HHS Robotics

Our team of more than 70 students, faculty advisors and mentors recently participated in the Washington DC Regional Competition. At this competition the team’s hard work and determination exhibited throughout the six weeks prior clearly paid off. The team fought its way to the #2 seed position, won the Regional Finalist Award, won the Engineering Inspiration Award, and one of our team members won the Dean’s List Award. As a result, we have earned an invitation to participate in the FIRST International Championship competition in St. Louis at the end of April. To fund our participation in the Championship, we need to raise nearly $20,000 in the next three weeks.

The team is in need of individual and corporate sponsors to fund the travel costs associated with attending this world competition. Sponsoring our team is a great way to get positive name recognition and encourage the development of future engineers, scientists and technology experts in the local community.

If you are interested in helping the team reach our fundraising goal please feel free to contact me via email at matthew.james.lee703@gmail.com or at (703)606-7459. I would be happy to discuss with you any question you have about our team in general or specifically sponsorships.

As most teams know, it was not possible to include a computer animation award in this year’s FRC program.  Rather than let this aspect of the FRC experience die out, a group of team self-organized and created a community-based computer animation award effort for this year.  Led by Team 116, these teams created the “Underground Society of Animators” (USA), and established a the “USA Awards for Excellence in Animation.”

Two awards will be presented at the FRC Championships to the animators this year. One award will be presented for technical execution and quality of the animation, and the second will be presented for artistry and creativity. The technical execution award will focus on the overall quality of the animation, the effective use of the animator’s tools, and the professionalism of their technique.  This award will be selected by a panel of professional animators, artists, film-makers, and SFX professionals from organizations such as Disney, Pixar, White Dwarf Productions, Tom Ruegger Productions, etc. The creativity award will focus on the overall artistry and effectiveness of the animation, along with the surprise / “wow” factor associated with the story.  This award will be selected by the community of FIRST robotics community as a whole, via a “one-vote-per-team” process.

This is where you come in.

The USA awards process needs your participation!  We are asking FIRST teams go to animationsrus.org/vote.php to review at all the submissions and vote on the one they believe is the most creative. The review process is quick – it only takes about 35 minutes to review the judging criteria and view all the entries.  After that, cast your vote!  Each team only has one vote, so choose wisely.

More information is available at the top of that website under the “Official Rules” tab.  The deadline for voting is April 15th. If you have any questions or comments regarding the voting process, please contact us at team116animationaward@gmail.com