Welcome to the Homepage of the 1996-97 South Lakes High School / NASA Headquarters Robotics & Engineering Team

The Competition:

The FIRST Competition is a national engineering contest which immerses high school students in the exciting world of engineering. Teaming up with engineers from businesses and universities, students get a hands-on, inside look at the engineering profession. In six intense weeks, students and engineers work together to brainstorm, design, construct and test their "champion robot". With only six weeks, all jobs are critical path. The teams then compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament complete with referees, cheerleaders and time clocks.

The partnerships developed between schools, businesses, and universities provide an exchange of resources and talent, highlighting mutual needs, building cooperation, and exposing students to new career choices. The result is a fun, exciting and stimulating environment in which all participants discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real world applications.

Each year, the Competition is different, so returning teams always have a new challenge to look forward to. However, the details are kept secret until the unveiling at the Kick-Off workshop. This provides a high level of excitement as everyone sees the new challenge for the first time and ideas immediately begin forming in people's minds.

This year's challenge is to put as many inner tubes on the structure shown below as possible in a two-minute period, while preventing your opponents from doing the same. But do it with a robot, instead of people (check the "Photos" section for picutres of the playing field)!

The Schedule:

Date(s)	Event	Location	City, State
1/11/97	Kick-Off Workshop	New Hampshire College	Manchester, NH
3/6-8/97	Motorola Mid-West Regional	William Rainey Harper College	Chicago, IL
3/13-15/97	New England Regional	New Hampshire College	Manchester, NH
3/20-22/97	Johnson & Johnson Mid-Atlantic Regional	Rutgers University	New Brunswick, NJ
4/10-12/97	National Championship	Walt Disney World's Epcot	Orlando, FL

Our Team:

This is our second year in the competition, and a third of our team is made of veterin students that survived, er ah, enjoyed, our entry into the1996 competition. Once again we are being sponsored by NASA Headquarters, with support from several other sponsors. We are also helping to "mentor" several of the other NASA-sponsored teams that are new to the competition this year.

Many folks have asked us about our approach to tackling this year's competition. Our fundamental philosophy can be summarized using "Murphy's Laws Of Combat", as follows (we particularly adhere to #7!):

1. If the enemy is in range, so are you.

2. Incoming fire has the right of way.

3. Don't look conspicuous, it draws fire.

4. There is always a way.

5. The easy way is always mined.

6. Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.

7. Professionals are predictable, it's the amateurs that are dangerous.

8. The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions:

   a. when you're ready for them.

   b. when you're not ready for them.

9. Teamwork is essential, it gives them someone else to shoot at.

10. If you can't remember, then the claymore is pointed at you.

11. The enemy diversion you have been ignoring will be the main attack.

12. A "sucking chest wound" is nature's way of telling you to slow down.

13. If your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush.

14. Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you.

15. Anything you do can get you shot, including nothing.

16. Make it tough enough for the enemy to get in and you won't be able to get out.

17. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.

18. If you're short of everything but the enemy, you're in a combat zone.

19. When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy.

20. Never forget that your weapon is made by the lowest bidder.

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