Week #3

Week #3 of build season has come and gone. Unfortunately, for this neck of the woods, we got over 2 feet of snow! Luckily, the school was able to open on Tuesday, so Team 103 didn’t miss more than one day of work.

Since we are officially in the middle of build season, it’s time for a recap:

PR/Marketing has been working on travel plans, social media upkeep and the business plan. Manufacturing has prototyped and is now working on the robot. The whole team is busy as ever and working very hard. Keep chuggin FIRST Teams!

Week #2:

Week #2 of build season is coming to a close. Not only was Team 103 busy this week but it was also finals. Everyone is glad the week is over, but even with major tests and projects, nothing slows this team down (not even snow). This hardworking bunch of nerds is unstoppable.

Every department is bustling with a variety of activities. Manufacturing is still prototyping, but the ideas are becoming solidified. PR/Marketing is also working hard, finalizing travel plans, adding episodes to the video series’ and starting to design buttons. All members of the team are working harder than ever to meet the deadlines. With the impending snow, Beartholomew is very excited. Stay tuned for pictures of his adventures!

Kickoff Week

On Saturday, January 9th, FIRST revealed this year’s game Stronghold. Ever since, the Cybersonics team has been busy at work, spending long hours brainstorming about the robot, creating game strategies, and reaching out to other teams, sponsors and the community. Manufacturing is busy brainstorming designs for the robot, and proofing their concepts. PR/Marketing has been creating videos, maintaining the social media accounts, creating a newsletter and many more new and exciting things. Stay tuned for more!

The team’s two main fundraisers have come and gone, but they were huge successes. The first was Basket Bingo, held all the way back in October. The event included twenty rounds of bingo, and winners took away their prizes in Vera Bradley bags or Longaberger baskets. All the team members were involved, whether selling tickets and food or calling out “N-43.” It was a fun event for all involved, and it helped the team bond with not only each other, but with the community as well.

Another main fundraiser the team did was a Spaghetti dinner. This event was in December, and held at a local fire house. Team members helped volunteers cook food and make drinks. The team yet again was completely and utterly involved. If they weren’t serving food, they were plating desserts, setting tables, welcoming guests, or even driving last year’s robot which was delivering desserts to patrons. This was also another opportunity for team members to interact with the community, and show them what the team is all about.

Fundraising is a huge part of Team 103, and it couldn’t be accomplished without the help of the sponsors. Thank you so much to all Team 103 supporters and sponsors. Check out the two new video series “Nerd Herd” and “The Cyber Talk” on our YouTube Channel. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat!

St. Louis World Championship

Recently, Cybersonics attended the St. Louis FIRST Robotics World Championship. It is always an honor to attend, and the team has had the opportunity to attend every year as a Hall of Fame team. This year, Cybersonics was picked for the fourth alliance on the Hopper field and played in the Quarterfinals with Robogym Team 3950, and Herobotics Team 2500. The competition hosted teams from all over the world, and every team there had earned its way through hard work and cooperation. The opening and closing ceremonies were particularly spectacular and featured both Woodie Flowers and Dean Kamen.

As a Hall of Fame team, Team 103 was one of the only teams to meet and get a picture with Woodie Flowers in person. Additionally, FIRST reached out to Cybersonics to create a Hall of Fame display detailing all of the Hall of Fame teams, which Cybersonics exhibited this display in addition to its own.

Entrepreneurship Record

The complete redesign and reworking of the business plan this year has proven valuable, for the team has already won the Entrepreneurship Award twice within three competitions. This development has helped Cybersonics set a record for the Entrepreneurship Awards held by any FIRST Robotics Team Worldwide and helped boost team morale for the upcoming competition in St. Lois.

The Entrepreneurship Award is given to a team, which displays entrepreneurial spirit through its comprehensive business plan. In addition to reviewing the business plan, the judges receive a full presentation from the team representative at which they must answer any questions the judges have regarding the team. Cybersonics is proud of its team representative, Bella Angel, for leading the creation of the business plan and representing the team well during the interview portion of the award. The business plan is a primary goal of the team, and the members are proud to know that their hard work was well spent.

Orlando and Upper Darby Regional Competitions

Cybersonics Technology Team 103 is reaching the end of its competition season, and as it progresses to FIRST World Championships, the team is grateful for the experience and memories this year’s regional competitions have given it. Recently, Cybersonics participated in a two regional competitions following the Mt. Olive Regional Event.

Cybersonics was extremely excited to attend the much-anticipated Orlando Regional hosted by the University of Central Florida during March 12-14. The team traveled to Orlando and stayed at Disney World for a few extra days during our week stay in addition to attending the competition. At the competition, Cybersonics ultimately came in sixth place. Although in the selection process Cybersonics had the opportunity to select its own alliance, the team chose to join the fifth alliance with Team 3653 The Broward Botcats and Team 1876 The Beachbotics. The Orlando Regional Competition featured 64 teams, which allowed Cybersonics to forge relationships with teams from all over the world.

Two weekends later, Cybersonics attended the MAR Regional Competition, which was hosted closer to Cybersonics’ hometown at Upper Darby High School. At this competition, Cybersonics finished in eighth place with its alliance of Team 708 Hatters Robotics and Team 357 Royal.

At both events, Cybersonics received the Entrepreneurship Award, which is awarded to the team based on its comprehensive business plan. The business plan details the fundraising, goal setting, and management of the team, and Team 103 completely redesigned it this year. The awards Cybersonics has received this year have allowed it to set a record regarding the Entrepreneurship Award. As of 2015, Cybersonics now has received the most Entrepreneurship Awards of any given FIRST Robotics Team in the world.

Mt. Olive Outlook

This Saturday will mark the first competition that Team 103 participates in during 2015. Mr. Willman, head mentor in the Manufacturing department, said, “I think this weekend will be a weekend where we finalize strategy, and I think… this weekend will be a weekend to build upon.” Mr. Willman went on to say that if Cybersonics does well, than it will be able to keep everything the same, but he sees this competition as a learning experience. At the Mt. Olive, competition 103 intends to find out where they stand, and improve based on those standings, for the end of the season leading up to Upper Darby and St. Louis. Cybersonics’ performance at Mt. Olive will play a large role in deciding how the team uses its time for the next few weeks and will set the tone for the rest of competition season.