Team seeks sponsorship and financial support
Northern Minnesota robotics team excels at state tournament
AURORA – It was a dream come true for
rookie team Untitled 1 to claim the title of
Winning Alliance Captain at the 2015-16
MN FTC State Championship on February
6, 2016.
FIRST Tech Challenge in MN (MN FTC) is part of an international robotics program that includes more than 3000 teams
globally.
Teams of up to fifteen students collaborate to build and program a robot that competes on a 12-foot by 12-foot field.
The challenge is new each year and is designed to challenge students to think critically and expand their knowledge of the engineering process.
The state championship win qualifies
the team and their alliance members – the
MotorBolts (#6705 Edina) and the Robot
Squad (#7152 Rochester) – to advance
to the USA North Super-Regional Championship Tournament in Cedar Rapids,
IA on March 17 – 19, 2016. Teams in the
U.S. advance from state-level champion
ship tournaments to compete at one of
four super-regional tournaments across
the United States. Teams advance from a
super-regional tournament to the
FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship.
The northern Minnesota Untitled 1 team
was started by coaches Tim and Mary
Ciriacy of Aurora. Their children had
participated in FIRST robotics for the six
years, and they volunteered as coaches for Koochiching County 4-H’s
FIRST robotics program.
There were no FTC teams on the Iron
Range – so they decided to start one.
“It started as a homeschool team, but
we didn’t have enough interest. So we
changed it to a neighborhood team classification and started recruiting,” said coach Mary Ciriacy. “There were 133 Minnesota FTC teams this year, so it is quite an honor to place at the state tournament, especially in our rookie year.”
Founded by inventor Dean Kamen,
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was created to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.
The FIRST Tech Challenge is an
intermediate robotics competition that provides students in grades 7 – 12 with a challenging, technology-rich, exciting program that inspires them to get into science, technology and engineering.
The northern Minnesota Untitled 1 (#10432) robotics team. Pictured (l. to r.) in front
are Molly Melhus and Amy Melhus (both homeschooled). Row two: Mike Ciriacy
(homeschooled), Rustle Warwas (Mesabi Range College/formerly homeschooled)
and David Ciriacy (homeschooled). Top row: Eden Michael (Virginia High School).
Pictured in the bubble is Trever Mraz (Virginia High School). Iko, the robot, (front) is built from a Tetrix robot kit as a base, then is added to. It has six motors, eight servos and 14 sensors. It also has two dustpans, tape measures, wire coat hangers, plastic sled-runners and a mouse pad used to pad the arm which pushes a button in competition.
FIRST Tech Challenge participants are
eligible to receive close to $16 million inscholarships from some of the finest
Science and engineering schools in the country and Canada. Using a proven formula to engage student interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), FTC is one of the fastest-growing programs of its kind.
During the 2015–16 season, approximately 5,100 FIRST Tech Challenge teams are
competing around the globe in the RES-Q
game challenge. In the game, which
changes each season, the robots execute
both offensive and defensive strategies
using a combination of motors, controllers,wireless communications, metal gears and sensors. Students program their robots to operate in both autonomous and
driver-controlled modes on a specially designed field.
This year’s game is called FIRST RES-Q and simulates rescue activities after an
avalanche. It is played on a 12-foot square
field with approximately 1-foot high wallsand a soft foam-mat floor. Mountains con-sisting of alliance-specific climbing areasand goals are located in two corners of theplaying field.Scoring elements are 14 climber figurinesand 80 debris items in the shape of blocksand spheres. At the start of a match, debrisis randomly located throughout the playingfield floor. Each team starts with up to twoclimbers that can be pre-loaded onto theirrobot. Two randomly selected teams arepaired together as an alliance to play onematch against a second alliance.
Alliancesare designated as either “red,” or “blue.”Matches have two distinct periods of play:
a 30-second autonomous period followed
by a two minute driver-controlled period
which includes a 30-second end game.
Northern Minnesota’s Untitled 1
(#10432) team has won every match
they have played, which is an incredible
record. Their first tournament was the
North Branch MN FTC Qualifier (December 13,
2015) where they competed in nine
matches.
The awards they won:
Winning Alliance (captain)
3rd place Inspire Award (This is the
most prestigious FTC award. This award
embodies the FTC challenge and serves as
an inspiration).
Controls Award (Celebrates a team
that uses sensors and software to enhance
the robot’s functionality in the field.)
1st place in qualifying rounds
The team was also nominated for the
Rockwell Collins Innovate Award which
celebrates the team that thinks outside the
box and uses ingenuity and inventiveness
to make their designs come to life.
At the MN FTC State Championship in
Bloomington, they competed in 11 matches
and won them all. The awards won:
Winning Alliance (captain)
1st place in the qualifying rounds for
their division.
They were also nominated for the Control Award.
Untitled 1 needs community assistance.
It costs a lot to run a robotics team, buy
robot parts and register for events. They
are a private team, not associated with
any particular school district or organiza-
tion, so your help is greatly needed and
appreciated. They are seeking financial
assistance that will help them do the very
best job they can to represent northern
Minnesota at the USA North FIRST Super
Regional event. The help, visit www.go-
fundme.com/ftc10432
To learn more about team Untitled 1,
check out their website at ftc10432.wix.
com/main. You can see the robot in action
on their YouTube Channel: Untitled 1 –
FTC 10432 and follow them on Facebook
To learn more about the FIRST Tech
Challenge, go to www.firstinspires.org/
robotics/ftc. If you are interested in spon-
soring the robotics team, complete the
“Contact Us” section on their website.
Submitted by Tim and Mary Ciriacy of
Aurora, MN.