The following report was submitted by Chris Nalbone, mentor of the Allentown High School robotics team, FRC 1807:
Allentown’s robotics team, FRC 1807, had a strong finish to its initial 2013 district event recently at Hatboro-Horsham in Pennsylvania. Against 36 other teams from New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware, we finished in an impressive 10th place, ranking higher than many more established and resourced teams.
We achieved this with what’s come to be typical Redbird Robotics spirit and teamwork. When asked by our alliance partners to scoop up discs cluttering the field (in true “Consuela style”), we did it. When asked to drive the length of the field to obtain discs from our ‘human feeder’, we did it. And when asked to defend against one of the top scorers in the competition, we SHUT THEM DOWN.
Even when matches had short turnaround time, and our robot was damaged between matches, we found the parts we need and made the necessary repairs, and had our machine back on the field without missing a beat.
Another noteworthy accomplishment is that our safety captain, senior Danny J, was recognized by the event’s safety advisors for his proactive and positive display and encouragement of safe practices. If you’ve ever witnessed what goes on in the pit area at a FIRST Robotics event, you’ll realize that keeping things under control is no easy feat, but one that starts by establishing and maintaining a culture that fosters these safety-first behaviors.
Although we may have been initially discouraged by not being selected for the elimination rounds, we held a team meeting, and what was voiced largely by students was that this year has provided the opportunity to bond as a team because of welcome contributions from both returning and new members, it’s been a lot of fun, and that we are planning improvements to our robot which we hope we’ll introduce at our next event.
FIRST is more than just about robots, it’s like running a business. And like a business, sometimes your marketing campaign can be just as important as your product. We’ll take these lessons learned into our next challenge.
So, mark your calendars for March 15 and 16 at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, as Redbird Robotics is geared up to rise again!

