User:Baselthe2nd/EngiNERDs

History
The Grand Blanc High School Robotics team is comprised of two Head Mentors, several Team Mentors, and students from Grand Blanc High School. Head Mentor Clinton Bolinger was introduced to FIRST Robotics as a senior at Kearsley High School, and then assisted in establishing a team in the 2001 season. He advanced to Kettering University to pursue a career in Engineering, but continued to mentor the Kearsley High School Robotics Team until 2003 when the team ended due to lack of funding. In 2007, Clinton became an assistant mentor for the Swartz Creek High School Robotics Team with the help of Brandi Suder. Brandi has an education background from Central Michigan University, and develops much of the educational core of the activities. After one season with the Swartz Creek High School Robotics team, Clinton and Brandi were presented with an opportunity to establish a FIRST Robotics Team at Grand Blanc High School via the request of two students who were greatly impacted by the opportunities that FIRST Robotics offers. These two students, Matt Dearlove and Gage Hainer, played a crucial role in establishing the foundation of the Grand Blanc High School Robotics Team.

2008 - Rookie's Fortune
2008, the team's rookie season, saw success for the newly formed Team 2337, the EngiNERDs. At the unofficial week 1 Kettering Rookie Regional, the fourth seeded EngiNERDs were chosen first overall to the alliance of alliance captains Team 2604, who also selected Team 2627. Advancing to the finals despite having to replace their hammer during the semifinals, the EngiNERDs fell in two matches to the #2 alliance led by Team 2619, the Charge, beginning a still ongoing friendly rivalry. At the Detroit Regional, the NERDs were 7-3-0 during qualifications matches and made the quarterfinal matches, selected by Team 818, the Steel Armadillos, and also allied with Team 2431, the TechnoColts, where they tied one and lost the next two matches to be eliminated. They won Rookie All-Star at this competition, qualifying them for the World Championship that year. At the West Michigan Regional, Team 2337 was 6-2-0 in the qualification rounds, resulting in a selection to the third seeded alliance by 1504, the Desperate Penguins, also allied with Team 910, the Foley Freeze. In these elimination rounds, the NERDs won two matches and lost one in the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals, where they lost both matches to the #2 alliance and were subsequently eliminated. At the World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, the EngiNERDs selected their alliance of Team 33, The Killer Bees, and Team 45, The TechnoKats, as the #2 seed on Curie Division, where they made it to the Semifinals before being eliminated by the team that declined 2337's invitation, then led their own alliance to Einstein Finals, Team 67.

2009 - Sophomore Blues
After 2008, the expectations were high for the EngiNERDs. Unfortunately, their performance would not be nearly as exceptional as their rookie season, due to unsuccessful design implementation and technical issues. At the Kettering University District Competition, the NERDs finished with a record of 9-9-0, and their alliance, including teams 1, The Juggernauts; and 818, Steel Armadillos, was defeated in the Semifinals. At the Lansing District Competition, the EngiNERDs finished 5-6-1 in qualification matches, but were not chosen for alliance selection after continued problems with their robot hindered their performance. 2337's robot continued to have problems at the Troy District Competition, from which the team joke concerning the robot's "Battery Ejection System" was created. At the competition 2337's record fell to 4-8-0. The EngiNERDs qualified for the Michigan State Championship, but their robot woes continued to plague the team, leading to a final record of 4-4-0, finishing the NERDs' season.

2010 - A Resurgance
For the 2010 season and the game Breakaway, Team 2337 hoped to leave their 2009 performance in the past, while improving upon the impressive record that they had built in their rookie season. After a hectic build season, the EngiNERDs produced a robot with an elevation system almost unrivaled in its consistency. Soon they became recognized for the sound nature of their system. At their first competition, Kettering District, the EngiNERDs finished with a slightly better record than their previous year's, going 10-5-2, though they were eliminated in the semifinals to an alliance that included the defending and eventual back-to-back World Champion, 67. The robot suffered several communication and technical problems; however, there was a marked improvement in their robot's play, especially in the contests on Saturday.

At the Ann Arbor District Competition, 2337 resolved many of their performance issues. After the qualifications matches, the NERDs' record was 9-1-2. They seeded fourth and were selected to the #2 alliance by Team 573, Mech Warriors, at which point the two teams picked Team 66, The Flyers, to complete their alliance. After a quick quarterfinals round, the NERDs' alliance participated in two very close semifinals match, following which the alliance won the third match by a wide margin. Advancing to the finals for the first time that season, the EngiNERDs saw a rematch with their semifinal opponents at Kettering, The Charge. After exchanging wins, the Blue Alliance of 2337, 573, and 66 defeated the Red Alliance of 830, Rat Pack; 2619, The Charge; and 2611, Jacktown Vectors by a score of 8-7, leading to the EngiNERDs' first "Big Blue Banner" in their history. The EngiNERDs carried the momentum they gained at the Ann Arbor District with them to the Michigan State Competition. During qualifications matches, the EngiNERDs made a record of 7-3-2, and served as eighth alliance captain, selecting previous rivals 2619, The Charge, and Team 226, The Hammerheads, but were pitted against three of the best teams in Michigan, including top seed 1918 and eventual Einstein Finalist 469, whose robot was considered by most to be the best in the world. The EngiNERDs and their alliance partners played valiantly but fell in two close defeats.

For their second time in their three years, the EngiNERDs qualified for the FIRST World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, and were again placed in the Curie division. In qualifications matches, the EngiNERDs and their alliances put together a record of 7-3-0. They were the first selection of the Fifth ranked alliance, including alliance captain Team 1306, BadgerBOTS, and Team 624, Cryptonite, and in the quarterfinals were pitted against an All-Michigan Alliance of Team 27, Rush; Team 141, WoBot; and Team 2612, the Waterford Mott Destroyers. The quarterfinals began with a victory for 2337; however, this was no forebear for things to come as their season ended with a tie and two losses to that outstanding Michigan alliance.

The NERDs performed well in offseason play. They were semifinalists, with teams 2619 and 201, the FEDS, at the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC, which played host to 3 different robotics competitions) losing to the eventual champion #1 alliance. This also featured Team 2337's second suspension of the year, with Team 2619, The Charge. Next, they were the third overall pick and finalists at the Michigan Advanced Robotics Competition (MARC), allied with Teams 2834, the Bionic Barons; 1732, the Hilltoppers; and 503, the Frog Force. At the Indiana Robotics Invitational, they finished seeded 13th with a qualifying record of 6-2. Team 234, Host Team Cyber Blue, selected the NERDs fourth overall (before Einstein Champion Alliance Captain 294). They were joined by Teams 71, Team Hammond, and 16, the Bomb Squad. Despite a 2337-71 suspension in the deciding match, the EngiNERDs' fourth-seeded alliance fell in the quarterfinals to an outstanding alliance headlined by fellow Michiganders and Einstein Champions Team 67. At Kettering Kickoff, Team 2337 went 3-1-1, and finished the day ranked 9th. They proceed to be picked third overall by Team 217, the Thunderchickens, and were then joined by Team 3401, the Eagletrons. Cut short, they were eliminated in two matches by the dominant #6 alliance, comprised of captain 1243, 2619, and final pick 494, who continued to win the event.

Robots

 * 2010 - (Robot was not named)
 * This robot was created for Breakaway (FIRST)
 * The specifications for the robot were to hang at the end of the match, be able to suspend other robots, and score from the midfield
 * The robot used a winch to swing two hooks that would catch the horizontal bar on the tower, then pull up the robot in about 4-5 seconds. This mechanism also included a cantilevered tower extension, onto which horizontal-bar-elevating robots could grab. This system was nicknamed everything from "Darth Elevator" to "Ca-chunk" (It made a characteristic, very loud noise when hitting the tower). It has been proven to hold well over 360 pounds.
 * The ball manipulator consisted of a ball magnet (roller), a vacuum, and a latched spring-assisted kicker. The ball control was not optimal, but the kicker proved deadly from midfield.
 * This robot was unable to go over the bumps, and started all but one match in the midfield (The starting midfield robot was also a midfield specialist).
 * A system to allow vertically elevating robots to suspend was debuted at Kettering Kickoff, but malfunctioned, not allowing Team 2337 to successfully elevate, due to lack of testing; however, it was successfully used after the event in two staged double vertical suspensions, with Teams 33, 27, and 1718.
 * 2009 - Bad Dream Machine (Autobomb)
 * This robot was made for Lunacy (FIRST)
 * The major design specifications were to pick up balls, be able to hold many of them, then shoot them out from various distances
 * The robot made use of rollers to pick up balls, move them through an S-shaped 'hopper,' then finally push them into a roller-powered shooter that tossed the balls out
 * A significant failing of the design on the robot was its battery slot, which, after experiencing issues retaining its payload at the Troy District Competition, was nicknamed the "Battery Ejection System"
 * 2008 - Bullet Bill
 * This robot was made for FIRST Overdrive
 * It's design specifications were to pick up a ball, drive it to an overpass, then launch it over
 * The launcher was merely a large pneumatic-driven hammer, generally known at 'Das Boot'
 * This hammer also served to knock balls off the overpasses
 * The robot included a somewhat ineffective ball-pickup, but the robot consistently hurdled 3 times a matches or more as the season matured

Leadership
Captains
 * 2008 - Gage Hainer & Matt Dearlove
 * 2009 - Gage Hainer & Eric Salem
 * 2010 - Ryan Brancheau & Rick Pease
 * 2011 - Zach Orr & Alex Mikolaizik

Safety Captains
 * 2008 - Kylie Nickola
 * 2009 - Kylie Nickola
 * 2010 - Kylie Nickola/David Butler
 * 2011 - Basel Alghanem

Section Leaders 2010 (2011 TBD)
 * Mechanical Section - Ryan Brancheau
 * Chassis - Lauryn Watkoske
 * Above Chassis - Shane Boehnke
 * End Effector/Manipulator - Jared Miles
 * CAD Section Student Leader - Eric Bachman


 * Electrical Section - Rick Pease
 * Electrical Wiring - Colin Szechy
 * Sensor and Programing -
 * Operator Controls - Emily Pease
 * Autonomous -


 * Team Management Section
 * Scouting - Zach Orr
 * Photography - Kylie Nickola
 * Awards - Zach Orr
 * Sponsorship - Zach Orr
 * Communications -
 * Community Connections - Makenzie Wolfram

Accomplishments
2010 2009 2008
 * Kettering District - Team Spirit Award
 * Kettering District - Semifinalist
 * Ann Arbor District - Motorola Quality Award
 * Ann Arbor District - Champion
 * Michigan State Championship - Quarterfinalist
 * The Championship Event - Quarterfinalist
 * Ryan Brancheau & Rick Pease win $20,000 FIRST-Kettering Scholarships
 * Kettering District - Underwriter's Laboratories Industrial Safety Award
 * Michigan State Championship - Underwriter's Laboratories Industrial Safety Award
 * Gage Hainer & Eric Salem win $20,000 FIRST-Kettering Scholarships
 * Eric Salem wins $25,000 Russell J. Ebeid ACCESS-Kettering Scholarship
 * The Championship Event - Highest Rookie Seed Award - Curie Division
 * Detroit Regional - Highest Rookie Seed Award
 * Detroit Regional - Rookie All-Star Award
 * West Michigan Regional - Xerox Creativity Award
 * West Michigan Regional - Highest Rookie Seed Award
 * Ryan Masica wins $20,000 FIRST-Kettering Scholarship

Sponsors
2010
 * General Motors
 * Premier Tooling Systems
 * The Chrysler Foundation
 * Robolytics
 * Davison Tool & Engineering, LLC
 * Advanced Communications, Inc.

2009
 * The Chrysler Foundation
 * Premier Tooling Systems
 * General Motors
 * Davison Tool & Engineering, LLC
 * FANUC Robotics

2008
 * FANUC Robotics
 * The Chrysler Foundation
 * Premier Tooling Systems