Friends worth crossing centuries for.
FIRST Tech Challenge Team 5937
Apopka, Florida
Founded 2012

Renaissance Robotics 

Renaissance Robotics

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ROBOT PARTS 

 

Wish List Items  - Can you donate any of these?

Each year, FTC teams have to build the field elements for that years challenge and the robot to tackle that years game. In addition to the base kit there are tons of other things that go into making a robot. Each year the challenge is different, so there is always a need for specialized parts.

2016-2017 REGISTRATION COSTS

  • Annual FIRST Registration - $275.00  - this allows us to play this season
  • Local League Dues - $350.00  - this pays our local tournament entry fees
  • Roboticon dues - $25.00 - out of league dues for this Tampa event
  • State Championship, Super Regional Championship, World Championship - costs for these will be added once we know we qualify for them.

2016-2017 GAME PIECES & FIELD

  • Estimated cost is $400.00. Purchased from AndyMark. This will not be released until kick-off on September 10th, 2016. There are new game pieces each year for that years game.

Below are on the wishlist to upgrade our current ones, which are beat up after years of use.

ELECTRONICS & CONTROL SYSTEM

CORE CONTROL MODULES & SENSORS


Modern Robotics Inc - The required Modern Robotics Core modules can be connected to an Android device or PC controller to create a powerful robotic system. Modern Robotics has a comprehensive range of sensors for competition, experimentation and education.  All the sensors are housed in rugged custom housings so there is no exposed circuit boards or wires that can damage the sensor or the host system.


Other sensors - Certain other sensors often prove useful, when they are allowed in that years Game Manual. These often come from places like Adafruit.



PHONES


Certain Android phones are the "brains" of the robots we build. The phones with Android Studio / JAVA are what we use to control and program our robots. Two phones are needed one for the robot controller and a second for the drivers station.  If you're upgrading your phone, please consider donating your old one to an FTC team. 


  • Motorola Moto G 2nd Gen Phones 
  • ZTE Speed Phones 
  • Otterbox, Lifeproof or similar durable cases for the above model phones. Robots often collide or end up upside down. These cases save the phones and allow you to play in the next match.


GAME PADS & DRIVER STATION ACCESSORIES

ROBOT BUILDING MATERIALS

MOTORS & SERVOS

AndyMark NeveRest Motors 

http://www.andymark.com/NeveRest-s/550.htm


These are superior to the ones that come in the Tetrix base kits. We'll use a minimum of 8 motors each year, as old motors are regulated to the demo and training robots; new motors are used on the competition robot each year to remain competitive.

STRUCTURE


Actobotics Parts - any of it is useful, high on the wishlist is Actobotics X-Rail extrusion. This is used for linear slides and similar components.

https://www.servocity.com/html/actoboticstm.html


Tetrix Robot Kits and Parts
http://www.pitsco.com/Robotics/TETRIX


These two above systems are what the basic structure of our robots are made of. Wide variety of items and price points. 

Gift Certificates to any of the hardware stores - Ace, Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart
Lots of items come from these from the local hardware or big box stores - sheet metal, lexan, fasteners, electrical tape, zipties, tools, tool boxes and more!

If you have any of the stuff laying around unneeded, that is a huge help to our team!

We could also use the free AA batteries and small flashlights you get free with the Harbor Freight coupons.

INVENTORY CONTROL ITEMS

Epson LabelWorks Cartridges

 http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/labelworks-label-printers.do?UseCookie=yes


As part of our inventory management, we label everything from our toolboxes to our tabbards. Labels are also used in cable management -  the cables on our robots are a key part of an organized and tidy electrical system.


We have access to both a LW-400 Label Maker and a LW-600P Label Printer.  ANY of the currently available LabelWorks Cartridge sizes   ~ 1/4" (6mm), ~3/8" (9mm), ~1/2" (12mm), ~3/4" (18mm) & ~1" (24mm) or styles (including iron on and ribbon) have a use for us.

TRAVEL & FOOD NEEDS


Gas and grocery cards also make our parents happy. They miss work to take us to out of state events and cheer us on, and this can make the family budgets tight especially when it's out of state and several nights in hotels.

We're teenagers. We eat a lot. Practices are 5 hours or more long. Our coach and mentors often end up feeding us. 

SPIRIT ITEMS for Team Identity

FTC teams brand themselves to form a unique team identity much like sports teams do. The team colors for Renaissance Robotics are a  deep maroon and blue. We chose these because they are the colors of the FIRST logo with a renaissance spin to make them appropriate for our themed costumes. We strive to theme our tournament pits and outreach event tables in a Renaissance style to present a cohesive look.
T-SHIRTS - We need these for outreach events where wearing our tournament Renaissance costume is not practical
 10 current team members
 6 sibling support staff
16 parents, including coach
3 additional mentors
$15.00 each, minimum order is normally 24-36 shirts

FABRIC and PATTERNS - We sew our own Renaissance costumes in our team colors of red, black & blue. Below are the fabrics we use. Joann's gift cards are also helpful, for the matching thread and other sewing notions we need to complete our costumes. Heavier weight fabrics that match these, also work. As our sewing skills increase, we hope to improve our tournament costume design. Who knew that competing in robotics would lead us to learning to sew!
Country Classic Cotton Solid Quilt Fabric - 100% Cotton
Color or Style: 2092534 Claret (on bolt it says Claret Wine, but its the same item number)
http://www.joann.com/country-classic-cotton-solid-quilt-fabric/prd10005.html#start=3
$4.99 per yard, goes on sale for $3.49
best deal is regular price w/ 40% off coupon = $2.99

Used for the top layer of our tournament outfits -  tabbards, doublets, medieval dresses, flags and banners.

2 yards = 1 tabbard

Country Classic Cotton Solid Quilt Fabric - 100% Cotton - Color or Style: 855544 Dark Royal Blue
http://www.joann.com/country-classic-cotton-solid-quilt-fabric/prd10005.html#start=3
$4.99 per yard. goes on sale for $3.49

best deal is regular price w/ 40% off coupon = $2.99


(this is darker than it appears on most monitors)

Used on belts badges and for flags and banners.

Country Classic Cotton Solid Quilt Fabric - 100% Cotton - Color or Style: 1147404 Black
http://www.joann.com/country-classic-cotton-solid-quilt-fabric/prd10005.html#start=3
$4.99 per yard. goes on sale for $3.49

best deal is regular price w/ 40% off coupon = $2.99


Used for the underlayer of our tournament outfits -  renaissance shirts and chemises. Our cloaks are also black.

Wrights X-Wide Double Fold Bias Tape Details
http://www.joann.com/wrights-x-wide-double-fold-bias-tape/1028083.html
Item # 1028083
Color: Yale (blue)
Color: Brick (red)
Color: Black
$2.29

Simplicity Sewing Pattern 4059 Men Costumes, A (XS-S-M-L-XL)

This is the shirt and doublet (vest) pattern we use for the boys, if they are not wearing tabbards.


For the girls dresses, we drafted our own patterns and don't need to purchase one.


Tabbards are the "one size fits all" solution, since many of us our having growth spurts. Our teammates are 10-16 years old. They also required less material and sewing skills to make. We're getting better at sewing and improving the look of our tournament outfits this year.

COSTUME ACCESSORIES - Ring Belts, Skirt Hitchers, Mug Holders, Mugs, Belt Pouches, Medieval or Renaissance style hats.

Basically, all the little items that make the Renaissance costumes work. We are especially in need of ring belts and belt pouches, if you have an unwanted one in your garb trunk.

We are REALLY in need of a bunch of black leather ring belts to improve the look of our teams costumes. Right now we are using mis-matched Goodwill finds.
SWAG ITEMS
FTC teams trade swag with each other and give them out to audience members. We are ALWAYS in need of paper crowns, mardigras type beads. We would LOVE to have a BUTTON MAKER, so we can make buttons to trade like other teams do. Red and blue cardstock is also needed to make our small giveaway banners.
PIT DECORATIONS
At Super Regionals and the World Championship teams have a 10x10 area that we need to decorate to match our theme. We need more of the older style "MegaBloks Adventure Play Castle" pieces. The grey one, not the newer and different sized pieces of the current ones. One of our siblings lends us their set, but we need to build a larger wall.

Medieval style flags and banners made from our red and blue fabric would also be great.

PUCKING RATS and PUCKING STICKS


We already have a severed arm, so obviously we need red and blue rats to match our Renaissance costumes.


Rat Pucking is great fun and it gives us a way to have play while remaining in our Renaissance persona at lunch time and demos. 


Emrys Fleet introduced several of us to this game at various Renaissance Faires when we were just little kids.


Actual conversation on pucking. One of our moms sent this to Emrys Fleet years ago and recently found it: She thought we'd be embarrassed by it. We're not and to prove it we added it to the team website, rat pucking is much more fun than golf!

November 19, 2010 6:35 pm
Today at our house.....
Kids' conversation....
"Can we play putt putt golf?" (age 7)
 "I don't even know how to play golf." (age 5)
"It's like pucking, but with balls and metal sticks." (age 12)
"Will they give us rats, if we don't want to use balls?" (age 10)


Emrys Fleet the Rat Catcher's real name is Jim Greene and he is a wonderfully diverse performer. He is also a nice guy and always willing to chat with us about anything, even robotics.


Sadly, Wal-mart does not carry pucking rats, leaving most people with no clue where to get them. Emrys makes and sells them on his website the Scarlet Rat.