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The US FIRST 2005 BAE Granite State Regional competition was held March 3 - 5th.   Maine teams, including Team 58, faired well.

For Team 58, Thursday started out with problems.  As normal, some things needed changing/fixing after our practice sessions prior to shipping.  In the rush to get the fixes done before our first practice round, a cable was placed wrong.  As the lift was raised to check out the system the cable damaged the control system.  We were able to participate in the first practice round but other troubles occurred so the practice round was a wipe out.  Between rounds the brains of the robot were replaced.  Minor adjustments kept everyone busy during the day.  The remaining practice sessions went reasonably well.

As a reminder the game this year had 3 team alliances competing against each other.  During the qualifying round the alliance partners are randomly assigned.  In the elimination rounds the top 8 teams select their alliance partners.

Our rookie drive team was nervous for the first two rounds.  Play was acceptable but we ended up losing the rounds.  The 3rd round was played very well and demonstrated good robot and good drive team capabilities.  Our opponents just played a little better.   In the 4th round we were against an alliance containing Bonny Eagle, Team 133.  Some last second scoring by Team 58 almost won the round but in the end Bonny Eagle's alliance prevailed.  We won our last two rounds on Friday.  At the end of Friday we had 2 wins and 4 losses.  However, the day was not over with the end of Friday's competitions.  Some of the non-competition awards are given on Friday.

Thanks to Emma Dalton, the student involved, and Bob Libby, the adult mentor, Team 58 won the Web Site Design award. Judges were impressed with the information from past and present years and the humor on the site.

 Maine teams continued winning as Team 133, Bonny Eagle, won the AutoDesk Visualization Award for their animation.  

Team 58 expected better things from Saturday's rounds.  We were allied with some of the better teams.  However, luck was not to be with us. Though our partners were good, they were struck with misfortune.  In the 2nd round, one partner got stuck on a goal for the 1st time in the competition.  In the 3rd round, Buzz, Team 175, got tipped over early in the match.  Although we lost the 3 rounds on Saturday our robot and drive team continued to show their ability to score points. Despite being ranked 45th, other teams were interested in selecting us as their alliance partners.

Team 1276 from Rockland Maine was ranked 8th, a very good showing since this is only their 2nd year.  None of the other Maine teams were ranked in the top 8.  As each of the top 8 teams selected their two alliance partners, we anxiously waited to see if Team 58 would be chosen. Bonny Eagle was selected by Team 1153.  Finally Buzz, Team 175, selected us as their 2nd partner along with Team 138.  Team 58 had made it into the elimination rounds! Our alliance consisted of Team 175, Buzz Robotics from  Enrico Fermi High School of Enfield CT, sponsored by UTC Hamilton Sundstrand and Team 138, Entropy from  Souhegan High School of Amherst, NH, sponsored by Monarch Instruments, Day Systems and BAE Systems., and of course,  Team 58, the Riot Crew, from South Portland High School, sponsored by FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR.

Elimination rounds requires two wins by an alliance to advance.

In the quarter finals, 1276's alliance and the alliance with Bonny Eagle were paired.  At least one Maine team was heading to the semi-finals.  Despite valiant effort by 1276 and its partners, the alliance with Bonny Eagle prevailed and reached the semi-finals.

Buzz, the Riot Crew, and Entropy had two hard fought quarter final rounds winning each to move to the semi finals!  

Two Maine teams had made it to the semi finals.  Unfortunately only one Maine team would make it to the finals as our alliance was to battle against Bonny Eagles' in the semi finals.  

The two alliances clashed.  Bonny Eagle had a very good autonomous mode giving their alliance an early advantage in each round.  However, our alliance played well and defeated Bonny Eagle's alliance.  From being ranked 45th, Team 58 had made it to the finals!!!!

The other alliance to make the finals was headed by Team 121, The Rhode Warriors, with Team 126, Gael Force and Team 350 BAE-Timberlane Robotics.  Ironically, Team 121 was our neighbors in the pits.

We fought hard but the other alliance prevailed in the first round of the finals.  Even worse, there was chain on the floor!  Our team leader, Buzz, sufferable irreparable damage and had to be replaced.  This was almost a repeat of 2 years ago where we had selected Buzz as our partner and during the next to last round that year we broke down with chain on the floor.  

Team 826 was selected as the replacement for Buzz.  In the 2nd and possibly last round of the finals we were operating with a new partner.  As we started the round, Team 138 did not move!   We are into the final round with an untried partner and a team not moving!  Team 58 and 862 fought hard but were unable to overcome the Rhode Warriors alliance.  Buzz, Entropy and the Riot Crew ended up in 2nd.  For Team 58 with a rookie drive team, a 2nd place finish was beyond our expectations.

Although Bonny Eagle did not make the finals they did participate in Saturday's awards.  Bonny Eagle was awarded the General Motors Industrial Design which celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively achieves the game challenge.
 
Overall the Maine teams performed very well at the BAE Granite state regional.

In summary for Maine Teams:

Team 58 - Web Site Design Award, selected to join an alliance for the elimination rounds, our alliance was one of the two finalists and came in 2nd

Team 133 - AutoDesk Visualization award, General Motors Industrial Design Award, selected to join an alliance for the elimination rounds, made it to the semi-finals

Team 172 - had a good robot and team that performed well throughout the competition

Team 1276 (in their 2nd year) - ranked 8th out of 51 teams, was one of the teams selecting alliance partners for the elimination rounds, lost in the quarter finals.

Steve Martin

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