What Are We Working On?

In addition to working on our bots and programming, some of our team members have been learning how to use Creo, a digital modeling program, by watching YouTube tutorials.  One of our goals with the program is to design a part that both of our teams can use on their robot and get it 3-D printed.

Team members working on Creo

After completely stripping their robot of wiring two meetings ago, team 452, PHI Alpha, was struggling to finish their robot so the software people could start programming.  

PHI Alpha team members wiring their robot

As for PHI Omega, currently we are building shielding for our robot, programming, and adding other finishing touches.

PHI Omega team members work on programming using a dummy bot.

Kickoff Meeting

We began the new robotics season last month with a kickoff meeting/potluck.  We demolished old prototypes, sorted parts, set up the foam field tiles, watched the game video, and discussed strategies for building this year's robots.  All said, we're excited for the new season!

New facebook Page!

Phi robotics is now updating the status of the team through a Facebook page! Don't freak out,  you can still view Phi's progress at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phi-Robotics/184663908224113. this is where you can go in order to get the latest information about Phi Robotics. We will still write on the blog, but our latest, most consistent source of  information will be our Facebook page.

Summer Robotics Workshop

Have you successfully protected an eggstronaut from a painful Mars landing, using only straws and tape?  Do you know how to properly use an atlatl?  Can you build a successful robot out of limited materials in only five afternoons?

If so, you must have attended last year's Summer Robotics Workshop.  Along with other local FIRST teams, we host this workshop every year.  For us, it's a way to reach out to the community to promote science, technology, engineering, and math; for students who attend, it's a week of fun and a great introduction to robotics.

The first five days of the workshop are packed with fun activities (which just happen to be educational) and hands-on robot building.  Students are divided into teams of six and must collaboratively build a robot to complete a challenge; on Saturday, their designs are tested in an action-packed competition similar to those PHI competes in.

This year, the workshop runs June 24-29, and if you're a student entering fifth through ninth grade, you won't want to miss it.  Only sixty spots are available, so sign up now!

For more information or to register, visit https://sites.google.com/site/summerroboticsworkshop/home.

What are we doing now?

     Now that our season is over, neither team made it to Worlds. We now had the tough decision of what to do with the rest of our year. We have decided to continue meeting to train newer members in software, and to work on new designs to prepare for the next season's competitions. We are also preparing for our outreach season. We will be in the Antelope Valley Poppy Festival on April 21-22. We will also be at a week long Vex workshop this summer along with several other local teams. This workshop is to teach junior highers about robotics, and allow them to build their own robots. They will also be able to compete in a special challenge, just like a FTC competition, only on a smaller scale.

Compass Award

Here is PHI's FTC Compass Award submission for the 2012-13 season. We nominated the Stinson family (Jon, Kathy, and Dylan) for their generous support over the past 5+ years. Thank you, Stinsons!

Robot Photos

Here are a few of our latest robot photos, taken at competitions.


PHI members work on Murphy in the pit area.


Shelob prepares to score in a match.


Shelob scores on the top peg.


Murphy scores on the top peg.


Shelob in a match.

Las Vegas Hardware & Software Support

At the Las Vegas tournament, one team couldn't pass inspection, since they had incorrect wiring and no software. We provided parts and helped them wire the robot, then wrote teleop and autonomous programs. Throughout the day, we continued to aid them with software and hardware. Here are a few pictures of the event.


PHI members help with hardware and software.


A PHI member teaches the team how to set up pragmas in RobotC.


Judges take notes on robot design as PHI looks on.

Walter Bracken STEAM Academy

The day before the Las Vegas tournament, we (PHI Alpha and PHI Omega) visited Walter Bracken STEAM Academy in Las Vegas.  We invited all other FTC teams from the Las Vegas tournament, and two (PHOENXTRIX from Folsom, CA, and FIX IT from BC, Canada) came to help.  We demonstrated our robots and talked about FTC with third- through fifth-graders.  The FLL team also got to demonstrate their robot for us, which made them feel really special.  We hope to come back next year!

Here are some pictures from our Las Vegas outreach.



PHI members show off their robot's arm.


We set up software to drive the robot.


PHI members respond to kids' questions about robot design.


A team member illustrates how the robot arm works.


Kids get excited as a robot scores rings!

Hello, I Am Only 6 Hours Old

At our tournament, we helped out the Downtown Magnet High School team by building and programming a robot so they could compete.  Enjoy these pictures of our exciting emergency bot build.






















PHI volunteers help build the Downtown Magnet team a robot.






















The just-finished robot continues to software inspection. 
















































A PHI member helps set up for field inspection.

















































The Suitbots lift the little robot 17 inches for a regional high score!



Downtown Magnets competing in a match, coached by a PHI member.






















The robot's sign displayed its age throughout the day: "I Am 6 Hours Old."

Tournament photos

Finally, we have the photos from the January qualifying tournament we hosted!  Here are some of the ones from the competition area, with more to come later.


Volunteers, referees, and judges have a great time at the tournament.


Volunteers prepare to reset the field as the referees tally the score.


Team members get dancing at the tournament.


A Bot Squad team member receives his medal.


Head judge Joe Pahle thanks tournament organizer Kathy Stinson.

Our Tournament

This is the first year the Los Angeles region has needed FTC qualifying tournaments, and PHI was honored to be asked to host one.  Last weekend, January 12, we did.  Thanks to all the volunteers who made it happen!

We had twenty teams attend, with nineteen competing.  Although we had a lot of amazing teams there, I think the most inspiring part of my day was seeing Team 6685 from Downtown Magnet High School compete.  A few days before the tournament, the team wanted to drop out, since they didn't have a robot yet, but we encouraged them to come and let us help them.

On tournament day, a lone student and mentor showed up with their kit of LEGO parts-- they hadn't unpacked the Tetrix yet.  Using one of our mentors' partially built robot and some parts borrowed from Bot Squad, we built a robot that managed to pass inspection.  We were thrilled when the 6-hour-old robot contributed to the LA region's record high-scoring match (236 points) by allowing Inspire award winner Suitbots to lift them 17 inches off the ground.  Team 6685 also won a special judged award, the Spirit of FIRST Award, and qualified for regionals.

I'd have to say that our tournament was a lot of fun, and hopefully all the teams that came would agree.  Let's make next time even better!