Buzz Robo t i c s : F IRST Team 1 7 5

Inside this Issue:

Making Buzz 2015 2

Shake It Off at

Shakedown

3

Student thoughts 4

A Few 20 Year

Mentors

5

Senior Profile 6

Senior Profile 7

Up coming

Fundraisers

8

Issue 4 of 6: End of Build Season

The Buzz

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 1

Buzz 2015 Is Here!

Published by: Kurtis Kalagher

Buzz

2015 is

ready to

rumble

in the

Recycle

Rush

Game.

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4 February 23, 2015

PAGE 2

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 Making Buzz 2015 Junior Will Haertel adjusts the ro-

bot’s lateral drive module. The lat-eral module uses a single wheel

mounted at a 90 degree angle to the primary omni-wheel drive

train. This allows the robot to move from side to side without al-

tering its orientation, which will

help drivers to align with totes and barrels.

Robert Vose (freshman) teaches

big brother Thomas Vose (junior)

some key aspects of the lathe.

They were making axles for the Omni wheels that can allow the ro-bot to move laterally.

Cara Lizotte solders motor

turmoil's and solenoids.

Above: Lauren Deni is using

PTC Creon to help create

Buzz’s lateral drive system in

a 3D model on a computer.

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4 February 23, 2015

PAGE 3

Shake It Off at Shakedown Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5

Overlooking the official Recycle Rush field.

Buzz students went

to Suffield Shake-

down so we could

view how the game

is played.

This shows how

the totes and

barrels would

be stacked in

the beginning

competitions.

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 Student Thoughts

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 4

Build Season: Lauren Halsey

Most people think that

once you join another year

on a robotics team, the learn-

ing of new things stops. The

truth is, you never stop

learning new things. I

learned that the right way to

use the Hurco and the

Bridgeport, along with new

techniques on the lathe and

drill press. Whoever had said

that learning stopped when

you hit adulthood was

wrong. The students, as well

as the mentors are still learn-

ing now.

Buzz Build Season By Ali Kafel

During the course of build season, I have learned

a lot from Buzz Robotics. Now I know the basics

of coding in java, how to wire an electronics

board for a robot, improved my skills in CAD, and

learned how to use all the shop equipment. I can

put all the things that I have learned to the test in

the real world. I also had fun and made many

friends during the process of learning and that's

always a great way to learn.

The Lathe: Katrina Stolar

I was using one of my favorite ma-chines, the lathe, to modify about 100 screws. I had to cut off part of the top on every screw. This way they could fit in the 80/20 bar that we use on the robot. It was

Suffield Scrimmage: Liz Donovan

We walked into the scrimmage having very lit-

tle to no idea on what to expect. We were not competing so it gave us time to look

at what the game was really going to be like. We watched other robots do the ob-

jective in ways we did not think of before. We saw some teams that had the same

ideas as us and some that were completely different. It is always interesting to see

what other designs there could be for the objective every year. Shakedown is a

way to see if your robot actually worked.

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 A Few 20 Year Mentors

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 5

Mentors who have been involved with

Buzz Robotics for 20 years Hodge

Jim

Earl

Hodge joined Buzz robotics when it was first

formed. At the time, he was the shop teacher at

Enrico Fermi High School. He said that his inter-

est in the robotics program was because it melded

students from science classes with those of the

TechEd classes. During the years he’s been with

Buzz, Hodge has taught kids how to use the ma-

chinery. This is due to his immense knowledge

with all the machines in the shop.

Jim came to Buzz Robotics through Bob’s

brother, Ernie. Jim said he was doing similar pro-

jects that the Buzz Robotics team does. He decided

to have Ernie introduce him to Bob so he could of-

fer his help. He said that Buzz felt like it fit well

with him because Buzz had student’s get hands on

experience with engineering. Also, how it helped

form a strong sense of self confidence and was a

fun program for students. Out of love for the pro-

gram, Jim is still here with Buzz.

Earl was one of the people that Bob invited

to the robotics team from Hamilton. When Earl

was introduced to the program, he saw the poten-

tial it had for students to blossom into great engi-

neers. From there he was hooked on the program.

He was so intrigued that students had a chance to

be engineers that he stayed with the program. He

also loved how the program gave the students a

sense of responsibility.

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 Senior Profile

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 6

Liz Donovan

High School: Enrico Fermi High

Number of years on Team 3

Why I Joined: I was invited to the Hartford Re-

gional to go see what a robotics competition was like.

I walked into the arena and immediately was

hooked. I was blown away by all the different robots.

I knew from that moment on I wanted to be part of

the experience and the next year I applied to be on

the team.

Favorite part of Buzz/FIRST:

My favorite part of Buzz is the relationship, the bond that develops between the stu-

dents and the mentors. The mentors take a lot of time to teach and guide us to build

machines that can do remarkable things. The guidance that the mentors provide has

inspired me to seek further education in engineering.

Most memorable moment in your time on Buzz:

My most memorable moment is when I first walked into the Granite State Regional in

New Hampshire my first year on the team. I walked into the arena and was blown

away by the noise and enthusiasm of the students, mentors, and other spectators.

Most of all, a wave of success and satisfaction crashed over me. To see the robot com-

peting after all the hard work we put into it was amazing.

Future Plans:

I plan on attending school for Materials Engineering.

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 7

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 Senior Profile

Zach Boyer

High School: Enrico Fermi High Number of years on Team: 4 Why I joined: I joined Buzz after going to the Hartford Regional in 2011. I saw how much fun the team was having and felt the energy present in the arena while watching Buzz make it to the finals. I knew at that point that I wanted to join.

Favorite part of Buzz/FIRST: My favorite part of Buzz is working with the mentors. Without them, our team wouldn't be as successful as we have been and I wouldn’t know half as much as I do about engineering.

Most memorable moment in your time on Buzz: There are so many to choose from but the most memorable would have to be coming in 2nd at Championships in 2014. This was the first time in my tenure that we had ever made it that far. Future Plans: I plan to study Biomedical Engineering in college, hopeful-

ly at WPI, and work in a research and development company making med-

ical advancements to help the public.

Update: Congratulations,

Zach has been accepted

into WPI.

The Weekly Buzz

Issue 4; February 23, 2015

PAGE 8

Buz z R obo t i c s :

F IR ST T e am 17 5 Upcoming Fundraisers

EASTER FLOWERS

Daffodils or Tulips, Assorted Colors

6” potted plant

ONLY $8

Per pot!

Ask your favorite Buzz Student for flowers!

Orders & payment due by: Thursday February 26th.

Assisted by

Hamden Greenhouse

Middletown, CT

Make Checks Payable to BUZZ Robotics