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My name is Ben Lakin, and I am a senior at
Falmouth High School and a member of Northern Force Team 172. With our
primary corporate partner IDEXX Laboratories, Team 172 is made up of
students from Falmouth and Gorham High Schools, resulting in the name of “FALGOR”.
Many of you have probably heard stories about
FIRST Robotics, but I would like to provide you with an inside look on how
this year progressed and how much it has meant to the entire team. After
the our first meeting in the fall between the two schools on 11/24/02, we
quickly received generous support from local businesses and industries,
including IDEXX Laboratories, Oakhurst Dairy, Bisson Moving & Storage,
Peoples Heritage Bank/BankNorth, Pinkam and Greer Consulting Engineers, Bruns Bros. Process Equipment, and C & C Cyprus Corporation. These
partnerships permitted us to compete in the regional competition.
On January 3rd, Mr. Lord and Mr.
Kraljic transported all the parts and a notebook about the rules from
Manchester back to Maine. The next day we had one of the most intense
meetings I have ever endured. Students, parents and engineers wrestled
with the problem and shared ideas, and by the end of the day, we had a
strategy, design and direction. After this meeting, we divided into
several smaller teams focused on specifics, including the drive train,
lifting mechanism, programming, expenses for the trip, and T-shirts, and
eventually we completed the robot.
 The
results of the countless hours of hard work is Northern Force’s 2003
robot. Our robot can travel fairly quickly; 7 feet per second to be
exact. The speed of the bot was actually one of our first decisions as a
team, and we decided that the bot should be able to travel fairly quickly
with a fair amount of power. Next, we had to decide how to handle the
mid-field barrier, and we decided that the robot needed a collapsible
vertical arm. The drive team concluded that our robot needed soft
pneumatic tires, independent two wheel drive and the perfect gear ratio
for maximum power and maneuverability. Lastly, the mechanical team
developed a tote-stacking mechanism designed to lift up three totes at a
time.
The most memorable fragment of my entire FIRST
experience was the enjoyment I had at the contest. I was also a member of
the strategy team, and our primary task was to analyze almost 100 practice
matches before the competition even began. Then, before each of the
competition matches, we made a few final modifications to our strategy
depending on our alliance team’s strategy, and then we were prepared. I
coached four of the rounds, and I’ve never witnessed a competition so
complex and intense. The drivers and I had to think and communicate
swiftly in order to achieve victory. After two days of matches we
concluded our season with a competition record of seven and three and
ranked 17th, which was in the top third. I am content with this
outcome, because we were only a novice team, and I believe we have
excellent potential for next year.
One of the tremendous aspects about the FIRST
program is that it permitted us to work alongside a licensed engineer and
obtain beneficial insight into the engineering field. Before FIRST, I had
only used CADKEY, but after the six weeks, I learned several engineering
applications for computer drawing software. After spending many hours in
the machine shop, we learned how to operate many mechanical engineering
devices. Most importantly, we harnessed our problem solving abilities and
used them to fabricate the robot. To design the robot, we had to
visualize and sketch several options for each component, analyze each of
them, predict their dependability, and then determine how to enhance
them. After designing the robot, we had to overcome several dilemmas
during the construction phase when particular mechanisms did not align or
function properly.
 The
engineering background I gained from FIRST is magnificent, but I feel that
there were many other benefits gained from this program. Our team
consisted of two schools, and this combination forced us to enrich our
communication skills and our ability to work as a team. My leadership
capabilities improved as well, because I had to manage adolescents that I
had only known for a few weeks, so I was required to be a good listener
while maintaining progress. FIRST also forced students to work with major
industries, so they received valuable insight about today’s continually
advancing technology.
On an academic note, team member Brady Kuech received
a $40,000 ($10,000 yearly) FIRST scholarship to Florida Institute of
Technology. Even if you did not leave this program with a
scholarship, I believe that the experience has benefited you. I feel that
with this preparation I will have an incredible advantage in my pursuit of
a mechanical engineering degree, and I hope to apply this knowledge in a
co-op program and eventually, working as a professional engineer.
Lastly, I’d like to thank our teachers,
engineers, sponsors, the FIRST organization, and our parents for making
this wonderful educational activity possible.
Ben Lakin,
April 11, 2003 |
