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2017 Season
FLL Demo
The FLL Demo is a smaller, less formal competition which allows Lakeshore elementary FLL teams to display what they have accomplished during the semester. The teams participated in the 2016 engineering challenge, Animal Allies℠, based on interactions between animals and humans. Students were encouraged to think about how these relationships could be improved. Teams programmed LEGO® Mindstorm® robots and conducted missions in order to receive points. Unlike robots at our own FRC competitions, FLL robots operate exclusively in autonomous mode.
Members of Team Lance-A-Bot assisted at the event in such roles as MC, scorekeeper, and referees. The younger students enjoyed driving and shooting our 2016 competition bot.
The FLL and Jr FLL Teams at all three Lakeshore elementary school are now starting their second semester programs.
Off Season Competitions
In the fall of 2016, Team 4237 attended two offseason competitions, an all-girls competition in Wyoming Michigan on October 1, for the Grand Rapids Girls Competition, and another one with the full team on October 29, at the West Michigan Robotics Invitational. These competitions allowed the team to work on their robot over the summer to try to improve their design then compete for fun and to see the progress that was made.
At the All Girls Competition, the team advanced to the semifinals as part of an alliance. The team also did well at the West Michigan Robotics Invitational competition, they placed as the 5th alliance captain and partnered with The Average Joes, Team 3620, and the Wyoming Demons, Team 858. They made a great team and together advanced to the quarterfinals.
Our District Competitions
St. Joe - March 9-11
On March 7th and 8th, Team Lance-A-Bot helped the Average Joes Team 3620 set up for the St. Joseph Week 2 District Event. On Thursday, our Drive and Pit crew, along with some marketing members, headed over to set up our pit, get our robot inspected, and do pit scouting on other teams competing. On Friday, even though our gear shooter broke for one match, we were still able to climb and our alliance won the match. On Saturday, we ranked 18th at the end of the qualification matches. We were picked to be on the 3rd Alliance and made it to semifinals where we played three rounds before being eliminated (best two out of three). Throughout the weekend we won three awards: A Hard Hat Safety Award, the Pit Safety Award on Saturday, and the Innovation in Control Award, an engineering award for our variable light control used with our vision system to place gears on the lift.
Thank you to Senator John Proos for the photo he took of our Pit and some members, photo shown above.
Gull Lake - March 16-18
On March 16th all the members of Team Lance-A-Bot drove up to Gull Lake High School to compete in the Week 3 District Event. Thursday night while the drive team got the robot inspected, other members began pit scouting. Friday was a great day of qualification matches, dancing, and scouting. At the end of qualification matches Team 4237 was in third place. Being chosen to be on the first Alliance by 3656 along with 5535, where we made it to the semifinals before being eliminated (best two out of three). Throughout the weekend we won two awards: The Entrepreneurship Award for our business plan and A Hard Hat Safety Award.
Robotics Roundtable
Robotics Roundtable, a weekly show on WSJM Radio featuring discussion on FIRST Robotics, began its second season in late February. The show is a partnership between the radio station and the SCRA, and is underwritten by six sponsors, Bradford Insurance Agency, Gaishin Mfr, Lakeshore Public Schools, Lake Michigan College, Berrien Springs Public Schools, amd Kettering University. The moderators are be Ray Gustafson, the station’s program director, and Tim Dunaj, judge advisor for the St. Joseph FRC District Competition. The show aired live on WSJM as well as on Facebook with a podcast available on wsjm.com.
On Tuesday March 14th, Team Lance-A-Bot 4237, and the Chieftainators 5182 from Dowagiac, were featured on Robotics Round Table. Listen to the podcast here.
2017 Competitions
Michigan State Competition
On April 12th, members of Team Lance-A-Bot drove up to Saginaw Valley State University to compete in the FIRST Michigan State Competition for the first time in the team's history. Thursday night while the drive team got the robot inspected, other members began pit scouting. Friday was a great day of qualification matches, dancing, and scouting. At the end of qualification matches, we ranked 30th, and were picked for the 1st Alliance. We flew through the quarterfinals and semifinals, but eventually fell in the finals of the Consumers Energy Division. At the end of the week, we won the Safety Award in our division.
World Competition
On April 26th, Lakeshore Robotics headed to FIRST World Competition in St. Louis. For the first time in the team's history, we competed at the highest level offered for FRC teams. The team spent one week getting constantly evaluated; always making changes and repairs to adjust to the dynamics of the competition. At the end of qualification matches, we ranked 8th and became alliance captains, getting knocked out in the quarterfinals. We also won the pit safety award in our division.
FLL Lancer-Bot-Mania
Lancer-Bot-Mania is an event that the Lakeshore Robotics Team hosts in order to help spark ingenuity within the younger elementary kids, showing them the basic values and goals of FIRST robotics. There were 19 teams that came to participate in the competition, and we had help from other FRC Teams in the area. The experience FLL provides for the kids is just as rewarding for the teams that help, giving them communication skills and confidence needed for success.
Culver’s Nights/AED Fundraiser
Team Lance-A-Bot is raising money for an AED through Culver’s share Nights. An AED is an automated external defibrillator, a device that provides an electrical shock in order to improve heart rhythm in the case of an emergency. Having this device can save someone’s life. Culver’s Nights allow the host to get a percentage of the profits. Every family to attend and order something helps us achieve our goal. Our next Culver’s Share Night is February 28th. Come show your support for Team Lance-A-Bot!