March 4 update: As part of the winning alliance at the Utah Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, Judgement Call Robotics has qualified for the FIRST international championships from April 17-20 in Houston, Texas.
Feb 27 – The team will participate in the Utah Regional FIRST Robotics Competition this Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2. They’ll be up against over 45 robots competing in a 3 vs 3 format.
Every January, FIRST Robotics releases a handbook detailing a game with specific rules that challenges thousands of teams across the world to use their skills and resources to create a robot that can compete.
In the following six weeks, dubbed “build season,” teams brainstorm, prototype, test, and perfect a robot that can swing, turn, climb, shoot, or whatever task the game requires. Then, in the spring, teams participate in competitions throughout the United States in hopes of winning their region and qualifying for Worlds.
This year’s game consists of picking up rings, and then shooting them into high slots or lower boxes. Teams are sorted up into alliances of three, which switch up every game until the playoffs. Each game starts with a fifteen second autonomous, where code drives the robot, and the human players are not allowed to touch the controls. During this time, robots drive, shoot, and climb to score points. Following this, there is a two minute and fifteen second period where human players drive the robots to pick up and shoot rings. The last twenty seconds are dedicated to directing the robots to climb up and balance on a chain with their teammates.
Right now, JudgementCall Robotics is three weeks into build season and in full swing as they prepare for the 2024 FRC competitions. So far they have their drivetrain working, although one of the motors keeps browning out. The intake system, how the robot picks up the ring, is designed but the team is still working on prototyping it. This year, JudgementCall went with an unconventional intake system and is excited to see how it plays out in competition.
Despite a few minor challenges with the swerve drive, the captains believe the team is on a good course.
“We’re going to go to Worlds,” team captain Henry Krauss said.
