For another year, team Paradox 2102 from San Dieguito Academy will hold the Spirit Award, taken at the FIRST Robotics 2013 San Diego Regional at the Valley View Casino Center on March 9, 2013.
This year’s challenge is titled Ultimate Ascent. In an octagonal arena, two teams of three robots each compete to shoot Frisbees into five goals of different heights, each worth different points. The first 15 seconds are an Autonomous period, during which the robots operate on prior given commands. The next two minutes of the match are spent in a TeleOp mode, during which the said robots are under driver control.
Near both ends of the field are three-tiered pyramids, made of metal pipes. Robots, for an additional 10, 20, or 30 points, can climb the pyramid by hanging from the lower bars, or by continuously climbing the vertices. Each tier climbed is an additional ten points.
Many different robots were at the competition. Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs from Bellarmine College Preparatory, had a very competent robot that was both quick at moving and shooting. Team 2885, the W.A.R. Lords from Francis Parker high school, had a dangerously strong robot that could launch full-court shots with deadly accuracy. Las Vegas’ team 987, the High Rollers of Cimarron-Memorial High School, also had a robot capable of incredible shots at long ranges.
The winners of the San Diego Regional were the alliance of teams 254, 987, and 1138, of the Cheesy Poofs of Bellarmine College Prep, the High Rollers of Cimarron-Memorial High, and Eagle Engineering of NASA & Chaminade College Preparatory, respectively.
Team Paradox was not picked for any alliance in the semifinals by the leading teams. Freshman Evan Brownell said that, “It was really disappointing that we didn’t get picked, but at least we won the spirit award.”
The Chairman’s Award, one of the most prestigious awards handed out during all regional competitions, was given to team 1538, the Holy Cows, of High Tech High in San Diego. Receiving the Chairman’s Award allows the team to travel to St. Louis, where the FIRST Robotics Championships is held.
Team 2012 will compete at the Sacramento Regional on March 20th to March 24th.