The Results

We finished the qualifying rounds with a 4-1 record, placing us 3rd overall going into eliminations. Our only loss came in Qual Match 3 against the eventual event winners, and it was a close game that came down to the final seconds.

Match Breakdown

In eliminations, we were picked by the 2nd seed alliance. We won our semifinal match decisively (201-178 - our highest score of the day!), but fell short in the finals against a strong alliance.

Phoenix in Action

Our robot performed reliably throughout the day. Key highlights:

Autonomous

Our autonomous routine worked flawlessly in all 7 matches. Sofia and the programming team’s hard work paid off with consistent scoring and parking. The computer vision system successfully detected game elements in varying lighting conditions.

Driver-Controlled

Ryan and our drive team showed excellent coordination. Our cycle time improved throughout the day as Ryan got more comfortable with Phoenix’s handling. By the semifinals, we were completing full scoring cycles in under 8 seconds.

Mechanical Reliability

Zero mechanical failures all day. The intake never jammed, the lift operated smoothly, and our drivetrain handled the pushing matches without issues. Credit to Marcus and the build team for their rigorous testing regimen.

Think Award!

We’re proud to announce that we won the Think Award at League Meet 1! This award recognizes our engineering notebook and documentation of the design process.

Grace led the effort to update our engineering notebook this week, documenting:

• Our iterative design process for the intake mechanism
• Testing data from 50+ autonomous runs
• Decision matrices for key design choices
• Reflection on what worked and what we learned

Winning the Think Award twice in consecutive seasons shows our commitment to the engineering design process beyond just building a good robot.

Lessons Learned

What Worked

1. Pre-match checklists - We caught a loose wire before Qual 2 that could have cost us the match
2. Scouting database - Our data-driven alliance selection helped us identify strong partners
3. Pit organization - Everything we needed was within arm’s reach for quick repairs

What to Improve

1. Endgame timing - We left points on the table in Qual 3 by starting our climb too early
2. Alliance communication - Need better coordination with partners on field positioning
3. Driver practice - Ryan wants to work on precise placement under pressure

Looking Ahead

League Meet 2 is in two weeks at Jefferson Community Center. Our goals:

• Improve autonomous to collect an additional element
• Add a secondary camera angle for better driver visibility
• Practice coordinated plays with likely alliance partners
• Hit 200+ points in qualification matches

We’re currently ranked well for League Championship qualification, but nothing is guaranteed. We’ll keep working hard and improving Phoenix every week.

Thank You

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us! Special shoutouts to:

• Our mentors who kept us calm and focused
• The parents who helped with pit setup and food
• Lincoln High School’s team for hosting a great event
• Our alliance partners for excellent teamwork

See you all at League Meet 2!

Follow our journey on Instagram @teamrobotics and check our events page for the full schedule.

Why Phoenix?

The name Phoenix represents our team’s spirit this season. Like the mythical bird rising from the ashes, our robot embodies our approach to the engineering design process - constantly iterating, learning from failures, and emerging stronger each time.

Key Features

Mecanum Drivetrain

Phoenix features a powerful mecanum drivetrain that gives us omnidirectional movement on the field. This allows our driver, Ryan, to navigate tight spaces and position the robot precisely for scoring.

• 4 REV HD Hex Motors
• Custom 3D-printed motor mounts
• 12:1 gear ratio for optimal balance of speed and torque

Dual-Stage Lift

Our lift mechanism extends to reach the highest scoring positions while maintaining stability:

• Linear slide system with bearing support
• Two-stage extension reaching 36 inches
• Encoder-based position control

Active Intake

The intake system was designed by Marcus and the build team to quickly collect game elements:

• Compliant wheel design for secure grip
• Adjustable tension system
• Sensor-triggered automatic grabbing

Autonomous Capabilities

Sofia and the programming team have been working on our autonomous routines. Phoenix can currently:

1. Navigate from any starting position to the scoring area
2. Score preloaded elements with 95% accuracy
3. Return to parking position before time expires

We’re still fine-tuning the computer vision system to detect and collect additional game elements during auto.

What’s Next

With League Meet 1 just around the corner, we’re focusing on:

• Driver practice sessions
• Fine-tuning PID constants
• Adding redundancy to critical systems
• Preparing our pit display

Stay tuned for updates from our first competition!

Want to see Phoenix in action? Come visit us at Lincoln High School on January 18th for League Meet 1!

Inspiring Future Engineers

Over 150 students and their families attended the event, and our booth was one of the most popular attractions. We brought our robot from last season to demonstrate, and the kids were absolutely fascinated watching it move around and pick up objects.

“The best part was seeing their faces light up when we let them drive the robot with a controller,” said Emily, our Outreach Lead. “You could see the exact moment when they realized that they could build something like this too.”

Hands-On Activities

We set up several hands-on stations for the kids to explore:

Build Challenge

Using simple building blocks and connectors, kids had 10 minutes to build the tallest tower they could. This taught them about structural stability and the iterative design process (when towers fell, they learned and rebuilt!).

Code a Robot

Using a simplified block-coding interface on tablets, kids could program a small robot to navigate through a maze. Many of them picked it up faster than we expected!

Ask an Engineer

Team members answered questions about robotics, what it’s like being on an FTC team, and how they got interested in STEM. Some of our most common questions:

• “How do you make the robot move by itself?”
• “What happens if the robot breaks during a match?”
• “Can I join a robotics team?”

Growing Our Community

Events like this are core to who we are as a team. FIRST’s mission isn’t just about building robots - it’s about inspiring young people to explore STEM fields and develop critical skills.

We collected contact information from several families interested in:

• Our Jr. FLL team for younger students
• Middle school FTC team opportunities
• High school team recruitment for 8th graders

Thank You

Special thanks to:

• Ms. Johnson and the Maple Elementary PTA for hosting us
• Our mentor Dr. Patel for driving the equipment trailer
• Grace for creating the awesome activity instruction cards
• Everyone who volunteered their Saturday evening

Want Us at Your School?

We love doing outreach events! If you’re interested in having our team visit your school, library, or community organization, please contact us. We can customize our presentation for different age groups and event formats.

Follow us on Instagram @teamrobotics for more photos from STEM Night!

What’s New This Season

This year brings several exciting changes to our team:

• New Team Members: We’ve welcomed several new students who are eager to learn
• Upgraded Equipment: Thanks to our sponsors, we have new tools and materials
• Expanded Outreach: We’re planning more community events than ever

Season Goals

Our goals for this season include:

1. Build a competitive robot that excels at the game objectives
2. Qualify for the state championship
3. Expand our STEM outreach to reach more students
4. Continue developing our documentation and engineering process

Get Involved

Interested in supporting our team? Here’s how you can help:

• Become a sponsor
• Join our team
• Follow us on social media for updates

Stay tuned for more updates as the season progresses!

Game Overview

This year’s game challenges teams to score game elements in various underwater-themed zones. Here are the key game objectives:

Autonomous Period (30 seconds)

• Start from designated positions on the field
• Navigate to collection zones
• Score in high and low goals
• Park in the observation zone

Driver-Controlled Period (2 minutes)

• Collect game elements from the field
• Score in tiered goals (higher = more points)
• Defend strategic positions
• Endgame climbing challenge

Our Initial Strategy Analysis

After the reveal, we broke into subteams to analyze different aspects of the game.

Build Team Analysis

Marcus led the build team in identifying key mechanisms we’ll need:

1. Drivetrain Requirements
   • Need for precise positioning (favors mecanum or swerve)
   • Must handle the field obstacles
   • Speed vs. pushing power tradeoffs
2. Scoring Mechanisms
   • Reach height needed: 24-36 inches
   • Multiple scoring positions require flexibility
   • Speed of cycling will be crucial
3. Intake Design
   • Game element geometry and weight
   • Collection from floor vs. human player station
   • Holding capacity considerations

Programming Team Analysis

Sofia’s programming team focused on autonomous potential:

• “The autonomous period is worth a significant portion of points this year”
• Computer vision will be essential for detecting game elements
• Path planning needs to handle obstacle avoidance

Strategy Team Analysis

Anya and the drive team looked at match strategy:

• Alliance coordination will be key
• Defending high-value scoring positions
• Endgame timing decisions (climb early vs. score more)

Next Steps

Based on our analysis, here’s our roadmap for the next few weeks:

Prototype Palooza

This weekend we’re hosting our annual “Prototype Palooza” - a full-day workshop where we’ll build and test multiple mechanism concepts. Each subteam will create at least two different prototype approaches, and we’ll evaluate them based on:

• Reliability
• Speed
• Ease of manufacturing
• Maintenance requirements

Join the Discussion

We’re posting regular updates on our Discord server. If you’re a team member and haven’t joined yet, ask a lead for the invite link.

For other teams: we believe in the FIRST principle of Coopertition. If you want to discuss strategy or share ideas, reach out! We’re always happy to help rookie teams get started.

Let’s make this our best season yet! Go team!

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

TechVentures Inc has been supporting our team for the past three years, and their commitment to STEM education goes far beyond financial support.

“When we first met with the TechVentures team, we immediately connected over our shared passion for inspiring young people in technology,” says Emily, our Outreach Lead. “They don’t just write a check - they’re genuinely invested in our success.”

How TechVentures Supports Us

Financial Sponsorship

As a Platinum sponsor, TechVentures provides crucial funding that helps us:

• Purchase competition registration fees
• Buy materials for robot construction
• Travel to competitions
• Upgrade our tools and equipment

Mentorship Program

Several TechVentures engineers volunteer their time to mentor our team:

• Dr. Sarah Chen (Software Engineering) - Helps our programming team with advanced algorithms
• Mike Thompson (Mechanical Engineering) - Reviews our CAD designs and suggests improvements
• Lisa Park (Project Management) - Teaches us about professional project planning

Facility Access

TechVentures has opened their doors to our team, allowing us to:

• Use their 3D printing lab for rapid prototyping
• Access their CNC machine for precision parts
• Tour their facilities to see real-world engineering

Impact on Our Team

This support has directly contributed to our success:

• 2024: Won Innovation Award at State Championship
• 2023: Advanced to World Championship for the first time
• Ongoing: Maintained 100% team member retention

In Their Words

“Supporting this robotics team is one of the best investments we make each year. These students represent the future of our industry, and watching them grow as engineers and leaders is incredibly rewarding.”

— James Martinez, CEO of TechVentures Inc

Thank You

To everyone at TechVentures: thank you for believing in us. Your support makes our dreams possible, and we promise to keep making you proud.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Learn about our sponsorship opportunities and join our community of supporters!