Support THE ROTORAPTORS so that we can build an incredible, winning robot in 2013!
Your support will help 4-H Robotics Team 3737 the RotoRaptors design, prototype and build a fully-functional robot for the 2013 NC Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. The competition is from March 14th through the 16th at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. 2013 will be our team's third year in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
Our goal is to compete in (and win) the NC Regional, but we need your support!
Your generous donations will go toward:
- Purchase of tools to work on the robot (ranging from drill presses to miter saws and grinders)
- Purchase of materials to construct the robot, such as aluminum extrusion, brackets and screws, sheet metal, lexan, etc.
- Registration fees for the tournament, which cost $5,000 per regional
- Purchase of motors, gears, and various items for our robot
The money spent for these items is ultimately used to help us 'build' future scientists, mathematicians and engineers.
One of the best things about FIRST is the hands-on experience and real-world engineering skills students get from building the robot. These include:
- Software engineering, from programming a robot to interfacing with cameras and using computer vision, to using Microsoft Kinect to control a robot, to web design
- Problem solving and the design process, because we must understand our limitations and get around them while working within time and budget constraints
- Electrical engineering, such as soldering wires, working on circuits, reading schematics, using multimeters to troubleshoot electrical problems, etc.
- Mechanical engineering, such as fabricating parts, working with metal, and using motors, gears, and servos in an effective way to produce a desired result
- Teamwork and collaboration to achieve our goals in a build season of only 6 weeks
- Computer-aided design using Autodesk Inventor and PTC Pro/ENGINEER. CAD allows us to create "virtual prototypes" of our designs which we can use to maximize efficient use of time and materials
- Shop skills such as working with grinders, drill presses, miter saws and lathes, as well as woodworking to build a practice field to train on
Pictures from 2012:
We have many involved parents, corporate sponsors, and mentors. Without any of them, this project would be impossible.
Please visit our Facebook page here and our Youtube channel here if you would like to know more about our team, keep up with developments, or check out pictures from previous seasons. Thank you!
Our 2012 robot, "Le Le"
Risks and challenges
Once our team clears the first hurdle - obtaining the funds to enter the competition and provide materials to build the robot - then the real work begins! We will have just 6 weeks to design, build, test, modify, and generally agonize over our robot before it must be boxed, sealed, and delivered to the competition. The time constraints and engineering requirements are brutal, and anything can happen. Despite this, we feel that we can provide an exceptionally performing robot if we work hard and think even harder. We will be leaning on the wisdom and experience of electrical and mechanical engineers as well as woodworkers, metalcrafters, draftsmen, and just about anyone else who can help our students with their project. Community support is always the largest roadblock, and we feel that it is one that we can overcome easily with your help.
The best way to root out possible design flaws is prototyping. Prototyping is when you build a model that demonstrates a conceptual design or process. The ability to create models before investing time and effort into a dead end is absolutely crucial if we want to be competitive, but creating prototypes is expensive. Because we are a fairly new, rural team, we don't have many of the resources that larger, older teams in urban areas have access to. Because of this, we need your help to do the best we possibly can do next season!
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Funding period
- (30 days)