Beach Cities Robotics 2009 Season

Welcome to my BCR 2009 season page.

The FRC game is Lunacy (Windows media movie).

Lunacy Strategy

Chairman's Award

Our application Movie
The Judge Book is an expansion of our Chairman's Award application.
Microsoft Word format of the Judge Book

Nevada Regional FRC

BCR was a Quarterfinalist at the Nevada Regional Robotics Competition at Las Vegas, March 25-29, 2009. Here are some photographs:

The pit area of the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV.

BCR's Orange Force and the Wicked Wobotics (team 2150) entry on the field.

Peter, Ryan, and Anton fit new rubber isolators to the wheel gear boxes in the quest for better performance.

Los Angeles Regional FRC

BCR was a Finalist at the LA Regional. Here are some photographs:

Mentors Ken and Peter outside the Long Beach Arena.

The business end (camera controlled turreted shooter) of Orange Force, our 2009 FRC robot.

Peter, Lauren, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, and Rick Wagner in the 294 pit.

Kevin Ryan demonstrates FIRST Lego League (FLL) for visitors.

FLL team members helping to inspire the visitors to the LA Regional.

Ryan (pilot and team captain), Anton (co-pilot), and NGAS mentor Peter Johnson ready Orange Force for competition.

Orange Force on the field and ready to go.

Orange Force scoring on the Beach Bots. Note the turret camera locked on to the visual target.

Rick Wagner and RUHS Assistant Principal John Newman.

Build Season Photographs and Images

The team makes a major redesign decision in week three.

Trial assembly of frame parts in week four.

Mentors watch trial assembly of frame parts.

Frame parts at the end of week four.

The CAD model of "Orange Force" at the end of week four.

Shooter turret parts manufactured with GKN's water jet cutter.

Orange Force a few days before shipping.

Orange Force, nearly complete.

Our new crate being loaded into the shipping truck.

FTC Competition

Face Off is the 2008 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) game this season, and even though the regional and championship competitions are played in 2009, they are still called "2008" because that's the year the game was introduced. We attended the Los Angeles 2008 FTC Regional Competition at California State University Northridge (CSUN) on Saturday, March 7, 2009, and we won as alliance captain, along with alliance partners team 452 and Monroe High School. Eileen was driver, Alex was co-driver, and mentor Peter Johnson was coach. Below are some photographs of event highlights.

Alex, Peter, Eileen and mentor David Ansari ready Jeffery for competition.

Winning a qualifying match allied with team Athena.

Our scouting team ran like clockwork. Four students were in the front row (on left)
with clipboards recording data, while Ryan entered match robot data into the laptop with
Sarah coordinating the whole process.

Final elimination match with alliance partners team 452 (in lab coats).

Final match with two minutes left on the clock in teleoperated mode.

Second place team 25, Rock 'n Roll Robotics, with winning alliance captain team 294.
Thanks to this win as the alliance captain, Beach Cities Robotics has a place at the
Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

VEX World Championship in Dallas

Andrew and Eileen on a Dallas bench with stunner glasses.

Andrew, David, Alec, Rick, and Eileeen at the 294 the pit at the Dallas Convention Center
with the VEX robot.

Andrea rides the horse with Eileen, David, Andrew and Alec with the cowboy sculpture.

Summer Workshops

Stitched panoramic view of the Adams Middle School Tech Lab where we have set up
temporary quarters while Redondo High is under construction for the summer. Photo
by mentor Kevin Ryan.

Second stitched panoramic view. Photo by mentor Kevin Ryan.

Linda Nicholes with her Tessla (Tessie). Linda gave a presentation to the workshop on
electric vehicles (EVs).

The robotcs team with Tessie.