2002 - LEETBot
PHRED (although un-named at the time) started as a gleam in Doug's eye around early April, 2001. This was a good time to start as the 2001 FIRST season had just finished. By April 21-23 communications started flowing between numbers of individuals as Doug figured out who to contact. There were many people involved in these early communications; Lynden Davis, Director -ASME Western Regional Office; Charles P. Weaver-ASME; Mike Morrow (JuggerBot -Battlebot fame www.juggerbot.com) Jason Morrella, Regional Director (West Coast) director FIRST organization on the west coast. Thank you to all of theses folks.
LEETbot's debut
Jason Morrella became the primary contact as he was the West Coast director for FIRST. Doug gave a presentation to the school board asking for permission to access the high school resources and students. During this time Doug worked with Ms. Molly O'Malley (PHS Science Teacher) and Scott Ballard as Tom Thompson (Science Teacher) was on sabbatical that year to prepare a presentation to the school board. Thank you Molly and Scott and Jason!
The school board gave their approval and Doug started thinking of ways to get the team started and students interested in FIRST. The first FIRST introduction meeting was held after school in the library. We watched a video about FIRST, started a sign-up sheet and answered questions about the FIRST. Afterwards we went to the school parking lot behind the library to see JuggerBot (www.juggerbot.com). Mike Morrow had brought JuggerBot and showed the potential members what can be done with robotics. JuggerBot pushed a chunk of metal (~100lbs) all around the parking lot. Students then had the opportunity to view JuggerBot up close and ask Mike many questions. Thank you Mike!
Of course, funding was an issue. Where does one get $5000 for the FIRST entry fee and additional funds to purchase tools, materials for the robot, and other items that are needed? The first year, the money came from various sources. Doug wrote a grant request to NASA and then, unbeknownst to Doug, NASA had selected the state of Oregon to start ten teams and have each team be granted money. Through various contacts, Doug made contact with Jack Higginbotham who was part of the Oregon NASA Space Grant program at Oregon State University. Higginbotham asked if the team could use $10,000 over a period of three years to get started, and in addition to this, the Nypro Foundation gave the team additional $5000 to pay for the entrance fee. Wow! The funding for the first year was done! Thank you Jack, Nypro and NASA!
By autumn of 2001, the FIRST team was starting to form with interested students from the spring FIRST/JuggerBot meeting. There were several team meetings during the fall to figure out what we needed to do to get ready for the season. As none of us had ever been to a regional or any FIRST event, we were all trying to think about what we needed to do. We did some challenges using Lego Mind Storms that were donated by Tom Klaus. Thank You Tom!
That first FIRST season for the team started January 5th, 2002. By this time Doug had enlisted Darrell Oakes as a co-lead mentor for the team. Both Doug and Darrell went to the kick-off event at New Hampshire, while the team got together in the Home Economics room (at PHS) bright and early to watch the kick-off and have breakfast. While at the New Hampshire kick-off Doug and Darrell called the team and asked if the team had questions. After watching the satellite broadcast and eating, we all went home and agreed to meet the following Monday after school to figure out what needed to be done. Little did we know that other teams across the USA would meet through the weekend to start their build season. We were truly ROOKIES!!!!
During our build season, there were many things to learn and do. One was the creation of the first team logo. The team did not get very excited about doing a team logo, since it had nothing to do with the team or building the robot. Cory Parks volunteered to do the logo and came up with the first team logo. It was printed on gray shirts. Thank you Cory!
We weren't very sure of ourselves as a team, but built a bot to compete in the 2002 game Zone Zeal. LEETbot's function was to score points by moving goals and shooting balls into them, and our team's priority during the build season was simply to get the robot done in the short six weeks.
Our uniform was grey team T-shirts and jeans, and we didn't have much extra time or people power to develop a marketing image. Here's 1337bot at the Scrimmage. In the historic moment of this photograph, PHRED's robot competed against other bots on the field for the first time ever.
In seven years, our team has come a long way.
LEETbot chassis being tested in the gym
But some things haven't changed. This photo shows how LEETbot's chassis was tested on a carpet spread on the floor of the school gym, in the exact spot where we tested Speedybot's acceleration seven years later. It actually looks like the same carpet, as well...
