User:Team610/sandbox

Crescent School’s robotics program started in 2000 when the school competed in a Canadian robotics program named Canada FIRST. This was based off the successful US FIRST program. However, it was not at the same level or scale at which the US FIRST program was operating. The following year, mentors Mr. Grant and Mr. Bawden travelled to New Hampshire for the US FIRST kickoff where Crescent Robotics was to join the likes of team 188 Woburn Robotics; one team of many who had been competing in the US competition for three years. Under a new number, team 610 (Crescent Robotics) traveled to Orlando, Florida and competed in the National Championships at Disney World. The students and teachers were blown away by the level of competition and knew that this program was going to be far better than Canada FIRST. The team worked with team 188 to found new Canadian teams and the new Canadian Regional the following year. FIRST in Canada has grown ever since. It now hosts multiple regionals and many teams!

History
After travelling to First Championships in 2001 and being truly amazed by the USFIRST program, Mr. Grant knew FIRST needed to come to Canada. It was his compelling communication skills combined with his undying determination that allowed him to secure funding for the program. Working with WFA winner Mark Breadner, David Grant selflessly dedicated his time to ensure the growth of the FIRST community. He supported FIRST at the highest level through its infancy as a Board Member, helped organize the very first regionals in Canada without the help of him and Team 610 FIRST in Canada wouldn’t be where it is today.

Mr. Grant’s hard work has payed off team 610 is now a top tier team that has placed in the top 20 in the world for the last 3 year. 610 has gone on to win 5 regionals and 1 world championship as well as many other awards at all level. Since its creation, team 610 has developed and evolved but kept its roots that are intertwined with FIRST FIRST robotics Competition

Summary
FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

Their Mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Past Games

 * 1992 Maize Craze
 * 1993 Rug Rage
 * 1994 Tower Power
 * 1995 Ramp N' Roll
 * 1996 Hexagon Havoc
 * 1997 Toroid Terror
 * 1998 Ladder Logic
 * 1999 Double Trouble
 * 2000 Co-opertition FIRST
 * 2001 Diabolical Dynamics
 * 2002 Zone Zeal
 * 2003 Stack Attack
 * 2004 FIRSTFrenzy
 * 2005 Triple Play
 * 2006 Aim High
 * 2007 Rack 'N' Roll
 * 2008 FIRST Overdrive
 * 2009 LUNACY®
 * 2010 BREAKAWAY®
 * 2011 LOGO MOTION™
 * 2012 Rebound Rumble
 * 2013 ULTIMATE ASCENT
 * 2014 AERIAL ASSIST

FLL at Crescent
610 has been running the FLL Middle School program since 2003. The program was launched after veteran mentors Mr. Grant and Morrison first discovered FLL at the FRC World Championships in 2002. They were very impressed with FLL and in that moment, they decided to bring it to our school. The two mentors immediately worked together with FIRST Robotics Canada to not only implement FLL in our school, but to spread it across the province of Ontario and further afield. They were successful that the following year, they hosted the 2003 Mission to Mars Inaugural Ontario Provincial Championships in the school’s field house. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to improve the program for our own students, and for the attendees of our regional event. Each year, a large group of young, aspiring engineers from grades 5-8 accept the Lego League Challenge. The purpose of the program is to promote science and technology through creativity and teamwork. We want to show students, at an early age, that robotics is exciting. The ultimate goal is that the children will continue their involvement in robotics, or at least take away other skills they have developed from the experience. Many of the students on team 610 have competed in Lego robotics. Most would say that FLL at Crescent was what first got them excited about robotics and technology, and they would attribute their high level of involvement in FRC to their enriching, enjoyable FLL careers. Our FLL program has been able to thrive to this day because through the help of our dedicated mentors and every member of the FRC team volunteering their time. Middle school teachers mentor the youngsters while balancing numerous other responsibilities. Over the years, they have been able to make the program extremely fun and educational for the students. Every year, the FRC team volunteers to host a regional FLL competition, with around 20 teams returning to compete every year. Our Crescent teams may not always come out on top, but are very big advocates of self-improvement and selflessness. Even at such a young age, the kids do all they can to improve their robot, regardless of whose idea it was; they want to do the best job they possibly can, and it is this wonderful quality that continues to be reflected years later in the 610 FRC team. Crescent’s FLL program clearly sows the seeds for the future.

Grade 9 Tech design
Over the years, robotics has seeped into every level of our Upper School. To build interest in robotics right from the get-go, Grade 9 students participate in a program that introduces them to CAD, RobotC programming and the Design Process. The skillset the students acquire is then integrated into a Final Evaluation Challenge Project. The course attempts to spark an interest in science and technology in the students, with the outcome of them taking the Robotics class or joining the FRC robotics team the following year. The curriculum begins with an introduction to Solidworks (CAD). They begin to create simple models and gradually gain an appreciation for computer-aided design and the design process. By following lesson plans designed by our own FRC mentor, Mr. Stehlik, students are guided through the preliminary step of the design process. They are tested on occasion with CAD quizzes and complete assignments such as modeling a water gun. Once the first third of the course has been completed and the students have mastered the basics of Solidworks, they move into the second part – programming. Students learn basic and intermediate elements of RobotC including autonomous coding, light sensing, ultrasonic sensing, and using encoders. They gain this knowledge from the lesson plan designed by team mentor Mr. Stehlik and taught by team mentor Mr. Grant. This section culminates in a programming challenge that varies every year. This year, students had to traverse a maze using only light and ultrasonic sensors. In the few weeks they were given from start to finish, every student was able to complete the challenge. The final third of the course allows students to gather all of the knowledge they have gained and apply it to a final project. First, the project required students to CAD a part that would attach onto their VEX Squarebot to complete the following challenge, called Robo Ringer.

Robo Ringer
Your challenge is to design and build a mechanism for your robot that will enable it to transport rings. The robot will start in the middle of the table, and attempt to collect a ring from one of the corners, and then transport it to the circle in the middle of the table. To aid in navigation, lamps will be placed in each corner so the light sensors can detect them. Only one lamp will turn on at a time. Once the robot has successfully retrieved a ring and placed it in the middle circle, another lamp will turn on, indicating where the robot should go next. The rings are made of plastic and are approximately 3.5” in diameter, and 1.1” tall. Your mechanism has to lift the ring off the floor. The goal is for the robot to autonomously retrieve all the rings as within a 1 minute time period. The rings are made of plastic and are approximately 3.5” in diameter, and 1.1” tall.

Grade 11 Tech design
At Crescent School, one of courses that is offered for Grade 10 and 11 students is the Grade 11 Technological Design class. This is class is meant to offer a course that will show students what engineering is all about. The course uses students’ prior knowledge from the Grade 9 Tech class and begins to build upon these skills. The first term is finished with the students splitting up into 4 teams and creating VEX robotics robots that they use to compete at VEX competitions. The tournament that they traveled to was the tournament that all the prior classes have gone to. They traveled down to St. Catherine’s to compete in the Southern Ontario Vex qualifying event. Once the students return from the holiday break, they begin possibly the most exciting and interesting projects you can complete while at Crescent. The students in the class are given the opportunity to design and build another VEX robot out of custom metal. The students begin by CADing their designs; they can then create drawings of every part and prepare to cut the parts to their requirements. The students have the opportunity while making these custom pieces to use the Mill, CNC, and Lathe, Chop saw and drill press. In addition, the students have the opportunity to program the robot themselves. At the end of the year, the final exam consists of three parts. The first part is programming skills. This is where all of the robots and teams are able to program the robot. With these pre-programmed functions, the robots are supposed to score as many points as possible in 60 seconds. The next part of the exam is robot skills; this is the same as programming skills, except the team is allowed to control the robot with the controller. The final part of the exam is a tournament that has all the teams and their robots face off against each other in 2 v 2 matches.

Grade 12 Tech design
A program offered to Grade 11 and 12 students alike, the Grade 12 Tech Design course is the highest-level technology course we offer to students. Building on knowledge gained from two previous years of robotics instruction, students are given the opportunity to use their skills to impact the community. Taught by two Woodie Flowers Finalist Award winners Don Morrison and Shawn Lim, students are instructed by knowledgeable, highly certified mentors. The course, which can be divided into 3 major parts, is how Crescent School prepares our students for University and for FIRST Robotics. The first few months of this course is dedicated to refining students’ skills in the workshop. They have regular CAD quizzes and practice machining parts, to ensure they are experts at using the tools they will need later in the year. The beginning of the year sets a solid foundation, allowing the rest of the year to run smoothly. By the time January rolls around, every single student can confidently contribute to building the FRC robot. The limited time Team 610 has to build the robot is expanded thanks to the students in this course; many of which are on the FRC team. Since our team machines an enormous amount of parts ourselves, it is greatly beneficial having students making them during class, expediting the process. Students partake in other tasks such as constructing field elements and assembling machined parts onto the robot. In the final part of this course, we partake in a program that is dear to our hearts. For many years, we have been working with Sunnyview Public School, a school for physically disabled children. Students in the Grade 12 tech course are challenged to build toys for these children with simple controls, so they can also play with fun toys. A notable toy made for them in the past, built by alumnus Aidan Solala, is a remote control ladybug operated by large touch panels. This is yet another way Team 610 reaches out to the community, and a cause we believe impacts us the most. The Grade 12 Technological course gives students the opportunity to refine engineering skills, contribute to the FRC robot, and impacts the community through our connection with Sunnyview Public School. Led by two outstanding mentors, this program is one we are proud to have at Crescent.

Sunny View
The most rewarding part of being a Coyote is our partnership with Sunny View Public School, a school for children with physical disabilities. Students design and build unique adaptive devices for use by students in the classroom, to eliminate barriers to learning and promote independence. Students collaborate closely with Dale Zimmerman (The Toy Doctor) to find creative solutions to meet students' needs. Over 75% of grade 11 and 12 students on 610 participate in this initiative as part of the Grade 12 Technological Design course. Team mentors stress the importance of giving back to the community, and by their 3rd year of FRC robotics, students are willing and able to do so. In the 4-year history of this partnership, Crescent students have designed and created 20 toys/devices that have been well received by the kids. When taking on this project, students must think, “What device will amaze, yet maintain robustness and practicality? How can we make this interactive and immersive, yet simple to operate? How can we make this toy accessible to a young child with cerebral palsy?” Students learn that their skills in electronics, programming, design and problem solving have more than just the potential to build a robot but to make a difference in people’s lives. All projects make use of easy-to-press buttons, or capacitive touch panels designed by our own students. Past projects include a spirograph drawing toy, racecar track, a driving robot that draws on sheets of paper and cannot get stuck in corners, a LED light board whose quadrants illuminate with the sweep of a hand, and many more. A catapult built from scratch by a grade 11 student allowed a young girl to play catch with her father for the very first time. Moments such as these, where we see lives changed in front of our eyes, is why we continue this effort. We have witnessed the fact that high school students can make a difference. We spread the message of FIRST so that all youth may feel the same way. There’s no banner, no trophy - just the smiles on the kids’ faces.

Swish for the Cure
In 2014 Team 610 worked with an annual event called “Swish for the Cure.” This event gives 50 children warring with cancer to spend the day building robots. A refreshing break from the daily battle that these kids endure, day after day, month after month, year after year. Work put into this event was repaid in the relieved and happy looks of each child in attendance.

Canada Learns Coding
Canada Learns Coding is an initiative to support the global Hour of Code movement led by code.org created by Team 610 Computer Science students with HATCH Canada. Our goal is to spread the gift of computer science to students everywhere. During the week of December 8th - 12th, we want software engineers and those who are passionate about coding to give as little as an hour of their time – and inspire a lifetime of wonder. We have created a program that connects software engineers to local schools to inspire them and spread the Hour of Code message.

NIMJA
610 students have been extremely successful with personal endeavours. Five 610 programmers participated in the MasterCard NXT mobile payments developer challenge in October, and were the only high school students in the student competition - they placed second against university student competitors. This automatically registered the team for the CIBC People’s Choice Award which we won! Their NFC application, NIMJA, is a merchant-side point of sale app with the potential to revolutionize mobile payments.

Get Your Bot On
In the preseason months at the beginning of the year, our grade 9’s were busy learning the nuances of design, programing and building. Each student made great strides in the past three months. 610 was able to send three grade 9’s Grant Chesney, Maaran Maruthgas and Eric Song to a hack-a-thon called “Get Your Bot On.” The theme this year was “Positronic: Robots and Brains” and teams were challenged to come up with a robot related to this this theme in some way. Special prizes were awarded for robots that addressed the challenges of aging at home and coping with dementia. Our students performed admirably finishing FIRST place and receiving an ISLT internship. These three students are now leading members of our grade 9 community on Team 610 as they took part in the quick build to build their first ever drive train.

2014
2014 – North Bay Regional Engineering Excellence Award sponsored by Delphi, Regional Winners

2014 – Greater Toronto West Regional Quality Award sponsored by Motorola, Woodie Flowers Finalist Award, Regional Winners

2013
2013 – FIRST Championship Galileo Division Champions, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS

2013 – Waterloo Regional Quality Award sponsored by Motorola, Regional Finalists

2013 – FIRST Championship Championship Division Winners – Galileo, Championship Winners

2013 – BAE Systems Granite State Regional Engineering Excellence Award sponsored by Delphi, Regional Winners

2012
2012 – Greater Toronto East Regional Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors, Woodie Flowers Finalist Award, Regional Finalists

2012 – FIRST Championship

2012 – Arizona Regional Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors, Regional Winners

2011
2011 – Waterloo Regional Quality Award sponsored by Motorola, Regional Finalists

2011 – Greater Toronto West Regional Quality Award sponsored by Motorola, Regional Finalists

2011 – FIRST Championship Division Finalist – Galileo

2010
2010 – Waterloo Regional Quality Award sponsored by Motorola

2010 – Finger Lakes Regional Regional Finalists

2009
2009 – Greater Toronto Regional Regional Finalists

2009 – Finger Lakes Regional Motorola Quality Award

2008
2008 – San Diego Regional

2008 – Greater Toronto Regional 2008 – FIRST Championship

2007
2007 – Waterloo Regional Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology” Award

2007 – Greater Toronto Regional Xerox Creativity Award

2007 – BAE SYSTEMS Granite State Regional Engineering Inspiration Award

2006
2006 – Waterloo Regional Regional Finalists

2006 – The Championship Event

2006 – Greater Toronto Regional Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology” Award

2005
2005 – Sacramento Regional Xerox Creativity Award

2005 – Greater Toronto Regional

2004
2004 – Greater Toronto Regional

2004 – Arizona Regional

2003
2003 – The Championship Event

2003 – Canadian Regional Regional Chairman’s Award

2002
2002 – The Championship Event Autodesk Inventor Award – Hon Mention

2002 – Canadian Regional Regional Winners, Engineering Inspiration Award

2001 – National Championship

MENTORS
Mr. Morrison (Director of Robotics) Mr. Lim Mr. Stehlik Ms. Fioroni Mr. Grant (founding mentor)

Business and PR
Jason S. Gorav M. Neal G.

Design and Manufacturing
Jonathan P. Matthew R. Thomas H. Abhinav D.

Energy Systems
Joseph K. Tyler Y.

Programing
Ian L. Jamie K.

Strategy
Edwin X. Max L.

Business and PR

 * Jason S.
 * Gorav M.
 * Neal G.
 * Josh L.
 * Adam M.
 * Jake R.
 * Matthew C. – Media Consultant

DESIGN and Manufacturing

 * Jonathan P.
 * Matthew R.
 * Thomas H.
 * Abhinav D.
 * Greyden B.
 * Adrain C.
 * Justin C.
 * Grant C.
 * Charlie F.
 * Galen F.
 * Russell G.
 * Bret H.
 * Avram K.
 * Stuart L.
 * Hugh M.
 * Walter R.
 * Richard R.
 * Jason S.
 * Timmy S.
 * Eric S.

Energy Systems

 * Joseph K.
 * Tyler Y.
 * Tyler D.
 * Nathan L.
 * Jeffrey S.
 * Alp T.

Programming

 * Ian L.
 * Jamie K.
 * William G.
 * Rohan J.
 * Charles J.
 * Alex K.
 * Adam M.
 * Maaran M.
 * Aidan O.
 * Nicholas OH
 * Jeffrey S.
 * Jack W.

Strategy

 * Edwin X.
 * Max L.

Email:
gorav.menon@team610.com

Website:
https://www.team610.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Team610

Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/FRC_Team_610

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/FRC610

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/team610