This year’s game is Destination: Deep Space, which consists of three main scoring components. The two main scoring possibilities are through the three-level tall rocket ship and the flat but wide cargo ship. To “complete” a ship, alliances of three teams must add hatch panels before depositing “cargo” balls in order to gain points. Teams can also develop a climbing mechanism that can return them to the “habitat” near the end of the game to earn points for completing a climb. The first 15 seconds of the 2 minute 45 second match is called the “Sandstorm” period where driver vision is completely blocked, meaning that robots can only be controlled through autonomous code or vision systems.
This week week, Titanium Robotics will be attending the Orange County Regional at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa from February 28 to March 2. According to Business President Kimia Hassibi, “Everything has been coming together for the upcoming competition. It’s amazing to see how, over the past six weeks, our robot has evolved from an idea that members agreed on to a fully functional robot that is able to shoot cargo and place hatch panels. The business team has also been hard at work making team gear, animations, posters, and award submissions. I can’t wait to see how we perform at competition!” February 28 is reserved for setting up and practice matches while March 1 and 2 will feature proper qualification and elimination matches respectively. The event hosting hundreds of high school students from over 40 other teams is open to the public for free. More information can be found at www.firstoc.org.
Titanium Robotics is a team consisting of over 100 students, mainly from San Marino High School, who come together with a common interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students learn from professional engineers and mentors to build and compete in the annual FIRST Robotics Challenge with a robot of their own design. Programming, electrical work, computer-aided design, and business management are all run by student representatives, making the entire organization student-led from start to finish.
