2014 FRC Championship

Andrea and I traveled to Saint Louis, Missouri, departing Monday, April 21^st, and joined up with our robotics team, Kalani Robotics.

Tuesday

We arrived around noon on Tuesday and took the Metro to downtown Saint Louis and found our hotel, the Hilton at the Gateway Arch on Olive and Fourth.

We met up with the team at the Lumiere Hotel.

The Lumiere Hotel has a large atrium lobby. Photo by Andrea.

They posed by the waterfall in the lobby. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Second posed by the waterfall. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Looking down from the fourth floor on the way to the skybridge to the Lumiere Casino. Photo by Andrea.

With a Mobius type sculpture in the casino. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea and I then walked to the venue at America's Center.

The trees were all starting to leaf out. Photo by Andrea.

A mini-arch. Photo by Andrea.

With the statue of Dred and Harriet Scott at the old courthouse. Photo by Andrea.

Can't resist that photogenic arch!

Wednesday

We slept in past 8:30 AM on Wednesday and then explored the Mississippi waterfront.

We stopped to see the old courthouse where the Dred Scott case resulted in the freeing of the slave. It was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

We climbed up to the third level of the old courthouse. Photo by Andrea.

Then we walked by the Gateway Arch toward the river.

We looked at the riverboat cruises which were sold out that day.

We walked by the Lumiere Casino and Hotel. That's the skyway in the background linking the two. Photo by Andrea.

The Jones Dome where the robotics matches were held. Photo by Andrea.

The bear and bull statue. Photo by Andrea.

We like this whimsical robot statue. Photo by Andrea.

There were 250 of these cakes, no two alike, placed around the city. Photo by Andrea.

We went to the mall park.

Andrea noticed the palm tree style architecture on the building across the street from the Stifel building.

We visited the Punahou FTC team.

We toured the FRC pits and stopped by 294, Beach Cities Robotics, in the Curie Division. Photo by Andrea.

The Robonauts from Texas (FRC 118) always have an impressive robot. Photo by Andrea.

Dave and Andrew, mentors with 294, came to visit our pit. They were impressed with our robot. Photo by Andrea.

Bryan Silver went to visit the 294 pit. Photo by Andrea.

Once again, PTC used the CAD model of our robot in their display. Photo by Andrea.

We attended the Friends of Hawaii Robotics dinner in the evening.

Thursday

Qualifying matches started on Thursday.

The 3008 robot's name is Atlas. Drive team in autonomous on the blue alliance.

Atlas on a blue alliance receives a ball in teleoperation.

The action in the Galileo Division. Photo by Andrea.

The CIA had a booth there and a robot.

We visited the FLL team from Hawaii.

It's always good to see the legacy teams there.

SpaceX had a booth.

The Hall of Fame.

A Lego robot swinging on a swing! The programmer showed me the source code.

Lunch time. The team had the provided lunches each day.

The Galileo MC was Dave, the usual Einstein MC.

In the pits keeping the robot in top form.

MC Dave waves our 3008 flag.

Hooray Kalani Falcons!

Naturally we visited the BeachBots (330) in Archimedes Division.

Exploding Bacon!

We made it a point to visit all the Hawaiian teams pits.

The team also attended conference sessions. This is the session on programming the new control system for 2015.

Andrea took notes at the conferences and here the are as a PDF.

Friday

Qualifying matches continued on Friday.

Andrea and I had breakfast at Pickels Deli on Olive and Sixth.

we arrived before 7:00 AM and waited for the doors to open. Photo by Andrea.

Waiting for the opening ceremony to start. Photo by Andrea.

President Obama recorded an address for the opening ceremony.

Lunch time. Photo by Andrea.

The team is ready to take to the field on the red alliance. Photo by Andrea.

On deck. Photo by Andrea.

I congratulate the team on a great performance. Photo by Andrea.

Atlas scores in autonomous mode. Photo by Andrea.

Atlas ready to shoot in autonomous mode.

Beach Cities Robotics (FRC 294) mentor Peter Johnson explains the new control system.

We attended the evening baseball game, Cardinals vs. Pirates. In queue at Busch Stadium before the robot parade at the
Cardinals game. Photo by Andrea.

At the end of the robotic parade around the stadium the Cardinal mascot and our falcon met. Photo by Andrea.

I had fun taking pictures. Photo by Andrea.

It was a very low scoring game. Photo by Andrea.

The score was Saint Louis 1, Pittsburg 0 at the bottom of the 4^th when we left to get dinner at the Hyatt.

Saturday

Qualifying matches finished up on Saturday, followed by Division eliminations and Championship eliminations. The HOT Team (FRC 67) and the Greybots (FRC 973) won the Galileo Division and the Cheesy Poofs (FRC 294) won the Championship.

ZJ gives an interview at our pit. Photo by Andrea.

Team Rush (FRC 27) won the Chairman's Award.

Will I Am performed his song Hall of Fame.

Game designer Dave Lavery of JPL speaks. His license plate frame reads "My other car is on Mars." Photo by Andrea.

Finals action on Einstein.

Our team at the finals. Photo by Bryan.

An acrobat performed at the finale.

Andrea and I went for dinner to Prime 1000 restaurant on Washington Street.

We both had spicy cream of zucchini soup. Photo by Andrea.

Sunday

We did some more sight seeing on Sunday.

Andrea got one more photo of me at the arch. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea at the Arch with the old courthouse in the background.

We walked up olive street and found this whimsical statue. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea browses in Left Bank Books at Pine and tenth.

The City Garden sculpture park. Peabody Energy must have bribed the planning department to get to block the view like that. What a shame.

We saw some spring flowers in the park. Photo by Andrea.

A springtime Robin in the Gateway Park. Photo by Andrea.

Monday

We took a walk after breakfast on Monday before taking the Metro to the airport for the return flights to Hawaii via LAX.

Some last pictures with that photogenic arch!

Colorful banners on the lamp posts on Gateway Park. Photo by Andrea.

After this short walk after breakfast, we went back to the hotel, packed and took the Metro to the airport for the long flight home.

The flight home was strenuous with our plane an hour late getting out of Saint Louis, but we made our connection in Los Angeles and were glad to arrive in Honolulu and get a taxi home without problems.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com