As we prepare for our FTC competition in Cincinati Ohio, I thought we should show off some of our new Autonomous modes.

Here is a sample video on youtube.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxQRtikBn5Y

These are just some (and not even our best) auto modes.

Phil.

Hi everyone.

Although it's SimPerch 3.0, it's the first Official release of the Seaperch Simulator that Kendrick Bender has written.

Download the installer from here: http://tinyurl.com/simperch

It's 29MB, so it may take a while on a slow connection.
Once you have the file, just run it to install the program.

Here are 4 YouTube links for a cool FIRST Robotics Competition Movie.

It follows 4 FRC teams from around the country from Kickoff to Competition.

Miss Daisy, (a Baltimore MD team) is one of the 4 teams.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

This cool video shows MIT's "Little Dog" in action over various terrains.

Click for Video

Keeping track of all those FTC parts is tricky.

This year we have a rolling bin cart.

Click the pic links below. Now you see them, now you don't.

Phil.

Join us at GEARS to watch the kickoff on the big-screen, or watch it at home online:

Click here to watch

5:00pm Eastern time.

Be there or be booring !!!

The MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) organization runs an underwater robotics competition each year. Each team must submit a technical report detailing thir robot.

The reports from this year have just been posted online. Check them out at this link: Team Reports.

Note: There are two classes: Explorer (for advanced teams) and Ranger (for highschool teams). Check out this You-Tube video about the competition.

This is a great audio file about how Dean Kamen started FIRST, and where it is now.

He even talks about the "WWF for smart people" quote from the President at the 2008 Championship.

Click to listen

Here is a cool video of "Justin", a mobile "humanoid" type robot.

Watch Clip

The Justin robot is impressive for its ability to dynamically and delicately grab and manipulate objects, performing actions such as pouring a glass or twisting off a cap.

Justin is a collaboration between the University of Napoli and the German Space Agency, DLR under a European project called Physical Human-Robot Interaction: Dependability and Safety. The robot has been known to the public for many months now, but has recently jumped into the spotlight based on its exhibition at CeBIT

This recent radio address sent a shiver up my spine.

Radio Address

Here's an extract....

Whether it’s the science to slow global warming; the technology to protect our troops and confront bio-terror and weapons of mass destruction; the research to find life-saving cures; or the innovations to remake our industries and create twenty-first century jobs - today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation. It’s time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore Americas place as the world leader in science and technology.