Eagan, here we come! On Saturday, February 18, The Green Machine will pack up Zephyr, its 2012 Robot, and along with FRC teams from all over Minnesota, will head down the highway to the home of Team 2220-Blue Twilight for a day of robot driving practice. The event at Eagan School is mirrored by another Scrimmage event at hosted by Team 2518- Simley High School. On Sunday, Minnesota teams up North have a chance to test their robots at an event hosted by Itasca Community College.
Like many FIRST teams around the country, upwards of 60 Minnesota teams will be taking part in these “week zero” events. It’s a great way to challenge all teams to test their new robots and strategies while there’s still a little bit of time left to try to fix what’s wrong. In Eagan, pit load in begins at 8 AM, with matches running from 9 AM on. At the same time, many scrimmage locations, including Eagan’s, will host robotics-specific seminars. The Green Machine will present two workshops. “Competition Day” will address how to prepare, what to bring, what to expect, and even what to wear, while one we’re calling “It All Happens in The Pits” will discuss what is a pit, how to pack for the pit, what to bring, how to set it up, and most of all, how to stay safe while in the pits. All of us are working really hard to get the robot ready for competition, and there’s no question that we can’t wait to find out whether our robot really can play Rebound Rumble!