST IS ALL ABOUT AND WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TRADITIONS AT FIRST IS THE HOMEWORK.
BECAUSE I GET TO GIVE IT.
LAST YEAR FOR ANYBODY THAT IS NOT A ROOKIE, YOU REMEMBER THE HOMEWORK WAS LET'S GET OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE GROWING REALLY WELL, WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED, BUT WE'RE STILL A PRETTY WELL KEPT SECRET.
SO THE HOMEWORK WAS LET'S GET YOUR LOCAL AND YOUR STATE AND OUR FEDERAL LEADERS TO SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE THE BEST WAY TO GET SUPPORT FOR FIRST IS TO GET PEOPLE THERE.
THE EVENTS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, ARE POWERFUL AND CONTAGIOUS.
SO I'M GOING TO -- BEFORE I GIVE YOU THIS YEAR'S HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT I'LL REPORT ON LAST YEAR'S.
YOU GET A B PLUS.
TELL YOU WHY.
LAST YEAR WE HAD LOTS OF GOVERNORS, LOTS OF SENATORS, LOTS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ATTEND OUR EVENTS.
I DON'T HAVE EXACT SPECIFICS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE BUT IT WAS IMPRESSIVE.
WE WERE ASKED TO SPEAK AT THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION, TO ALL THE GOVERNORS ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD FIND WAYS TO HELP IMPLEMENT FIRST IN ALL THEIR SCHOOLS IN ALL THEIR STATES.
IT WAS A VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE MEETING IN WASHINGTON
WE WERE ASKED TO TESTIFY AT THE UNITED STATES SENATE ON THE ISSUE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND COMPETITIVENESS.
AGAIN, I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE LISTENING AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THERE ALREADY KNEW ABOUT US BECAUSE OF ALL THE HOMEWORK YOU HAD BEEN DOING.
THERE WERE LITTLE EPISODES WHERE SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN WERE FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT WHO KNEW ABOUT FIRST FIRST.
WHO HAD MORE TEAMS FROM THEIR DISTRICT.
IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING.
LAST YEAR WINNING TEAMS FROM EVERY LEVEL OF FIRST, THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE, THE VEX CHALLENGE, THE ROBOTICS COMPETITION, EVERY LEVEL HAD ITS WINNERS INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO BE HONORED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT WAS A VERY NICE EVENT.
YOU DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON GETTING THE ATTENTION OF POLITICIANS.
IN FACT, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, THEY EVEN MOVED THE PRIMARY TO THIS WEEKEND JUST TO MAKE IT FIT WITH THE FIRST KICKOFF.
[APPLAUSE]
SO MAYBE WE'LL MAKE IT AN A MINUS.
OKAY.
THIS YEAR'S HOMEWORK.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT METRICS WE'LL USE TO GRADE IT.
SORT OF LIKE THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD.
NOBODY HAS EVER FIGURED OUT EXACTLY HOW TO GRADE IT BUT YOU ALWAYS SEE AND RECOGNIZE A GREAT WORK.
THIS YEAR I THINK BESIDES CONTINUING TO GET MORE POLITICAL SUPPORT TO HELP PUT FIRST WITHIN REACH OF EVERY KID IN THIS COUNTRY, I THINK WE NEED MEDIA ATTENTION TO HELP US.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS SOME OF YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED, YOU GO TO FIRST EVENTS AND THEY'RE FULL OF PEOPLE.
BUT ALMOST EVERYBODY THERE IS ON ONE OF THE TEAMS.
WE DON'T YET BRING PEOPLE FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
WE'RE SORT OF PREACHING TO OUR OWN CHOIR.
WE MIGHT HAVE 2,000 PEOPLE IN THE STANDS AND THEY HAVE 50 TEAMS AND EACH ONE HAD 40 PEOPLE.
I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY BE THE SPORT THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO WATCH AS A SPECTATOR.
AND START TO GET MORE AND MORE AND MORE GENERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS OF WHAT WE DO.
IT WILL HELP US HAVE A MUCH BIGGER IMPACT ON WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS YEAR STARTING NOW, YOU HAVE A WHOLE SEASON TO DO THIS, YOUR MODEL OUGHT TO BE BY THE TIME I GET TO MY FIRST REGIONAL I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS STANDING ROOM ONLY TO GET IN AND CELEBRATE WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING.
WE WANT TO DO THAT BY GETTING LOCAL MEDIA, PRINT PRESS, VIDEO, TELEVISION, NEWS, DOCUMENTARY, WE WANT THEM TO TALK ABOUT US IN THE RIGHT WAY.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SCIENCE FAIR BUT THE GEEKS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HAVING TOO MUCH FUN.
NOT LIKE THAT.
WE WANT TO BE A MAINSTREAM PART OF OUR CULTURE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.
SO YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME HELP.
JUST LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR.
AS OF THIS AFTERNOON, IF YOU GO TO THE FIRST WEBSITE YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF NEW ITEMS.
THERE IS A FIRST MEDIA GUIDE.
IT WILL HELP YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK WITH AND ATTRACT THE PRESS.
THERE WILL BE A FIRST FORUM ON COLLABORATION AND HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER TEAMS, AGAIN, TO GET MORE AND APPROPRIATE MEDIA COVERAGE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE AND WITH YOUTUBE.
THERE WILL BE A FIRST YOUTUBE PAGE, A YOUTUBE LINK THAT WE HOPE YOU'LL MANAGE TO GET ALL YOUR GREAT VIDEO AND OTHER PRESS UP ON.
WE'LL PROBABLY FIND WAYS TO VOTE ON WHAT WE LIKE AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE AND WHAT IS REALLY AWESOME.
MAYBE THAT WILL IMPACT YOUR GRADE.
WE'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU TO FIND OTHER WAYS, CREATIVE WAYS, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MESSAGE GETS OUT AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE CELEBRATING THE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT FIRST.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE OUGHT TO SEE HOW GREAT THIS COMMUNITY IS.
SO AS I SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'LL GRADE IT.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE'D GRADE LAST YEARS BUT IT HAD A GREAT IMPACT AND I THINK WE AS THE FIRST COMMUNITY THIS YEAR REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON GETTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE GAME, AGAIN I KNOW ALMOST EVERY SPEAKER SO FAR HAS SAID IT AND I'LL JUST AGAIN BY WAY OF A REMINDER POINT OUT THAT THIS IS ALMOST ENTIRELY A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
YES, I'VE ASKED EACH ONE OF THESE SPEAKERS HAS ASKED YOU TO THANK ALL THE DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS AND PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND MENTORS THAT ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND ANY OBLIGATION THEY HAVE TO ANYBODY TO PUT EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT INTO MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
BUT I WOULD ALSO ASK YOU TO REMEMBER, SINCE IT'S ALL VOLUNTEERS, THE REFEREES, THE JUDGES, EVERYBODY.
THEY AREN'T PROFESSIONALS, THE GAME IS CHANGED EVERY YEAR, WE GET OURSELVES INTO NEW SITUATIONS AND NEW DILEMMAS ALWAYS WITH MORE PRESSURE AND ANXIETY TO WIN AND THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS.
WITH 65,000 OF THEM, IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE INEVITABLE EVERY YEAR THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT WE WOULDN'T WANT OUR GRANDMOTHER TO WATCH.
WE WOULDN'T WANT RECORDED BY THE MEDIA THAT I'M ASKING TO BRING INTO OUR TENT.
SO I WILL, THOUGH IT MAY SEEM REDUNDANT ASK YOU ALL ONE MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT IS BEING MADE BY SO MANY PEOPLE TO DONATE THEIR TIME AND THEIR ENERGY TO HELP KIDS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY SORT OUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR PAST TIMES AND AMUSEMENT ITS, THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAIN THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF OUR WEALTH, NOT BECAUSE OF IT.
TO HELP YOU SORT THAT OUT AND HELP GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORLD IS LIKE FOR SERIOUS PEOPLE AND WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS, WHEN STUFF MAY NOT GO YOUR WAY WHEN THERE ARE LEGITIMATE ERRORS, CONFUSION OR MISUNDERSTANDING AMONG VOLUNTEER REFS AND PEOPLE, PLEASE, GO BACK TO FIRST'S PRINCIPLES OF FIRST AND REMEMBER WHAT THE BIG PICTURE IS.
IT'S NOT THE GAME, IT'S SOMETHING WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT.
IF WE DO THAT, SOME OF THE ROBOTS WILL LOSE.
BUT EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED WITH FIRST WILL WIN.
AND THAT'S A REALLY BIG, BIG DEAL.
SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, WE NOW SHOULD GET TO THE NEW GAME.
BUT BEFORE WE DO I'M GOING TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN IN IT.
YOU ALL GOT PACKAGES AND WE'RE NOW GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT OVERDRIVE IS ALL ABOUT.
>> WELCOME TO ANOTHER EXCITING FIRST COMPETITION YEAR.
I'M VINCE, A FIRST SUPPORTER FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY.
>> I'M AIDAN BROWNE FROM GENERAL DYNAMICS.
WE WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH DETAILS OF THE FIRST INFRARED BOARD SENT TO TEAMS IN LATE DECEMBER.
IT'S AN IR RECEIVER THAT RECOGNIZES SIGNALS FROM STANDARD REMOTE CONTROLS.
ONCE TRAINED FOR YOUR REMOTE CONTROLLER, THE BOARD PRODUCES A FIVE-VOLT 100 MILL SECOND PULSE FOR EACH OF THE FOUR BUTTONS ON YOUR REMOTE CONTROL.
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE POWER SOURCE CAN BE BETWEEN 7 AND 15 VOLTS AND IS APPLIED TO EITHER PINS ONE OR TWO AND THE NEGATIVE SIDE IS CONNECTED TO EITHER PIN THREE OR FOUR.
PINS FIVE THROUGH EIGHT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUR BUTTONS YOU TRAIN THE BOARD FOR.
THE PULSE FIVE-VOLT SIGNAL IS DELIVERED TO EACH PIN BASED ON THE BUTTON PUSHED ON THE IR TRANSMITTER.
PINS THREE AND FOUR CAN BE USED AS THE GROUND FOR THE PINS.
BEFORE THE BOARD CAN BE USED IT HAS TO BE TRAINED WITH THE REMOTE YOU WISH TO USE.
A SERIES OF STEPS ARE USED TO TRAIN THE BOARD.
FIRST, WITH NO POWER SUPPLY TO THE BOARD HOLD DOWN THE LEARN PUSH BUTTON WHILE TURNING THE POWER ONTO THE BOARD.
THE L.E.D. WILL LIGHT TO SIGNAL THE POWER IS RECEIVED.
WAIT FOR AT LEAST TWO SECONDS AND THEN RELEASE THE PUSH BUTTONS.
>> THE AIR LED WILL BLINK FOR A SECOND AND THE LED FOR THE FIRST CHANNEL, CMD0 WILL LIGHT UP.
IT INDICATES THAT CHANNEL IS READY TO LEARN WHAT BUTTON ON THE REMOTE WILL ACTIVATE IT TO TEACH THE BOARD.
>> HOLD THE REMOTE FOUR TO SIX INCHES AWAY AND SHADE THE RECEIVER.
PRESS THE REMOTE BUTTON DOWN AND HOLD IT UNTIL THE CMV0LED TURNS OFF.
WHEN IT TURNS OFF, RELEASE THE REMOTE BUTTON.
THE CMV0 LED WILL LIGHT UP AGAIN.
TO COMPLETE THE TRAINING YOU'LL NEED TO PRESS THE SAME REMOTE BUTTON DOWN A SECOND TIME RELEASING IT WHEN THE LED TURNS OFF.
>> WHEN THE SECOND LED LIGHTS UP YOU THEN HOLD DOWN THE SECOND BUTTON ON YOUR REMOTE TRANSMITTER AND REPEAT THE PROCESS TWICE TO TEACH THE RECEIVER THIS IS THE SECOND BUTTON.
>> THE SAME PROCESS IS REPEATED ON THE THIRD AND FOURTH BUTTON.
>> ONCE ALL FOUR BUTTONS ARE PROGRAMMED THE BOARD WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH OUT OF PROGRAMMING MODE AND IT'S READY TO USE.
>> WE CAN LOOK AT THE SIGNAL GENERATED ON PIN 8.
THE OUTPUT SIGNAL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST TRAINED BUTTON.
WITH THE HELP OF A SCOPE THAT MEASURES THE VOLTAGE BETWEEN THIS PIN AND THE GROUND PIN BETWEEN 3 AND 4.
FOR THIS REMOTE IF YOU HOLD DOWN THE BUTTON THE SIGNAL IS TRANSMITTED CONTINUALLY AND WE SEE A SERIES OF PULSES ON THE OSCILLOSCOPE.
EACH PULSE HAS A MAGNITUDE OF FIVE VOLTS AND LASTS FOR 100 MILLISECONDS, A TENTH OF A SECOND.
EACH FLASH OF THE LED CORRESPONDS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF A FIVE VOLT PULSE ON THE ASSIGNED PIN.
>> THERE ARE A FEWER YORS THAT CAN OCCUR.
IF IT FLASHES CONTINUALLY YOU NEED TO START AGAIN.
IT MAY BE THE RECEIVER IS GETTING TOO MUCH AMBIENT LIGHT.
THE EXAMPLE USED A REMOTE THAT SENT A REPEATED SIGNAL OTHER REMOTES SEND A SIGNAL PULSE IF THE REMOTE BUTTON IS HELD DOWN.
TO CHANGE YOUR REMOTE SUCCESSFULLY BUT IT DOESN'T RESPOND WHEN YOU'RE MORE THAN A FEW FEET AWAY IT'S TRANSMITTING ON A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY.
YOU NEED TO FIND YOURSELF ANOTHER REMOTE.
THERE ARE A FEW TRICKS YOU CAN USE TO MAKE SURE YOUR TRANSMITTER IS SEEN BY YOUR BOARD.
SO YOU TRAINED YOUR RECEIVER TO SEE YOUR TRANSMITTER, THE RECEIVER CAN BE CONFUSED IF IT'S SIMULTANEOUSLY SEES OTHER SIGNALS FROM STRAY TRANSMITTERS.
IF THIS HAPPENS, THE OUTPUT PULSES WILL BE LESS RELIABLE AND MAY EVEN BE BLOCKED.
TUBES CAN BE USED TO RESTRICT THE ANGLES OF THE TRANSMITTED AND RECEIVED SIGNALS.
ON BOTH THE TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER, THE TUBE RESTRICTS THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING SIGNALS TO MORE DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT AND GREATLY REDUCES INTERFERENCE BETWEEN REMOTES.
>> FOR FUN PART.
SINCE IT GENERATES FIVE VOLTS AND THE ROBOT CONTROLLER RECEIVES FIVE VOLTS, IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING IF THEY HOOKED THE TWO TOGETHER.
TO DO SO WE CAN GET 12 VOLT POWER AND CONNECT THE FOUR OUTPUT PINS ON THE IR BOARD TO DIGITAL INPUTS ON THE RC.
>> ANY DIGITAL INPUT CAN BE USED.
>> IT COULD BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE RC SIGNAL PIN AS A DIGITAL INPUT.
PROGRAM CODES COULD BE WRITTEN TO ALLOW THE ROBOT CONTROLLER TO RECOGNIZE A CHANGE OF STATE EACH TIME ONE OF THE FOUR BUTTONS ON THE REMOTE IS PUSHED.
KNOWING HOW TIGHTLY TEAMS ARE CONNECTED I'M SURE THE FIRST COMMUNITY WILL COLLECTIVELY DETERMINE HOW TO MAKE THIS SYSTEM PERFORM AT ITS BEST.
WHAT TEAMS DO WITH A REMOTE CONTROL, BOARD AND ROBOT?
>> THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.
>> MAYBE WE CAN FIND SOMEONE FROM NASA WHO KNOWS HOW TO TALK TO ROBOTS.
>> PLEASE WELCOME NASA PROGRAM EXECUTIVE FOR SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION, DAVE LAVERY.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, AS THE VIDEO WAS CLOSING I WAS LOOKING AT THE IMAGE ON A ROVER.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE IT'S WEIRD FOR ME TO REMEMBER FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY I WAS STANDING HERE AND SAYING THAT TWO DAYS BEFORE THAT WE HAD SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE SPIRIT ROVER ON MARS AND WERE JUST GETTING READY TO BEGIN OUR 90 DAY MISSION AND ABOUT THE TIME OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF 2004, ABOUT APRIL, WE EXPECTED THAT MISSION TO WRAP UP.
I'M NOW SITTING HERE FOUR YEARS LATER AND TWO DAYS AGO WE CELEBRATED THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROVER'S OPERATING ON MARS.
IT IS NOW DAY 1,462 OF OUR 90-DAY MISSION.
[APPLAUSE]
SOMEBODY ASKED ME ONE TIME IF WE WERE TO DO THE WHOLE PROJECT OVER AGAIN WOULD WE DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
THE IMMEDIATE FIRST REACTION I HAD WAS NEXT TIME WE'LL INCLUDE AN OFF SWITCH.
MARS HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO KILL THE ROVERS FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND WE'RE GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH NOT KNOWING HOW LONG THEY'LL LAST AND SO WE'VE RESORTED TO THROWING ASTEROIDS AT THE PLANET ON THE 30th OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR AND WE'LL SEE IF THAT WORKS.
THE REASON I WANTED TO MENTION THE ROVERS FOR A SECOND IS YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK FOR THE NEXT 6 1/2 WEEKS AND THEN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS AFTER THAT IN TERMS OF COMPETITION FOR YOUR BUILD AND COMPETITION SEASON I WANT TO MAKE A POINT THIS IS NOT JUST A GAME.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO IS A GAME YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE HAS CONNECTIONS TO REAL WORLD EVENING -- ENGINEERING.
IT'S ABOUT HAVING FUN BUT THATS NOT THE WHOLE POINT.
WE WANT YOU TO GET SOME REAL BUSINESSES PRACTICES AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS THAT REALLY WILL BE USED IN YOUR FUTURE CAREERS AND FUTURE LIVES.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE FUN, IT IS ABOUT GIVING YOU A CHANCE TO GET EXPOSED TO AND TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIVES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF QUICK EXAMPLES HOW THIS STUFF HAS BEEN PROGRESSING AND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN LEARNING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, YOU'VE DONE IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THE PROGRAM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS YOU'RE USED TO TELEOPERATING YOUR ROBOTS.
WE TELL YOU HOW TO OPERATE ROBOTS IN TERMS OF HOW THINGS ARE CONTROLLED.
WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS QUITE HARD ENOUGH FOR YOU SO WE SAID THE FRC COMPETITIONS HAVE BEEN ALL THE TELE-OPERATIONS, WE NEED TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT.
WHAT CAN WE ADD IN?
WE ASKED THE LEGO LEAGUE KIDS TO PROGRAM AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS.
WE THREW THAT INTO THE COMPETITION.
A LOT OF THINGS ARE RUN AUTONOMOUSLY.
A NEAT UNDERSTANDING TO HAVE.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE DRAWS AND POSSIBLE SOURCES FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD IN?
THINKING AROUND AND COULDN'T COME UP WITH A GOOD ANSWER FOR A WHILE.
A LIGHT BULB WENT OFF ALL OF A SUDDEN.
THE ROVERS, DO WE OPERATE THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY?
IS THERE SOMETHING BESIDES TELE-OPERATION OR AUTONOMOUSNESS THAT WE DO.
WE DON'T OPERATE THE ROVERS PUREY AS A TELEOPERATED DEVICE OR AUTONOMOUS DEVICE BUT WE USE A HYBRID CALLED SUPERVISE RE CONTROL WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF INTELLIGENCE BUILT INTO THE TWO ROVERS SITTING ON MARS THAT WE GIVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL COMMAND AND TELL IT THIS IS YOUR GOAL, GO AND ACHIEVE THE GOAL.
YOU HAVE ENOUGH SMARTS ON BOARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT YOURSELF.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
THAT'S A NEAT CAPABILITY TO HAVE, WITHIN LIMITS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO SAY GO AND EXPLORE THE ROCK AND TELL ME A DAY LATER WHAT YOU DID AND COME BACK AND SAY I DECIDED NOT TO.
I WENT TO EXPLORE THAT ROCK.
SO THERE ARE LIMITS ABOUT HOW FAR YOU WANT TO PUSH THIS.
BUT WOULDN'T IT BE COOL IF WE COULD TAKE THE CONCEPT OF SUPERVISED AUTONOMY AND PASS A HIGH-LEVEL COMMAND TO ONE OF THE ROBOTS AND SAY DO THIS FOR ME.
LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE AND I'LL TELL YOU THE NEXT BIG THING TO DO.
IT'S A COOL IDEA.
NOT SURE WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY DAVE, ISN'T THAT HARD AND TOUGH?
GUESS WHAT?
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HARD, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DIFFICULT.
DEAN MENTIONED ALREADY IF YOU THINK THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT ROBOTS YOU'RE MISSING PART OF THE MESSAGE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TEAMS OUT THERE, AND I KNOW I'LL HEAR BACK FROM THEM ABOUT THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF TEAMS OUT THERE WHO ARE BUILT SOLELY OF STUDENTS AS A STUDENT-BUILT, STUDENT-RUN, STUDENT-ORGANIZED TEAM FROM END TO END TO THE PROCESS.
I CONGRATULATE THEM WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND DO.
THEY'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL.
DO THE TASK WE'RE SETTING OUT FOR THEM.
IF YOU THINK THE TASK IS ABOUT BUILDING A ROBOT.
MY CHALLENGE TO THE TEAMS IS, PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET YOU EXPOSED TO REAL WORLD TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICES, PEOPLE WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS.
IF YOU'RE DOING THIS WITH YOUR TEAM YOU'RE ABLE TO BUILD THE ROBOT AND ABLE TO COMPETE AND BE ABLE TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM BUT I THINK YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ENGINEERING ON YOUR TEAM OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR BECAUSE YOU AREN'T TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE YOUR TEAM AND YOUR STUDENTS TO REAL WORLD ENGINEERING PRACTICES TO LEARN TO BE INSPIRED BY THE PROFESSIONALS TO WHICH YOU HAVE ACCESS.
SO IS THIS A HARD PROBLEM?
YES.
IT'S SUPPOSED HARD.
WE'RE MAKING IT HARD BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO BE ENCOURAGED TO GO OUT AND GET PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING HELP FOR YOUR TEAMS TO HELP SOLVE THIS STUFF.
THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE MOST BENEFIT OUT OF THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU START TO THINK ABOUT WELL, IF I DO HAVE AN ENGINEER ON MY TEAM OR EVEN IF I DON'T, WHAT CAN I DO WITH SOME OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES?
HOW CAN I MAKE THE WHOLE THING WORK?
WE PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF QUICK DEMONSTRATIONS.
WHEN I START TALKING ABOUT SUPERVISORY CONTROL, WHAT DO WE MEAN?
WHAT IS THE HYBRID CAPABILITY THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT?
WE HAVE THREE ROBOTS HERE I'LL SHOW YOU QUICKLY WHAT THE CAPABILITY MIGHT BE.
TO START OFF LEGO NXT ROBOT IS PROGRAMMED TO DRIVE STRAIGHT UNTIL I TELL IT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WERE TO FLASH A LIGHT AT IT AND IT GOES AND I FLASH A LIGHT AGAIN IT STOPS, TURNS LEFT, DRIVES FORWARD BUT IT DOESN'T DO THAT UNTIL I TELL IT TO AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL STOP ON ITS OWN.
IT'S A NEAT IDEA BUT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A FLAT LIGHT HANDY AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO USE A FLASHLIGHT IN THE COMPETITION ENVIRONMENT.
YOU SAY WHY WOULD I HAVE A WHITE FLASHLIGHT WOULDN'T I WANT ANOTHER DEVICE WITH A GREEN LIGHT THAT WAS RESPONDING TO A GREEN TASK WITH ANOTHER SENSOR I MAY HAVE HAD ACCESS TO IN THE PAST.
IT'S A POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LIGHT SOURCE, I WANTED SOME OTHER CAPABILITY CAN I GET THE SAME BEHAVIOR OUT OF MY ROBOT USING ANOTHER TYPE OF SIGNALING CAPABILITY?
ANOTHER ROBOT WITH AN ULTRASONIC SENSOR AND A TRANSMITTER WITH A VERY SIMPLE AUTONOMOUS ROUTINE PROGRAMMED INTO IT.
I START IT UP.
IT JUST DRIVES AND IT WILL JUST KEEP DRIVING UNTIL I TELL IT TO STOP.
JUST BY SENDING IT ANOTHER SIMPLE ONE BIT SIGNAL TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME THAT I WANT TO AS THE SUPERVISOR OF THE ROBOT AND IT WILL FOLLOW THOSE BEHAVIORS.
BUT LET'S SAY THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ULTRASONIC.
LET'S SAY I DIDN'T HAVE A VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCE BUT I HAD AN IRTV REMOTE THAT WAS HANGING AROUND THE HOUSE AND SOME OF US GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH OUR TELEVISIONS PERIODICALLY AND MATT HAS BEEN GNAWING ON THIS ONE.
IF I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT AGAIN AS A SUPERVISOR OF MY ROBOT I MAY PICK UP MY REMOTE AND GIVE IT A SIGNAL TO DRIVE FORWARD UNTIL I TELL IT TO STOP.
THAT ONE BIT IR COMMAND TELLS MY ROBOT DRIVE UNTIL DAVE SAYS STOP.
IF I GOT REALLY SOPHISTICATED I MIGHT SAY TURN LEFT UNTIL I TELL YOU TO STOP.
AND IT WOULD DO THAT.
SO HERE IS THREE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES USING LIGHT, USE ACOUSTICS AND IR.
THREE ROBOTS THAT DRIVE UNTIL I TELL YOU TO STOP, TURN LEFT UNTIL I TELL YOU TO STOP.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.
BUT IT'S A QUICK DEMONSTRATION OF SOME OF THE CAPABILITIES YOU WILL WANT TO THINK ABOUT DURING THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.
WE START TO MOVE INTO WHY YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THESE TECHNOLOGIES WHY DON'T I TURN IT OVER TO WOODIE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> PLEASE WELCOME FIRST NATIONAL ADVISOR WOODIE FLOWERS.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> I WANT TO SAY SOME THINGS ABOUT THE GAME.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THE PROCESS THAT CREATED IT AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN TO YOU.
I WANT TO RELY ON EINSTEIN AND THE CONCEPT OF MYTH BUSTING.
HE SAID A LOT OF WISE THINGS.
ONE WAS I WOULDN'T GIVE A NICKEL FOR THE SIMPLICITY THIS SIDE OF COMPLEXITY BUT I WOULD GIVE MY LIFE FOR SIMPLICITY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF COMPLEXITY.
NOW, COMPARE THAT WONDERFULLY WISE STATEMENT TO THIS STORE FRONT THAT IS NOT FAR FROM MY HOUSE.
FULFILLMENT EXPRESS?
NO, THAT'S A MYTH.
THERE IS NO EXPRESS LINE TO FULFILLMENT.
IT IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
FIRST IS ABOUT BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT SIMPLICITY AND COMPLEXITY.
SO THE GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE, WE, DIDN'T MAKE IT TO SIMPLICITY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF COMPLEXITY.
WE REALLY TRIED, BUT THE GAME THAT WE OFFER YOU IS STILL FAIRLY COMPLEX.
THE GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE.
THE GAME WAS NOT DESIGNED BY FIRST SOME THING.
IT IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THAT GROUP.
WE THOUGHT HARD ABOUT TRYING TO CREATE A GAME THAT WOULD SUIT THIS YEAR'S GOALS BUT EVEN WITH THAT EXPERIENCE, WE CANNOT KNOW WHAT YOU, 30,000 OR SO REALLY SMART PEOPLE, ARE GOING TO DO WITH THE COMPETITION.
NOW, WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL LIKE IT.
SOME OF YOU WILL, SOME OF YOU PROBABLY WON'T.
BUT WE TRIED VERY HARD TO MAKE IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
WE LISTENED, FOR EXAMPLE, TO PEOPLE WHO REALLY LOVED THE GAME IN 2001 WHERE ALL FOUR ROBOTS WERE ON AN ALLIANCE TOGETHER AND NO DEFENSIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN MACHINES BUT WE ALSO LISTENED TO THE PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT WAS OKAY BUT I LIKED THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ROBOTS.
SO WE TRIED TO CRAFT A GAME THAT HAD ROBOT TO ROBOT INTERACTION BUT ALSO WAS VERY DEFINITELY FOCUSED ON SCORING.
NOW, THIS YEAR AGAIN DR. AIDAN BROWNE IS THE NATIONAL HEAD REFEREE, HE'S A MEMBER OF THE GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE.
AT VARIOUS TIMES WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS AIDAN WOULD SAY WHAT?
HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE REFEREES TO CALL THAT?
SO WE'D BACK UP AND THINK REALLY HARD AND WRITE RULES AND REWRITE RULES.
AND I THINK HE IS STILL ANXIOUS, BUT I THINK WE'RE OKAY.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THOUGH, THAT THE REFEREES WILL HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT JOB THIS YEAR.
NOT ONLY FOR IN THE GAME, BUT IN THE REALTIME SCORING.
SO AIDAN HAS ALSO INITIATED A PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH EVERY REFEREE WILL BE CERTIFIED THIS YEAR.
THEY WILL TAKE AN ONLINE COURSE, THEY'LL HAVE TO PASS THE COURSE.
WE'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO GO FOR CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL THE REGIONALS.
WE'RE LISTENING AND TRYING HARD.
NOW, MAYBE BY A COUPLE WEEKS INTO THE REGIONALS OR MAYBE AT THE END OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP WE'LL KNOW WHETHER WE MADE IT THROUGH SOME OF THAT COMPLEXITY AND CAN SEE A LITTLE SIMPLICITY ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IN CAMPAIGN SEASON.
LET ME GET BACK TO MYTHS FOR A MOMENT.
[APPLAUSE]
>> A LOT OF MYTHS THAT SHOULD BE BUSTED.
I THINK THAT SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY DANGEROUS.
TWO THAT SEEM TO BE PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES IS THAT WE'RE ALL EATING ENTITLEMENT BONBONS AND DREAMING ABOUT FLAT PANEL HAPPINESS.
WE SEEM TO HAVE THE IDEA THAT WE DESERVE HIGH SALARIES AND LOW ENERGY COSTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE HAVE TO EARN OUR WAY THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
FLAT PANEL HAPPINESS?
IT'S A NOTION THAT THINGS WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY.
THINGS ARE NEAT.
I LIKE THINGS BUT THEY DON'T MAKE YOU HAPPY.
SO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN FIRST FACE A COMPLEX WORLD AND I THINK FIRST CAN HELP YOU GET PAST SOME OF THOSE MYTHS INTO THE THINGS THAT REALLY COUNT.
IN FIRST SOME OF THE MYTHS THAT ARE AROUND IS ONE GROUP THAT SAYS MACHINES ARE SIMPLE, IT'S THE SOFTWARE THAT IS COMPLEX.
THERE IS ANOTHER GROUP THAT SAYS SOFTWARE IS SIMPLE, MACHINES ARE COMPLEX.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT TEAMWORK IS REALLY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD.
NO, IT'S NOT.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT SMART AND WISE IS THE SAME THING.
NO, THEY'RE NOT.
SOME PEOPLE EVEN THINK CAN MEN CAN DO IT ALL.
NOT EVEN CLOSE.
SOME THINK THAT LEADERSHIP AND THAT SOFT STUFF DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
THAT'S FAR, FAR FROM TRUTH.
THAT MYTH MUST BE BUSTED.
SO IF THERE ARE AMONG THE 300 PLUS ROOKIES OUT THERE, IF YOU THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO ASK YOU TO DO IS SIMPLE, YOU'RE PROBABLY SEEING SOME OF THE STUFF THAT EINSTEIN SAID IS NOT WORTH A NICKEL.
AND WHAT WE HOPE YOU CAN DO IS GET PAST THAT INTO SOME OF THE REALLY VALUABLE STUFF.
WE'LL ASK YOU TO BUILD A SMART, AGILE, POWERFUL, CONTROLLABLE, COMPLEX ROBOT WORKING WITH A DIVERSE TEAM THAT IS VERY OPINIONATED IN SIX WEEKS.
THAT'S COMPLEX.
BUT WE HOPE THAT IN DOING THAT, MAYBE TWO WEEKS BEFORE SHIP DATE YOU'LL HAVE THE ROBOT ALL DONE AND HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO WORK OUT THE BUGS AND PRACTICE OPERATING IT AND IF YOU DO THAT, IT WILL LOOK SIMPLE.
YOU WILL HAVE GOTTEN A GLIMPSE OF THE STUFF THAT'S REALLY VALUABLE.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING HOME AFTER THE FIRST REGIONAL AND YOU LOOK BACK OVER WHAT'S HAPPENED AND YOU SAY WELL, YOU KNOW, AS DEAN MENTIONED I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD MY GRANDMOTHER SEE EVERYTHING THAT I DID AND EVERYTHING THAT MY TEAM DID, BECAUSE I REALLY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WAY WE BEHAVED AND THE WHOLE PROCESS.
BELIEVE ME, THAT'S SOME OF THE SIMPLICITY THAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF COMPLEXITY.
SO IF YOU GET TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NATURE AND THE ROBOT, OTHER PEOPLE AND YOURSELF, THEN YOU WILL BE GETTING INTO THE PLACE THAT WE HOPE YOU WANT TO BE.
BUT I'M SURE WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW NOW IS WHAT IS THIS YEAR'S GAME.
[APPLAUSE]
>> NOW LET'S MEET THE FOLKS WHO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN, PLEASE WELCOME THE FIRST ROBOTICS GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE.
KAYE PILOTTE.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER JEREMY ROBERTS.
FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY CAPTAIN VINCE WILCZYNSKI.
HEAD REFEREE DR. AIDAN BROWNE.
DIRECTOR OF FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION, BILL MILLER.
AND ALSO ON THE COMMITTEE, DAVE, DEAN AND WOODIE.
[APPLAUSE]
>> AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE 2008 FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION GAME, THREE, TWO, ONE GO!
[APPLAUSE]
>> HEY, THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY INTERESTING GAME.
MAYBE WE OUGHT TO FIND OUT SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT.
>> WELCOME TO THE 2008 FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION AND THIS YEAR'S GAME OVERDRIVE.
OVER DRIVE IS PLAYED
ON A FIELD.
EACH TEAM IS COMPOSED OF DRIVERS, A COACH AND A NEW POSITION THE ROBO COACH, THE CENTER OF THE TRACK IS SPANNED BY THE OVERPASS WHICH IS 6 1/2 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR.
A 6 FOOT TALL LANE DIVIDER RUNS DOWN THE MID-LINE OF THE TRACKS.
THE STRUCTURES DEFINE THE FINISH LINE.
THE GAME PIECES ARE 40 INCH DIAMETER BALLS KNOWN AS TRACKBALLS.
THERE ARE TWO FOR EACH ALLIANCE.
THE OBJECTIVE OF -- MOVE THEM AROUND THE TRACK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE GETTING POINTS WHEN THEY CROSS THE FINISH LINES.
BONUS POINTS ARE EARNED WHEN THE TRACKBALL PASSES OVER THE OVERPASS.
ROBOTS START THE MATCH LINED UP AGAINST THEIR RESPECTIVE WALL.
STARTING POSITIONS FOR THE TRACKBALLS ARE RANDOMLY DETERMINED BEFORE EACH MATCH.
THE MATCH BEGINS WITH HYBRID MODE WHERE ROBOTS CAN AUTONOMOUSLY NAVIGATE AROUND THE TRACK AND EARN POINTS FOR EACH LINE THEY CROSS.
ALLIANCES WILL ALSO GET A BONUS FOR EACH OF THEIR TRACKBALLS THAT IS REMOVED FROM THE OVERPASS BEFORE THE HYBRID PERIOD ENDS.
DURING THE 15 SECOND HYBRID PERIOD, THE ROBO COACH MAY PASS SIGNALS TO THE ROBOT TO ALTER THE GAME PLANT.
THEN HUMAN PLAYERS STEP FORWARD TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE ROBOTS.
AS THE TWO MINUTE PERIOD STARTS ROBOTS CONTINUE TO RACE AROUND THE TRACK AND SCORE POINTS EACH TIME THEY CROSS THEIR OWN FINISH LINE.
WHEN OVERTAKING SLOWER MACHINES ROBOTS CAN SIGNAL THEIR DESIRE TO PASS BY GENTLY BUMPING.
ROBOTS CAN MOVE TRACKBALLS AROUND THE FIELD BY BUMPING AND HERDING THEM.
OR THE TRACKBALLS CAN BE CAPTURED AND POSSESSED.
TRACKBALLS SCORES EACH TIME THEY CROSS THEIR OWN FINISH LINE.
TWO POINTS FOR GOING UNDER THE OVERPASS AND EIGHT POINTS FOR HURDLING THE OVERPASS.
ROBOTS WILL HAVE TO BE BUILT ROBUSTLY TO AVOID DAMAGE FROM FALLING TRACKBALLS.
TRACKBALLS PLACED ON THE OVERPASS AT THE END OF THE MATCH WILL EARN A SPECIAL 12-POINT BONUS.
OF COURSE, THEY DO HAVE TO STAY THERE.
GOOD LUCK.
AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE COMPETITION.
>> THANKS A LOT, DAVE.
GREAT JOB.
NOW LET'S PLAY A FULL SCALE GAME.
WOODIE, WHAT'S THE RED ALLIANCE GOT TO WORK WITH?
>> DEAN, RED ALLIANCE IS LOOKING GOOD.
WE'VE GOT ONE SUPER BOT HERE LOOKS FAST, AGILE AND IT WILL BE ABLE TO HURDLE.
WHO IS YOUR ROBO COACH?
OKAY.
LOOKING GOOD.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ROBOT FROM A NEW TEAM NOT ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES BUT LOOKS REALLY STURDY AND LIKES LOOK IT'S READY TO GO.
HOW ABOUT YOUR ROBO COACH.
NO HYBRID, HUH?
GOOD LUCK.
THE THIRD ONE IS CLEARLY A RABBIT.
LOOKS LIKE A REALLY FAST MACHINE AND YOUR ROBO COACH?
TWO ROBO COACHES.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
AS WOODIE JUST SAW THAT ALLIANCE HAS SPLIT THE HYBRID CONTROLS ACROSS TWO DEVICES FOR ONE ROBOT.
THANKS A LOT, WOODIE.
NOW, DAVE.
WHAT HAVE WE GOT ON THE BLUE ALLIANCE?
>> DEAN OVER HERE ON THE BLUE SIDE WE HAVE THREE CAPABLE ROBOTS.
LOOKS LIKE ALL THREE WILL BE ABLE TO HURDLE.
WE HAVE OUR TALL BLUE ROBOT AND BLUE SCREAMER PLOTTING TOGETHER ALL MORNING.
WHO IS YOUR ROBO COACH?
THERE SHE IS, DO YOU HAVE A ROBO COACH, TOO?
THERE IS YOURS, GOOD.
WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.
WE HAVE A THIRD ROBOT OVER HERE.
ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
WELL, THAT EXPLAINS WHY WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER ROBO COACH.
SHE'LL DO WHATEVER SHE NEEDS TO AND IS COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS.
>> ARE WE READY TO GO?
>> NOT QUITE.
I NOO NEED TO HELP THIS TEAM.
THEY'RE OVER THE LINE AND NOT TOUCHING THE WALL.
OKAY.
>> NOW LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY TO START THE MATCH.
>> THANKS, DAVE.
>> WOODIE, WILL YOU PLEASE DO THE HONORS?
>> I'D BE GLAD TO.
SO THE SCORING SYSTEM IS PUT THE TRACKBALLS IN RANDOM LOCATIONS, LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY IS READY.
ALLIANCES, START YOUR MOTORS.
GO!
>> HERE WE GO WITH FIRST OVERDRIVE THE COMPETITION FOR 2008.
RED ALLIANCE THE SCREAMER RABBIT GOING DOWN.
THERE GOES A BALL.
OFF THE OVERPASS, THREE SECONDS REMAINING IN HYBRID PERIOD, TWO, ONE.
WOODIE.
LET'S SEE HOW THE RED ALLIANCE DID.
>> LOOKING GOOD.
THE RABBIT HERE CROSSED ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR LINES FOR 16 POINTS.
THE ROBOT FROM THE NEW TEAM DID WELL CROSSED THE LINE FOR FOUR POINTS.
SUPER BOUGHT OVER THERE TOOK DOWN A TRACKBALL FOR EIGHT POINTS.
CROSSED TWO LINES FOR ANOTHER EIGHT POINTS.
THAT'S 36 POINTS.
>> GREAT, WOODIE.
36 POINTS FOR THE RED ALLIANCE.
NOW, DAVE, HOW IS THE BLUE ALLIANCE DOING?
>> THEY GOT THEIR TRACKBALL DOWN.
THERE IS EIGHT POINTS.
BOTH ROBOTS CROSSED THE FINISH LINE FOR ANOTHER EIGHT.
I THOUGHT WE HAD MORE POINTS HERE.
THE SCORE ISN'T SHOWING IT.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> THAT ROBOT DIDN'T GET ACROSS THE LINE.
HE LOST THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FOUR POINTS.
THE TOTAL FOR THE BLUE ALLIANCE IS 16 POINTS.
HERE WE GO.
TWO MINUTES.
TELEOPERATED PERIOD.
HUMAN PLAYERS APPROACH THE CONTROLS TAKING COMMAND OF THEIR ROBOTS.
BLUE ALLIANCE NOW.
UP AND OVER THE LANE DIVIDER AND OVER THE OVERPASS FOR EIGHT POINTS.
THERE GOES THEIR RABBIT FOR THE RED.
TOSSING A TRACK BALL.
>> SHE DIDN'T GIVE UP CONTROL AT ALL.
IS THAT A PENALTY?
>> NO BUT IT IS NOT A SCORE, EITHER.
>> SHE HAS TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK AROUND TO TRY AGAIN.
SHE CAN'T GO BACKWARDS FOR ANOTHER TRY.
>> THE DUO OF THE TALL BOT AND SCREAMER BOT.
UP AND OVER THE OVERPASS FOR THE EIGHT POINTS.
THERE GOES AUTO BOT FOR THE BLUE LINE ONCE AGAIN UP AND OVER THE OVERPASS AS WELL.
SUPER BOT WITH A BALL IN ITS POSSESSION GOING AROUND THE FIELD FOLLOWING THE RABBIT.
SCREAMER GOT ONE MORE TIME PASSING IT TO TALL BOT.
UNDER A MINUTE REMAINING NOW.
UP AND OVER THE OVERPASS ONE MORE TIME.
ROOKIE BOT HURRYING A TRACK BALL DOWN THE FIELD.
ONE MORE TIME GOES THE DYNAMIC DUO, BLUE ALLIANCE OVER THE LANE DIVIDER.
TRACK BALL FOR EIGHT POINTS UP, GOING OVER THE OVERPASS.
AUTO BOT NOW FOR BLUE GETTING IT UP, UP, UP, PUSHING IT UP.
TRYING TO KEEP IT ON THE OVERPASS, THERE IT IS.
POPS IT BACK.
DYNAMIC DUO ONE MORE TIME.
UP AND OVER THE OVERPASS FOR THE BLUE LINE.
>> SO, DAVE, WHAT IS THE BLUE ONE WORTH?
>> IT'S WORTH 12 POINTS IF IT STAYS THERE UNTIL THE END.
>> SO WITH 20 SECONDS LEFT, BLUE HAS BUILT UP QUITE A LEAD.
>> THAT'S A LOT OF TIME.
LET'S SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> 20 SECONDS REMAINING NOW.
ROOKIE BOT PLAYING DEFENSE PUSHES THE TRACK BALL OFF.
NOW POPS THE TRACKBALL BACK TO THE PARTNER, SUPER BOT TRYING TO PLACE IT UP.
10 SECONDS REMAINING NOW.
TEAMS LOOKING FOR BONUS POINTS.
12 POINTS FOR EACH TRACKBALL LEFT AT THE OVERPASS AT THE END OF THE MATCH WITH THREE, TWO, ONE.
AND THAT'S THE BUZZER.
>> THE FINAL SCORE BLUE 122, RED 124.
>> IT WAS GREAT TEAMWORK.
WHAT A FINISH.
>> THANKS, DAVE.
IT WAS GREAT.
THANKS, WOODIE.
BLAIR, WHAT DID THE AUDIENCE THINK?
>> WELL, DEAN, I'M HERE WITH NATALIE FROM TEAM 341.
A THIRD YEAR TEAM MEMBER DRIVING MISS DAISY.
NATALIE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, LAST NIGHT DEAN CAME AND SAID TO US IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HEADACHE, YOU PROBABLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AND I THINK I'VE GOT A HEADACHE BUT I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND IT SO--
>> CONGRATULATIONS, DEAN, YOU DID IT AGAIN.
[APPLAUSE]
>> GOOD LUCK, NATALIE.
GOOD LUCK TO YOUR TEAM AND TO ALL THE TEAMS.
(music)(music)