4.0 first robotics - Team 4946, ALPHA DOGS

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Table of Contents
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY·················································································4
1.1 Mission Statement ······················································································ 4
1.2 Inception of Team ······················································································· 4
1.3 Founders ·····································································································4
1.4 Members ···································································································· 4
1.5 Location ······································································································ 4
2.0 TEAM SUMMARY ······················································································· 5
2.1 History Timeline and Background ································································ 5
2.2 Team Structure and Organization ································································ 6
3.0 PROGRAM SUMMARY ··············································································· 7
4.0 FIRST ROBOTICS ························································································· 8
5.0 GOALS ········································································································ 9
5.1 Overall Team Goals ····················································································· 9
5.2 Individual Member Goals ············································································ 9
5.3 Public Relation Goals ················································································· 10
5.4 Fundraising Goals ······················································································ 10
6.0 CHALLENGES ····························································································· 12
6.1 Other Clubs/Extracurriculars ····································································· 12
6.2 Funding ····································································································· 12
6.3 Mentorship ······························································································· 12
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7.0 RISK ANALYSIS ·························································································· 13
7.1 Risk Analysis Format ················································································· 13
7.2 Specific Risk Identification ········································································· 13
7.3 General Risk Mitigation ·············································································· 15
8.0 MEMBER INFORMATION ········································································· 16
8.1 Student Information ·················································································· 16
8.2 Wolf Packs ································································································ 16
8.3 Expected Size and Makeup of Team ····························································16
8.4 Team Grade Distribution ········· ···································································17
9.0 RELATIONSHIPS ························································································ 18
9.1 School ······································································································· 18
9.2 Sponsors ··································································································· 18
9.3 Other Teams ····························································································· 18
9.4 Community ······························································································· 18
10.0 SUSTAINABILITY PLANS ·········································································· 19
10.1 Students ································································································· 19
10.2 Mentors ·································································································· 19
10.3 Funds ······································································································ 19
11.0 TEAM BRANDING ··················································································· 21
Appendix ······································································································· 23
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1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Mission Statement
Our mission is to create and sustain a community of learning that promotes STEM education through
FIRST Robotics and in doing so we create awareness about the need for future problem solvers that
will use technology for the betterment of society, both locally and globally.
1.2 Inception of Team
Our team was formed on September 10th, 2013. Our first competition season is in 2014.
1.3 Founders
Our team was founded by four senior students that participated in the University of Toronto’s RobotX
competition with the guidance of a manufacturing and tech design teacher at Humberview Secondary
School.
1.4 Members
For the 2013/2014 year, we have
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40+ students
2 teachers
1 administrator
1 engineering mentor
1.5 Location
Our team is based out of The Humberview Secondary School, Caledon, ON. Our meetings and place
of work are both in the manufacturing room 107.
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2.0 Team Summary
2.1 History Timeline and Background
We are rookie team based in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. This is our first year as a robotics team and
we are currently working on setting up the organization and mechanics of the team. We meet and
work at Humberview Secondary School, which is our base of operations. Below is a timeline of past
and predicted future events.
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2.2 Team Structure and Organization
Our team is organized so that we have a mentor/teacher and two students in charge of every
team. Another organizational structure we are implementing is to pair each senior student with a
student from each grade. This is preserving the legacy of the team so that the junior members learn
from the seniors members in a positive way.
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3.0 Program Summary
The Humberview Alpha Dogs, FIRST team 4946, is a robotics team from Caledon, Ontario. Our
team is currently made up of Humberview students and teachers, along with a mentor from MDA
Corp.
Team 4946 or otherwise known as The Alpha Dogs is a new to FIRST this year. The Alpha Dogs
were established on September 10th, 2013. Even though we have only been together for a short
time, we have rapidly become one of the largest clubs at Humberview Secondary School. We have
reached out to the community and have increased awareness of the club as we work to increase our
membership, the amount of sponsorships we receive, and our participation within the community
itself. With the combination of interested students, passionate teachers and willing mentors, team
4946 has a clear path to travel down in order to learn and discover new ideas and future possibilities.
In efforts to explore these new possibilities, the promotion of STEM education throughout
the team and the community has been a major topic of discussion. Our team has recruited an
electrical engineer from MDA Corp to showcase how the application of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics can produce a tangible object. During the six week build season, we
will use our newly acquired knowledge to build a functioning robot that will compete in the FIRST
Robotics competition.
Even though we are a part of FIRST Robotics and we will mainly focus on the creation of a
functioning robot, it is not solely based on a robot. The real goal is the promotion of learning,
education, and gracious professionalism, which are the driving forces behind the team itself. The
best way to help yourself is to help other people within your community so together, as a team, you
can share and be apart of greater accomplishments.
Overall, our team is run like a business and as a businesses do, we make sure we keep our
goals in our line of sight with whatever we do. However, team 4946 will keep in mind that robotics is
not just about building a robot, it is about team building and inspiring students to strive for
greatness.
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4.0 FIRST ROBOTICS
FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and is an
organization that was founded in 1989 by Woody Flowers, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dean Kamen, entrepreneur and inventor of the
Segway.
FIRST was created to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging
them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills. FIRST
also inspires innovation, and helps to foster well-rounded life skills including self-confidence,
communication, teamwork, responsibility, and leadership.
FIRST organizes an event called the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), which is one of the
most intensive robotics programs in the world. This competition provides high school students with
an experience that closely emulates the real-world engineering field and industry. It has been given
the unofficial name, “Varsity Sport of the Mind” because it is a completely unique experience.
FRC has had a remarkable impact on its participants in many ways. Student surveys have
revealed that 100% of participants strongly agree that their skills have been broadened. Another
interesting statistic is that 88% of students agreed that FIRST has given them a better idea of what
they want to study or do after finishing high school. 93% of students who participated said that they
plan to study or look into a career that involves technology, science or mathematics and 79% of those
students agree that FIRST helped them make that decision. Lastly, 95% of FIRST participants said that
their ability to work as part of a team has improved due to FIRST.
In addition to FRC, FIRST also offers robotics programs for students in kindergarten all the
way through to high school. Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL), FIRST LEGO League (FLL) , and FIRST
Tech Challenge (FTC) offer learning experiences to students of all ages. The Jr. FLL program is for
students of ages 6-9, or from kindergarten to grade 3. The FLL program is aimed at students in grades
4 to 8. The FTC program is for students of ages 12-18, or from grades 7 to 12. Lastly the FRC program is
very extensive learning based experience for students ages 14-18 from grades 9 to 12.
The FIRST Robotics Competition stages short games competed by robots. The robots are
designed and built in six weeks from a common set of parts by a team of students and a handful of
mentors. Students program and remotely control the robots in the competition where they are
competing with other teams throughout their region. If they place highly, they may be invited to the
world championships.
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5.0 Goals
5.1 Overall Team Goals
Our primary goal as a team is to promote STEM education throughout Caledon, as well as
create an outreach program towards the younger students in local elementary schools across Peel.
We plan to support 3 FIRST LEGO League teams in local elementary schools, as well as to learn/teach
valuable life and business skills. We plan on learning from the help of our mentors and teachers and
then using those skills to teach the younger members of the team. We have also created long term
and short term goals, to keep our team on track with our original ideals.
Long Term Goals: (Throughout team 4946’s FIRST career)
● To develop long term sponsors
● To educate students and provide them with an opportunity to explore STEM
● To create a lasting FIRST Robotics team
Short Term Goals: (This Year)
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To get more sponsors
To raise awareness of the team within our community
To compete at the FIRST Robotics Competition held at Crescent School in Toronto
To start an outreach program providing information and opportunities to younger students
5.2 Individual Member Goals
During the course of each members time in FIRST Robotics, they will have many different
goals that he or she wants to complete. Some of the main goals that each member wants to
complete are:
● To learn the process, build, and understand the workings of Robotics
● To meet new people who share a common interest in Robotics
● To experience the opportunity of competing in the FIRST Robotics competition
● To take on new challenges, and learn new ways of problem solving
● To have fun
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5.3 Public Relation Goals
As a team, we are working toward healthy and positive relationships with the community.
All of our members come from the community, and since we are all a part of small high school, we
need to keep our roots strong. We have already been getting involved with the community, such as
participating in community events, such as the Haunted Hill Run, which is an event run annually to
raise money for the local Rotary club. We also plan to be active in future community events, such as
the Santa Claus parade. Our goal is to have a float to raise awareness of our new team in a positive
and exciting manner. In doing so we will be able to establish relations with individuals and
companies that we have not yet been in contact with contacted, to support our team.
5.4 Fundraising Goals
Fundraising Goals
Manufacturing Total
$21,600.00
$5,400.00
Wheels
$600.00
Metal
$400.00
Hardware
Pneumatics
Tools
Batteries/Charger
$2,000.00
$600.00
$1,000.00
$800.00
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Electronics Total
$3,200.00
Wires
$100.00
Motors
$800.00
Sensors
$300.00
Speed Controllers
$700.00
Controls
$100.00
Electronics
Administrative Total
$1,200.00
$13,000.00
Registration Fees
$6,000.00
Travel
$1,000.00
Advertising
$3,000.00
Team Shirts/Shop Coats
$1,500.00
Food
Miscellaneous
$500.00
$1,000.00
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6.0 Challenges
6.1 Other Club/Extracurriculars
Problem: Many of our team members are diverse in their interests and are a part of many other clubs
and organizations within the school. This proves as a problem when schedule conflicts arise.
Solution: Our team is working on creating an accommodating work schedule so that the students can
participate in their extra-curricular activities, other than FIRST Robotics, while still finding time to
contribute to the team.
6.2 Funding
Problem: Due to the fact that this is the Alpha Dogs’ first season participating in the FIRST Robotics
competition, an opportunity to capitalize on previous sponsorships is not available to us.
Solution: By approaching different types of organizations, we are hoping to acquire a stream of
diversified revenue. As a result of developing relationships with local and global organizations and
companies, we are creating an opportunity to obtain a steady revenue stream in future years.
6.3 Mentorship
Problem: Even though we currently have an electrical engineer mentoring the hardware/software
team, we are missing professionals to mentor the design and manufacturing teams.
Solution: By having an established mentor within the engineering field associated with our team, he
can attract attention towards our team, which could possibly spark an additional mentor in one of the
desired fields.
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7.0 Risk Analysis
7.1 Risk Analysis Format
7.2 Specific Risk Identification
Loss of Sponsor
Details: Losing any form of sponsorship at this point in time would have a significant impact on our
team. We are just starting out and desperately need money to establish ourselves so that we can
purchase the equipment that will be reused in years to come.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 2
Risk Level: Medium Risk
Risk Mitigation: We are actively pursuing all forms of sponsorship from any organization in hopes to
add to our revenue for this year and the years to come. We are trying to build good relationships with
our sponsors in hopes that they will support us in future years.
Loss of all sponsors
Details: Losing all forms of sponsorship at this point in time would cause our team to shut down as we
would not be able to sustain ourselves financially.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 3
Risk Level: Medium Risk
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Risk Mitigation: At the moment we are mitigating this risk by recruiting more sponsors and by
maintaining a healthy relationships with our current sponsors.
Loss of mentor
Details: Losing a mentor would be a great loss to all the students on our team as they inspire and
teach us.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 2
Risk Level: Medium Risk
Risk Mitigation: At the moment we are mitigating this risk by attempting to recruit more mentors and
by maintaining healthy relationships with the mentors we current have.
Loss of teacher
Details: Losing a teacher would be a great loss as we would lack access to the school if no other
teacher is available to facilitate a meeting that day.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 2
Risk Level: Medium Risk
Risk Mitigation: At the moment we are mitigating this risk by recruiting additional teachers to join the
team and by maintaining a healthy relationship with our current teachers.
Loss of student leaders
Details: Student leaders are vital to our team. However, grade 12 senior members will be graduating
at the end of the year.
Likelihood: 3
Impact: 2
Risk Level: High Risk
Risk Mitigation: Current members in other grades are being trained to take the place of these student
leaders. We are especially focusing on involving more grade 9’s in hopes that they will have the
experience to lead the team in a few years time.
Loss of workspace
Details: Losing our space would essentially shut us down as our team has yet to determine if there
are alternative working accommodations available.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 3
Risk Level: Medium Risk
Risk Mitigation: At the moment we are mitigating this risk by keeping healthy relationships with the
school to keep the workspace we have. We are also establishing contacts in other teams and
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companies that have access to a workspace. These contacts would be able to assistance us if we lost
our workspace at Humberview. We are also looking into other work spaces we could use as a backup.
Loss of work days
Details: Bad weather can shut down the school as well as cancel our meetings.
Likelihood: 1
Impact: 2
Risk Level: Medium Risk
Risk Mitigation: In such an incident, we would still be able to communicate important agenda items
through emails and conference calls. However, there are no real preventative measures available us.
7.3 General Risk Mitigation
We are going to abide by our school code of conduct and encourage members to act in a
courteous manner so we can avoid any conflicts with sponsors, teachers, mentors, and the
community. By doing so, our members acknowledge that we, as a team, want to be held in the
highest regard and must act accordingly. While working in our machine shop we will follow all rules
and regulations, as well as carefully study and understand all of the safety materials provided to us.
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8.0 Member Information
8.1 Student Information
A full catalog of our student information is kept within the schools personal archives. These
files allow for immediate accesses to a complete health and safety record on each student. Any
further information worth noting can be addressed and taken into consideration at a later date.
8.2 Wolf Packs
Every student will be a part of one or more of the “Wolf Packs” with each pack consisting of
their own specific objectives. Pack members must be responsible for communicating on a regular
basis in order to cooperatively achieve a common team goal. The classification of these “Wolf Packs”
are organized in the following.
● Build
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Design
Manufacturing
● Hardware/Software
○ Electrical
○ Programming
● Administration
○ Marketing
○ Accounting
○ Management
8.3 Expected Size and Makeup of Team
Currently:
● We have over 40 members who actively attend our meetings each week.
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Goal for the future:
● 50+ students
How will students be recruited to the team:
● Feeder schools
● Community awareness
● Enthusiastic students promoting FIRST
What we can do to ensure the team grows next year:
● Recruit 9th grade members
● Promote our team at feeder schools so they will know about the team when they arrive
8.4 Team Grade Distribution
Our team has over 40 active members that have been regularly attending our meetings. As
seen in the data above our team is primarily made up of grade 12 students. This is because our team
was started by the senior students, and therefore it was easier for them to get their peers involved.
The students in the other grades joined through promotion from the members of our team, and daily
announcements at the beginning of the year. We hope to expand our team in the coming years by
creating an outreach program to the feeder schools in our community.
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9.0 Relationships
9.1 School
Our team was started through the great relationships Humberview’s teachers have with their
students. Humberview’s manufacturing teachers, Mr. Torontali and Mr. Ziskos are very
enthusiastically committed and have been very supportive in setting this team into motion. Our
team is also working very closely with our schools administrative leaders. We have been closely
working with our vice principal Mrs. Kipfer to establish legal and financial aspects of the team.
9.2 Sponsors
In order to establish a healthy relationship with our sponsors we have created a standard
letter that we will present to all of our sponsors (see Appendix). In addition to this, we have also
drafted a thank you letter with every team members signature that we will give to all sponsors. Our
team understands the importance of sponsors, so we will make sure to take care of our sponsors by
sending out periodic emails in order to alert them of any updates we have. We have also prepared a
sponsorship hierarchy to show our sponsors what they are entitled to at each level of support. (See
10.3)
9.3 Other Teams
We have established contact with other teams that will be supporting us in our efforts as a
rookie team. This attitude is known as gracious professionalism. As FIRST teams, we support and
help each other however we can. We have been working with our mentor team, St. Maximillian
Kolbe who are an experienced team that made it to the region finals last year. We have also
developed contacts within last years winning team, Theory 6.
9.4 Community
Our team has been involved in developing our relationship with the community by reaching
out and getting involved in local events. One such event that we participated in was the Haunted Hill
Run, which is an annual fundraiser for Bolton’s local Rotary club. Several of our team members had a
great time participating in this fundraiser. The Rotary club has also become one of our sponsors and
are helping us in our efforts to introduce and support STEM education in our community. We are
currently in contact with both of our local community newspapers to raise awareness of our team and
strengthen our relationships in the community.
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10.0 Sustainability Plans
10.1 Students
In our rookie year we have been acquiring students from grades 9-12. We have established a
strong preliminary base for the following years. We are especially focusing to continually inspire
younger grades to get involved with STEM education at Humberview. We are also reaching out to
feeder schools to recruit potential team members and introduce them to robotics at Humberview. In
doing so the Alpha Dogs robotics team will develop a strong legacy and prosper for years to come.
10.2 Mentors
We currently have four mentors with backgrounds in different areas of expertise. We are
reaching out to local companies and seeking student connections to find addition mentors to aid us
in our efforts.
10.3 Funds
In order to maintain our relationships with our sponsors, we have developed a system of
sponsor recognition. Sponsors who provide different levels of support receive special perks and
benefits for supporting our team. Our donation ranges and the rewards are as follows:
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Participation < $99
Bronze
$ 100 → $499
Silver
$ 500 → $2499
Gold
$ 2500→ $4999
Platinum
$5000 +
Participation Rewards:
● Thank you card signed personally by every member of the team
● Recognition on website, facebook, business plan, etc.
Bronze Rewards:
● Participation Rewards
● Small text logo on t-shirts, banner, and promotional material
● Receive Team wear and a presentation at your company
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Silver Rewards:
● Participation Rewards
● Medium Sized Text and picture logo on shirts, banner, and promotional material
● Small logo on the robot which competes at televised competitions
● Receive Team wear and a presentation at your company
● Invitation to a “Meet the Team and Shop Tour” night
Gold Rewards:
● Participation Rewards
● Large Sized Text and picture logo on shirts, banner, and promotional material
● Medium logo on the robot which competes at televised competitions
● Receive Team wear and presentation at your company
● Invitation to a “Meet the Team and Shop Tour” night and a Thank You dinner
Platinum Rewards:
● Participation Rewards
● Large, Centralized, Text and picture logo on shirts, banner, and promotional material
● Large logo on the robot which competes at televised competitions
● Receive Team wear and a presentation at your company
● Invitation to a “Meet the Team and Shop Tour” night and a Thank You dinner
● Special appreciation plaque
● Special Hug from any chosen member on the team
We plan to keep good relationships with those who have already donated as well as seek
new connections to propel the team forward in the future. We are also seeking out grants and new
sponsors to increase our funds and secure a reliable and sustainable future.
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11.0 Team Branding
Official Title: Alpha Dogs
Official Team Number: 4946
Official Colours: Solid Black #(000000), Dark Grey #(A9A9A9), Pure white #(FFFFFF), Fire Red
#(FF3720)
Team Logos: Four variations of our logo, all of which consist of the “Alpha Dog”.
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Team Jersey: The team has two uniform concepts consisting of a single jersey including one of
our four logo variants, the FRC logo, team number, and a designated area for our sponsors business
names to be displayed.
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Appendix
Dear (Company Name),
Thank you for taking an interest in our team and taking time out of your day to read this
email. The Humberview Robotics team, also known as the “Alpha Dogs” or Team 4946, are seeking a
potential sponsorship from you because your company can be a great asset to our team. As a
collective group of 40 passionate students, our team has a variety of skills in business,
manufacturing, programming, electrical, and design. We hope with your support to build on these
skills and to be able to collaborate, work as a team, and help represent the meaning of FIRST.
FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” and is an organization
that aims to: “Inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in
exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire
innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication,
and leadership.” The values and skill sets that are promoted by FIRST are exemplified in the
workplace by the best employees. The skills that students learn help them to become successful in
their careers and in turn become productive members of society. By having a FIRST robotics team at
The Humberview Secondary School, we wish to provide students with the opportunity to be a part of
the FIRST experience.
If your company wishes to support our team there are a variety of ways to do so. Your company can
help by promoting our team, providing resources that can assist in the build of a robot, mentoring our
team, and donating money. By donating money you will be helping us purchase equipment,
materials, and tools, enter competitions, transport our team to competitions, create promotional
materials, and many other things. We keep a close record of our finances and have a detailed budget
that lays out our exact expenses.
Depending on the support you provide us with, we will be able to provide your company various
benefits. Firstly, our team is a school club and any donations issued to us are tax deductible. Next,
your company name and logo will be displayed on our robot, team wear, and promotional materials.
Finally, you will receive items such as a team uniform, invitation to our sponsorship dinner, and a
presentation to your company. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for
any additional information.
Sincerely,
Team 4946
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