Hey yall!

We will be doing another FLL outreach event this Saturday, December 10th, at Willow Creek Elementary! Here we hope to inspire younger students to persue robotics further! This went really well last year as the FLL students got to interact with the robot and see what all of the work that they did over the FLL season had been leading up to!

In other news, if you are doing amazon shopping over the holidays don't forget to use amazon smile! It costs nothing and helps out our team a lot!

As the build season quickly approaches, don't forget to register for the team! 

In addition to registering you also need to fill out our team contract which you can find here!

Hello Everyone!

Drake is bringing a group of prospective students out to the shop to get a taste of the shop environment and see what we do here at Team Komodo!  The students will be at the shop around 5:30pm on this Friday, May 20th, so we'd love for some of you guys to come help set up around 4:00.  You can also help run the robot around for the incoming students and show them your favorite parts of the shop.

Mike, Ryan and Don Baker will be there to help out with the shop tours, but we'd love to have students help out with them too!  If you are avaliable this Friday, we could definitely use your help!

Thanks,
Grayson  

Hello Everyone!

I hope that all of you have gotten a chance to rest a bit with robotics done and finals coming up.  I know AP's are around this time of year, so if you have to take some I wish you the best of luck!  All that studying can be stressful though, so why not help you and your friends relax a bit by coming to our end of the year party this Saturday, May 7th. We'd love to see everyone there.  The plan is to have the party, complete with some lunch, from 12pm-2pm at the shop.  However, if you want to bring prospective students, friends or family to see the robot run around, we'll be starting robot demos around 11am.

We encourage all of you guys to bring students you think might be interested in joining the team!  There's always room for more enthusiastic team members, and with a bunch of students graduating this year, we welcome anyone who wants to learn more about robots!

If you're planning on attending, please RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RljVVJUOG45bkIiOc9ZlPIBirhI2_nRIgw2nGB6j41w/viewform

If you could bring either 1 side dish or 1 desert option, as well as your own drinks, we will provide polish sausage for an entree!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all there.

Thanks,
​Grayson

This Saturday, April 2nd, four students from Team Komodo got the fantastic opportunity to demo our robot and explain FRC to the Parker Jr. FLL expo!  Students Grayson Gerlich, Ryan Bacon, Aidan McDonald and Cameron Baker presented to over 75 young students from both Jr. FLL and FLL teams at American Academy in Parker.  We also got the chance to participate in the awards ceremony. This included the hallowed tradition of the high five line.  A big thank you to the event organizers, judges, and the fantastic Jr. FLL kids!

Throughout the three rotations during the morning event, a number of kids got the chance to take our robot Twitchy for a spin!  We also answered numerous questions from kids and parents about our team and FIRST Robotics in general.  It was amazing to see the kids engage with what they called "big robots" and hear how interested they are in bigger FIRST programs.  All of these kids will be the next generation of engineers who run the world, and we were happy to have been a part of their learning experience.  

Thanks,
​Grayson

Hello Everyone!

Congratulations!  I mean, wow, you guys absolutely rocked it this weekend.  I couldn't have asked for a better team of people to compete with.  All of your hard work and dedication has clearly paid off with that great competition performance.  Quarterfinals guys, now thats top notch, and all of you were a part of that.  No matter what part you had on the team this year, that fantastic result was something you helped to achieve.  I seriously can't even believe how much fun I had this year, and I hope that experience was something you all can share!  Even beyond our robot's performance, I think we made a great impression with a lot of other teams and have laid the foundation for success in coming years.  Before I continue, I want each of you to pat yourselves on the back for a season well done.  Thank you guys so much for making this a competition I'll remember.

I'd like to give a few shoutouts to those people I interacted with the most during the competition. Without you guys, the competition wouldn't have been half the fun it was, nor would we have done as well.  First, Aidan my man, you're an absolute powerhouse.  I was on the phone with you basically every 45 minutes each day for scouting information, and without your communication I doubt we'd have won half the rounds we did.  Also you helped with awards, delivered a stunning part of the chairmans presentation and even did some code work on the side.  On top of all of that, you're a senior who dedicated your time in your final hours of high school to make this team special. And those were hours in high demand last weekend thanks to Easter, so props to you for your next level time management skills.  Thank you for everything man, and the entire team is gonna miss you when you're gone.

To Mary, Kyle, Sami and everyone else who was up there scouting all day, you can hold yourself personally responsible for a lot of those W's on the scoreboard.  If I ever need a group of people to crunch numbers or run a professional spy ring, I'm coming straight to you.  Mary, the Audubon Society called and they want their binoculars back for bird watching, but the NSA has also offered you an internship after they watched you scout.  It might be a public relations job after the outstanding work you put into awards, but you'll have to contact them to know for sure.  Just say "I want an internship" into thin air, they're always watching.

To Josh and John who traded off the roles of safety captain and pit boss throughout all of the days, thank you.  You kept the pit clean and clear, interacted well with judges and were safety rockstars.  Did you see the safety sheet we got on Saturday morning? It said "Perfect!" and had a robot sticker!  That's about as good as it gets with the safety inspectors.

Drive team, Hardy, Drake, Cameron, Noah, you guys were stone cold pros.  When we got stuck sideways in the drawbridge I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  You on the other hand, remained calm and collected and pulled yourselves out AND got on the batter.  I apologize for the lack of coherent sentences but I'm seriously in awe of how well you handled the stress of driving, and I am so proud of all of you.  Noah, being the new guy means everyone sends you running back to the pit, but without you our robot wouldn't have worked in 4 of those matches.  Thank you to all four of you for taking the entire day with a smile, focusing on strategy and powering on like workhorses.  

Kyle, you are a gem my dude.  Every year we give you the media pass and every year I'm stunned to watch you help the drive team at every point of the process, fix the robot in the queuing line, and then step out and take photos.  You'd think with all the stress and the fact that half the time you're replacing some robot component right before the robot goes on the field that your pictures might be a little blurry.  However, you take the best looking pictures I've ever seen, most of which are probably what gets our website 1000 hits a week.  

To Richard and everyone cheering in the stands, thank you so much.  As a former drive coach, I know that seeing all of you out there with the numbers raised high is the biggest morale boost a drive team can get.  And with Richard's stellar mascot at the front of the crowd, its impossible not to feel pumped for the round.  I know many of you guys had commitments throughout the weekend, so the fact that you took the time to show up and cheer us on is more than I could ever ask for.  You're the lasting legacy that Team Komodo will have on the Colorado regional.  I want all of you to look back some day and see that the Colorado regional 5 years from now is better for the hard work you put into cheering and making the event embody gracious professionalism.  

A huge shoutout to those of you who helped Mike pack in on Wednesday.  While most of us were hiding in our homes under weight of snow, you guys were out there loading in all our gear.  Having the pit set up on Thursday morning when we came in was a massive advantage and you made our entire team proud.  Cameron I know you were there and were basically a one man show with the mentors, so thank you.  Also, if you helped other teams load in on Thursday morning, keep that cooperative spirit going through life and it will take you far.  I got many, many comments from judges about how they were impressed with our load-in ethic.

Finally, a massive thank you to the mentors.  Ashley, I know the Colorado regional would be a much different place without you.  They appreciate your dedication to the regional in spades I'm sure, and we do too.  Ryan, your help through the entire season was invaluable, and your steady hand and guidance at the competition was a big part of our success.  And to Mike, who's work on the penny press and the robot can't even be measured, I want to give you a really heartfelt, personal thank you.  I couldn't have asked for a better role model throughout my 5 years on the team.  Every kid on this team knows that, without your dedication and expert advice, this team wouldn't even be close to where it is today.  Nate too, you're a big part of the machining success of this team.  Every mentor from other teams that came by complimented the machining that was done, and we all have your help to thank for that.

As you all probably know, I'm graduating from the team this year, and the contributions of each and every one of you on this team have made this year incredibly special.  I hope all of you find great success on the team, in school and in your careers.  As a final, big thank you to you guys, I really can't say enough.  I've never been more proud to be a part of something as big as what all of your hard work has created.

As always:
Thanks,
​Grayson

If you're looking to scout our 2016 FRC Stronghold robot, you've come to the right place!  Team Komodo's "Twitchy" is a multifunctional, mobile platform with numerous hardpoints to attach competition ready modifications.  If you need the short version of this post, scroll to the bottom to the tl;dr header.  In this post we'll discuss the main three aspects of our robot: defense crossing, ball handling and climbing.  We'll finish with a discussion of how to best use us in our strategy and why you should pick for Team 4293 in your alliance.

Perhaps the greatest asset Twitchy offers is its modular design.  As we mentioned, Twitchy is designed specifically with modifications in mind.  If you need an alliance partner to do practically any task on the field, we can mount a manipulator for that task.

Lets begin by talking about our defense crossing capabilities.  Twitchy runs a 6 wheel drop center (often called "West Coast") drive train with 8" pneumatic wheels.  Each side is powered by 2 CIM high torque gearbox which drives all three wheels via chains.  This gives Twitchy the capability to turn smoothly and speedily while maintaining high torque and traction when acting defensive.

Twitchy is low enough to go under the low bar, has manipulators specifically designed for the portcullis and cheval de frise and can vault all of the other ground obstacles with ease.  Team Komodo is guaranteed to handle those 6 obstacles in no time.  Twitchy can also handle the drawbridge and sally port, it just takes more time.

If you need a robot to defeat all of the defenses on the field, or assist your bot in crossing the tougher ones, Twitchy is your top pick!

How about ball handling and scoring?  Twitchy is a dedicated low goal scorer, using its manipulators to pinch and hold a ball.  Its tennis racquet-esque pinchers can firmly hold the ball and raise and lower it past obstacles.  Those little prongs on the pinchers, by the way, are there to help us pass the portcullis in one smooth motion.  

Because Twitchy can still perform tasks while holding a ball, it can grab a ball in any part of the field and bring it to the low goal to score.  This makes Twitchy a very valuable pick for damaging the tower!

To repeat however: Twitchy cannot score in the high goal.

Finally, lets discuss Twitchy's climbing ability.  Twitchy has a telescoping lifter hooked to a CIM on a 1/64 gearbox.  That much power has no trouble lifting Twitchy (who is a pretty light little robot!) up above the low goal.  Twitchy also has the capability to keep itself in the air at the end of the match, so watch out for Twitchy scoring big points in finals matches.   

The climber has a unique design in which the claw detaches from the Igus sliders for the actual climb which prevents the sliders from bending.  The claw can also be secured in place for defense handling. 

Speaking of defense handling, the climber lays down under the low bar and provides us with the capability to open the sally port and the drawbridge.  

Lets finish by talking about team strategy.  Twitchy is a fast, powerful and maneuverable robot.  In many of the previous regional competitions, robots like Twitchy have been successful by first breaking defenses, then playing defense.  We have more than enough power to knock any high goal scoring team off their mark and our lifter arm can block high goal scorers fairly reliably.  Twitchy's auto can cross any ground defense, in keeping with the defense breaking theme.

However, if your robot is already dedicated to these things, Twitchy can play a tower breaking role by reliably and quickly scoring in low goal.  If all else fails, Twitchy can ferry balls to a high goal scorer, or assist other robots in crossing defenses.

Most importantly, and we cannot stress this enough, is that our robot is designed to be moddable.  If it comes down to the final matches and you need a robot to do something, we can quickly fabricate and mount something to do just that.  Despite Twitchy's already solid performance on the field, the ability to change Twitchy's capabilities on the fly to better fit your strategy is one of our best assets. 

Twitchy can:

• Handle every defense without getting stuck, sally port and drawbridge are slowest
• Manipulate balls and break defenses at the same time
• Score in low goal
• Play defensive with a powerful drivetrain and an arm that can block
• Cross defenses in auto
• Climb the tower

Twitchy can't:

• Shoot high goal

Most importantly, and we cannot stress this enough, is that our robot is designed to be moddable.  If it comes down to the final matches and you need a robot to do something, we can quickly fabricate and mount something to do just that.  Despite Twitchy's already solid performance on the field, the ability to change Twitchy's capabilities on the fly to better fit your strategy is one of our best assets. ​

Hello Team Komodo!

​Wow!  Competition is in two weeks, we've got just one Saturday left before the big weekend.  Thursday, March 24th through Saturday, March 26th are the dates to put on your calendar.  I know some of you will be on spring break then, so I hope you're prepared to rest up and come out with some strong team spirit bright and early on Thursday!

In preparation for the fantastic Colorado Regional, I'd like to make sure everyone knows what's happening.  We're working on coordinating the team that will load the robot in on Wednesday night.  For most of us though, we'll be showing up Thursday morning (if we can with school!).  We're gonna try to snag some prime real estate in the middle of the arena again so we can see the field nicely and get that spirit on!  If you're going to be there early on Thursday, please help us cordon off 20-30 seats or so.  Please feel free to invite friends and family to attend the competition and add their voices to ours!  There's no limit to how much spirit we can have.

Speaking of spirit, we're also going to have new team t-shirts this year!  We've got one in your size, so don't worry, we'll hand them out to you soon.  We also got custom embroidered beanies this year with the team logo on them, how cool is that?  We're going to be the most noticeable team on the field!  

The above maps show where the Ritchie Center (and the DU campus) are.  Google maps is a fantastic resource, and I'd encourage you to plan your trip to the competition with it to get real time traffic conditions and avoid being late.  Below is the schedule for the event.

Hello Everyone!

The season has been rocking and rolling along, we're progressing well and I can't wait to see a finished robot.  Have we decided on a name for our bot yet?  If so we should start making the chants now, because I know it is going to rock this regional!

However, with that regional quickly approaching, it is very fortunate that Cougars Gone Wired, FIRST Team 2996, is again hosting the Annual Pre-Ship Scrimmage. The scrimmage is a huge event where we'll get a chance to see most of the teams from Colorado and interact with other robots.  It is also a fantastic road-test of the scouting system.  2996 is kind enough to build a full game field every single year, and this year is no exception so please give a huge thank you to any 2996 people you see while you're there!
 
The scrimmage will be on Saturday February 20, from 9 AM – 5 PM.  We'll be leaving from the shop at 8:30.  We only have room to take along the drive team and the pit crew, so stay tuned at the meetings this week to see exactly who will be going.  The scrimmage will be in the main gym on the Coronado High School Campus.  A map with directions from I-25 is attached to this post
 
Here’s the tentative schedule for the day:
9:00 AM= Doors open
9:00 AM= Field open
12:00 PM= Lunch break
1:00 PM= Field open again 
5:00 PM= Clean up starts
 
Again, lets give a massive thank you to team 2996 for putting this event on.  Without their continued support of Colorado FIRST, the Rocky Mountain regional wouldn't be the great event that it is.  

Finally, please remember to finish up your fundraising before the end of the build season!  We need to get those sponsor letters out as soon as possible!

Thanks,
Grayson

Hello Team 4293!

The season is coming along great so far.  I have been so pleased to see the chassis coming together, the electronics board get manufactured and new programmers learning.  As of tonight, the electronics are drive ready, the chassis is getting rolling and perhaps most relieving, awards submissions are done.  Please give a HUGE thank you to Aidan and Mary for their hard work late into a few nights to get those finished.  Mary is very, very sick and still made a commitment to get those awards finished, and that's the kind of dedication we like to see here on Team Komodo.

A reminder to everyone to work on your fundraising letters for this season!  We require each student to send out 10 letters to friends/family/local businesses.  If you have participated in the Applewood Plumbing event or another fundraising event throughout the season, that counts as one of your letters.  It is crucial for the success and survival of this team that we all stay motivated and on top of fundraising.  With this in mind, please focus on getting all of these letters out by the end of the build season.  You still have 2 and a half weeks, so lets get out there and raise some money!

​Thank you for an awesome season so far, I'll catch you guys in another couple of weeks.

Thanks,
​Grayson