Team
We are FRC Team 4121 Viking Robotics, and we are from Hoover High School, North Canton, OH. Each year, a new task is laid out for us by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in the form of a game. Our goal is to build a multi-functioning robot to compete with other teams around the country each season, with assistance from several mentors and our head coach Mr. Todd Alkire.
We are given six weeks from kick-off to build our robot, which tends to consist of long hours of hard work and lots of fun! After build comes competition season, where we compete regionally to try and make it to the FIRST World Championship which will be held in Houston, TX.
Pre-season
Team 4121 begins recruiting members in September, holding informational meetings and marketing our team. We hold training and safety sessions to teach new members what they will need to know when the time comes to build our robot. We end pre-season every year with a mock kickoff, in which we watch a trailer from years ago, and begin brainstorming ideas to get into our build season mindsets!
Build Season
Build begins on Kickoff, an event that occurs on the first Saturday of January. Once the game for the year is revealed, we discuss possible strategies, between earning ranking points versus game points, and building smaller, faster robots versus larger, stronger machines. From then, we have 6 weeks to design, program and build a robot.
Competition Season
The best part of robotics is the tournaments. We usually go to two regional events annually, but this year we will only be traveling to Cleveland, OH in March. The tournaments are three days each, filled with matches, award presentations, and tons of fun and team spirit. For each match, three different teams are placed on the same alliance and compete against another set of three to try and make it to the final rounds. Our hope is to at least leave one of those tournaments with a win, but if we don't, we'd still be able to walk away with a good learning experience.
SubTeams
Mechanical
The Mechanical Team uses CAD software (Solidworks, Onshape, and AutoCAD) to design the drivetrain and other mechanisms on the robot, as well as make part drawings. They use part drawings and industrial machines such as mills and lathes to create parts for the robot.
Electrical
The Electrical Team wires the robot and creates any pneumatic systems needed. Its job is to take the mechanical systems designed and fabricated by the mechanical team and make them controllable.
Programming
The Programming Team programs the robot using object-oriented programming in Java and data from sensors including gyros, hall effect sensors, and limit switches on the robot. Together, the subteam controls the flow of autonomous routines, during which the robot must move without human control.
Nontechnical
The Nontechnical Team is responsible for most of our fundraising efforts by contacting sponsors, applying for grants, and managing our budget. Members of this subteam also manage our team media, photographing and taking videos of all team events and competitions; promoting our program through our website, the local newspaper, and various social media sites; and designing flyers and all of our team apparel.