FIRST Team 1403 Cougar Robotics Newsletter Build Season: Week 4 After build season week 4, the team has made tremendous progress on the robot, and the team is excited to almost have the robot completed. The team has worked diligently all week, and their progress on the robot demonstrates their work and dedication. The Robot manager, Niva S, says that the Robot side will be having the robot up and running by the start of Read more
FIRST Team 1403 Cougar Robotics Newsletter Build Season: Week 3 We have now reached the end of the third week of build season, and Team 1403 has made significant progress. The robot is almost complete, and it is expected that the team will have a fully functioning robot by the end of Week 4. Members of all the subteams have been working hard to contribute to the success of the team. This week, subteams on Read more
FIRST Team 1403 Cougar Robotics Newsletter Build Season: Week 2 We have now reached the end of week two of Build Season, and Team 1403 has already been making significant progress. Both the Robot and Logistics side have been working hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the coming weeks. This week, the Robot side has been continuing their work on the prototypes, using a number of available resources to refit an old robot Read more
FIRST Team 1403 Cougar Robotics Newsletter Build Season: Week 1 Build season began with Kickoff on January 5, 2019, and Team 1403 has already made significant progress in brainstorming ideas and creating prototypes. Our goal this year is to keep the schedule tighter and more efficient than ever before, which we have so far been doing well with. Team 1403 is ready and enthusiastic about the build season ahead. The Robot Manager, Niva S., is Read more
TEAM 1403 COUGAR ROBOTICS PROJECT/ACTIVITY: Cooperation Date: 12/12/2018 Where: Montgomery High School Number of Students: 64 Number of Mentors: 7 Action Items: mat, folded paper, spoon, ping pong ball, beam, tape measure, cups, rubber bands, and VR headset Impact on Team: Instead of opening with a formal presentation, this cougar class began with a discussion about what we had accomplished and how we could improve as a team. After the discussion, the team was split into Read more
TEAM 1403 COUGAR ROBOTICS PROJECT/ACTIVITY: Culture Date: 11/28/18 Where: Montgomery High School Number of Students: 68 Number of Mentors: 8 Action Items: 10 sticks of balsa wood, hot glue Impact on Team: The Cougar Class started with a presentation on our team members’ cultures. The team captains gave presentations on the countries from which they or their families originated and their unique customs. We could see the diversity in Team 1403, with people with ethnic backgrounds Read more
TEAM 1403 COUGAR ROBOTICS PROJECT/ACTIVITY: Importance of Communication Date: 11/06/2018 Where: Montgomery High School Number of Students: 57 Number of Mentors: 9 Action Items: Lego bricks, a presentation device Impact on Team: This cougar class consisted of a presentation as well as a competition. The presenter was Rachael Werner, an engineer for Siemens, and she talked about how to communicate effectively. She provided her audience with several examples and tricks to relate and leave a Read more
TEAM 1403 COUGAR ROBOTICS PROJECT/ACTIVITY: The Design Process Date: 10/24/2018 Where: Montgomery High School Number of Students: 68 Number of Mentors: 7 Action Items: hot glue, tape, raw spaghetti, small and large marshmallows Impact on Team: At the beginning of the second Cougar Class, the Engineering and Design process was further elaborated on. The presentation centered around the simplest of human inventions: the wheel. The lecturer, Michael Leicht, went over the various kinds of drive trains Read more
TEAM 1403 COUGAR ROBOTICS PROJECT/ACTIVITY: The Design Process Date: 10/24/2018 Where: Montgomery High School Number of Students: 58 Number of Mentors: 6 Action Items: printer paper, card stock, tape, hot glue Impact on Team: The first Cougar Class of the year began with a presentation by Mr. Leicht on the most important knowledge that one needs to build a solution to any problem: the Engineering Design Process. The presentation hinged around a few common themes Read more
FIRST Team 1403 Cougar Robotics Newsletter Build Season: Week 6 As the final week of build season is ending, Team 1403 races to finish another robot. Unlike last year, our team is improving the design rather than barely finishing. Led by robot managers Aamish R. and Vineet P., Team 1403 has been ahead of the game for nearly the entire season. Like all great teams, we had a few setbacks, but with perseverance and a Read more