On January 7, the 2017 Mechanical Mayhem team excitedly piled into a crowded basement, awaiting the unveiling of the 2017 FIRST STEAMWORKS game!
Robots climb up dangling ropes!?! 600 game pieces and 16 moving parts!?! Human Players are allowed on-field DURING the match!?!?!
As the team got right to work strategizing, analyzing, and discussing the new game, a delegation of students toured a live field at the FIRST Live Kickoff in Manchester, NH. Measuring field elements, talking with game designers, and assessing field visibility, this delegation began beaming with ideas — thereby blending right in upon arriving back at Mayhem Central!
This year is host to some interesting rules. The robot volume may not exceed 12 cubic feet, and the robot may never extend beyond its bumpers. Additionally, teams are encouraged to bring a custom rope to the playing field — one that complements a robot’s climbing mechanism.
Mayhem welcomes ten rookie students this year! It’s encouraging to see the varied interests among the new recruits. If their performance in safety/shop training, CAD workshops, and kickoff day reflects their abilities, then these new students will accomplish amazing things in the future! These rookies will sustain the team in years to come, and so the older veterans are naturally eager to bring them up to speed on all that goes into a well-run FRC season.
The team is scheduled to compete in the following tournaments: Week Zero Scrimmage (February 18, Nashua, NH), WPI District Event (March 8-10, Worcester, MA), and Pine Tree District Event (March 30 – April 1, Lewiston, ME). If the team is fortunate enough to qualify, it will compete in the New England District Championship (April 5-8, Durham, NH) and the World Championship (April 26-29, St. Louis, MO).
Beat the pack! Be one of our first sponsors for the 2017 season! Mechanical Mayhem FIRST Robotics team is changing lives by exposing high schoolers to the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). But wait: donate now and we’ll double the offer! You’ll support TWO life-changing programs (Mechanical Mayhem AND Mindstorms Mayhem) with just one donation! Your generosity is sincerely appreciated (no joke).