Winter 2019 Volume 26 MONKEY BUSINESS News of the Funky Monkeys, Lynbrook High School Robotics, FIRST® Team 846

Editor­in­Chief Table of Contents Shriyanshu Kode 1 In a Studio Far Far Away; Successful Season of Workshops; Blasting Off at Offseason Competitions; Unboxing Monkey Box 2 Exploring the Pits 3 Monkeys on the Move Successful Season In a Studio Far Far of Workshops Away... New Members Learning the Ropes Anna S. (sr.) and Kunal S. (sr.) explore Lucasfilm Catherine Zheng (jr.) Anna Shaposhnik (sr.) tepping into the doors of Industrial SLight and Magic (ILM) we were sur- rounded by characters we know and love: R2-D2, Darth Vader, BB-8. Seeing them on screen, sometimes we forget that behind each, are teams that mastermind every de- tail. On September 23rd, we traveled to San Francisco to meet one such team, the team Kunal S. (sr.) and Anna S. (sr.) behind the animation of Rogue One’s K- posing with R2­D2. 2SO droid. work on big hits like Star Wars, Jurassic The animation workshop led by Anna S. Industrial Light and Magic, a division of Park, and Back to the Future. While many (sr.) completing an activity. film production company Lucasfilm, is a people pass through their doors for tours, very year, dozens of new members visual effects company legendary for its we were invited by FIRST to film a video Ejoin our team, eager to learn the skills see Lucasfilm Visit, page 4 necessary to build a competitive robot. At Lynbrook, we hold workshops to teach and prepare rookie members for Build Season. Blasting Off at Offseason Competitions Our workshops are fully lead by students, Cheesing Around at Going Bananas at CalGames who were, just a few years ago, like the Chezy Champs Anitez Gautam (soph.) freshmen: enthusiastic to learn. We hold Joonha Hwang (jr.) workshops for all aspects of our team, from alGames is an off-season competition see Workshops, page 4 ellarmine College Preparatory. It is Chosted by the Western Region Robotics Bhome to, arguably, the world’s best Forum (WRRF) that our team takes part in team: Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs. Since every year. The competition includes nu- Unboxing 2014, it has also been home to what may be the most competitive offseason event: Monkey Box Chezy Champs. Team 846, The Funky The revival of our video series Monkeys, have attended this invitational Joseph Liu (jr.) offseason competition since its beginning; this past September, the team was back at hree years ago, a member named James Bellarmine, facing off against some of the TJiao began an initiative for our team to world’s best teams. create educational videos to post online for But even before the competition started, other teams to learn from. He called this the odds were stacked against the team. series “Monkey Box,” and he created 2 epis- Caleb Sykes, a renowned FRC analyst, odes about ball centering and our team’s noted in his Chezy Champs match schedule Girl’s Subsystem Challenge. While the pro- analysis that “846 has a pretty awful ject has stayed dormant for a while, we re- schedule.” We would have to compete cently revived the series with a new episode against some of the world’s best teams, SpaceRex on the level 3 platform about Spring Counterbalancing. including 254, 1678, 1619, and 971 (twice!), in a match at CalGames. see Monkey Box, page 2 see Chezy Champs, page 3 see CalGames, page 3 © FIRST Team 846 The Funky Monkeys Vol. 26 LynbrookRobotics.com | Page 1 subsystem, just like us. Monkey Box, Continued... Exploring the Pits Interviewing around at the Silicon When one of the team’s former mem- Behind the Workings of FRC Teams Valley Regional also introduced me to a bers told me about Monkey Box, I thought new type of FRC teams: community it was awesome right out of the gate. I Tishya Chhabra (soph.) teams. Most teams are school-affiliated, loved the silly but informative presenting like us. However, there are some teams style and I was intrigued by the professional obot! Robot coming through! Ah, the that are community teams, where the feel of the videos. I wanted to get involved Rpits. It’s a cramped area, each with a members are from multiple schools in the with the project, but I didn’t know who to team and their entire shop condensed into a area. Team Deep Blue Vision explained ask or where to start. But when someone on few racks. Members are constantly moving, that they were operating out of two the team came to me and wanted to kick- some rushed to make last-minute fixes, start Monkey Box, I immediately hopped on while others are more relaxed, discussing board with the project. After choosing the and conversing with other teams. I had the topic that we wanted to present, getting opportunity to go to the Silicon Valley equipment ready, and writing the script, we Regional at San Jose State University; being finally got to the part that originally drew a rookie, it was my first ever competition, so me into the project, which was the filming. I decided to visit the pits and learn more Although it took long hours and many takes about all the teams in FRC. to get the footage, in the end the episode It was quite a task, going around, finding looked great, and I was really happy with teams that weren’t too preoccupied, hastily the results. stepping aside as another robot makes its way into the pits after a match on the field, going up to teams with a smile, and asking “I’ll definitely be looking questions. I wanted to gain a broader sense Tishya Chhabra (soph.) interviews team of the big picture, of how other teams work 6665, Nuns and Bolts, at the Silicon forward to making new episodes as well. So, when we weren’t on the field, I Valley Regional. was on a field of my own, learning and garages, both of which were a bit of a of Monkey Box!” absorbing as much as I could. drive from their schools. Additionally, A key difference I found between our resources and sponsors were hard to find, Helping to create this new episode of team and a number of others was the their only source of funding being the Monkey Box was a super awesome experi- variety of ways different teams train members’ parents. However, all the ence. Not only did I have a blast with the rookies. For one, there are many teams, like members they have are quite dedicated; other people on the team when we were The Cheesy Poofs, Deep Blue Robotics, and one of the main reasons they pulled filming and prepping, I also got experience Barn2Robotics, who require all their through was because of the passion that in being one of the leads for a major team members to have basic training in the team has. project. I even learned a little bit about machining. Team 1868, The Space Cookies, At the regional, there were a couple of spring counterbalancing. Going into the fu- even requires all their girls to do some form teams that had some very unique aspects. ture, we’re planning to create even more of business, whether it be working on an For one, team 6421, CowTech Robotics, is Monkey Box videos including ones on how animation video or writing to sponsors. a team that builds their robot almost we counterbalance the lifts on our robots There were also some teams, like Cardinal entirely out of wood. They have a laser and how we calculate our acceleration Robotics, who had their rookies go through curves using an oscilloscope. If you’re inter- a mock build season in the offseason with ested, all of our Monkey Box videos are on the previous year’s game so they could have “It made me realize how, not the Lynbrook Robotics YouTube channel! an idea of how build season will go. The Iron Panthers even require all of their only me, an individual, but the incoming freshmen to join their FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) first before coming entire team is part of to their FRC team. A majority of teams, like something so much bigger.” teams 649 and 6043, have fall workshops, with separate workshops for each cutter and oven specifically for their wood- working purposes. One of the leads said that CowTech Robotics started with the whole wood concept to spread more awareness about biodegradable robots. Team 4171, the BayBots, started off as well-sized team, but by the middle of build season, they only had two people building the entire robot! It was difficult for them, Joonha H. (jr.), Sam P. (jr.), and Joseph but with the help of mentors, they were L. (jr.) after filimg a Monkey Box episode able to pull through and attend the Silicon about counterbalancing. Valley Regional with a functioning robot. Overall, helping to lead the revival of the Going through the pits, meeting so monkey box video series wasn’t just fun, it A member from team 4171, the many teams and conversing with them also helped me get more experience leading Baybots, and Tishya Chhabra (soph.) projects. I’ll definitely be looking forward to after a pit interview. see FRC Teams, page 4 making new episodes of Monkey Box! © FIRST Team 846 The Funky Monkeys Vol. 26 LynbrookRobotics.com | Page 2 Chezy Champs, Continued... and the reigning world-champion, team 973, more daunting than the tough qualification the Greybots. Caleb Sykes predicted that the matches. We were up against two of the Funky Monkeys would finish 29th among world’s best teams: Team 1678, Citrus the 40 teams attending due to our tough Circuits, and Team 1619, Up-a-Creek schedule. Robotics. In a stroke of brilliance, our Undeterred, the team headed into the alliance devised a plan to victory: switching qualification matches on Saturday. Our drive fields to alternate the hatch and cargo team, comprised of a seasoned driver and placements in order to avoid the defense. It four new members, tried its best to compete worked, and in a “certified banger” match with the full capabilities of the robot. As where our alliance squeezed out a win with a demonstrated by the robot tracking data score of 88 to 87, The Funky Monkeys that was available, Space Rex was one of moved onto the semifinals. the most heavily defended robots on the The opportunity to compete with and field, being defended more than 35% of the against some of the best teams in the world time. The team battled through the tough was a great experience for the whole team. competition and by the end of the Members could visit the pits of some of the qualification matches, the Funky Monkeys Our 2019 robot, SpaceRex, driving most innovative teams in the world and were ranked 31st out of 40 teams. back to the loading station. learn about exciting mechanisms. In Throughout the qualification matches, matches. After careful deliberation and addition, the high level of competition the scouting team worked tirelessly to much cooperation with other teams, we pushed our team to think about new gather accurate data in order to gauge each formed an alliance with three other strategies with our alliance partners in order team’s strengths and weaknesses. The entire phenomenal teams: Team 4414, High Tide; to combat all the high-powered teams. Even team scouted for hours at a time to gather Team 5818, Rivera Robotics; and Team though our journey stopped at the semi- accurate data, which helped greatly during 5199, Robot Dolphins from Outer Space. finals we learned invaluable lessons alliance selection after the qualification The quarterfinal matches seemed even throughout the event.

CalGames, Continued... 199, Deep Blue; and Team 2643, Dark Off the field, we collected two awards! merous local teams and it is a great oppor- Matter. Anna Shaposhnik, our co-President, re- tunity to explore the local FRC community. Our alliance worked seamlessly in the ceived the “Volunteer of the Year Award” As we arrived at the venue to set up our pits quarterfinals and advanced to semifinals. for her work in graphics and media for WR- and get ready for our competition, I was ex- Heading into the semifinals the other two RF. For the past couple of years Anna has cited to be there and to see how our team robots on our alliance were facing technic- worked to make amazing graphics to pro- would perform. al difficulties, but as an alliance we banded mote the competition. She has also been a On the first day of the qualification together and we got all our robots working videographer at CalGames producing stun- rounds, our team won every single match just in time for the semifinals. The mech- ning recap and hype videos. This is the first we had and were placed as the 1st seeded anical difficulties our alliance faced earlier time the award has recognized a high school alliance. Even though we had success on the finally caught up to us and our journey student in the event’s 17-year history. The ended in the semifinals. Our team came Funky Monkeys were proud to receive the out of the competition knowing that we System Design Award, one of the top tech- did all that we could and learned signific- nical awards, for our “exceptional robot sys- ant lessons we would take into the upcom- tem design.” ing 2020 season. Monkeys on the small storage unit was crammed into the already packed machining room. Physical the Move obstacles and overall less space introduce an Downsizing our Storage Space unnecessary safety hazard. This move has been difficult but thanks to the efforts of Isha V. (jr.) and Sam P. (jr.) working our team the transition was seamless. on the robot before a match. Swasti Jain (soph.) first day we knew the matches would get This past summer was spent hauling tougher the second day. To stay at the top heavy shelves of metal beams, as we were our team needed to score 3 ranking points forced to move out of our storage room, consistently in the rest of our matches, a room 607. In order to plan ahead, I cre- tough task considering our schedule. Our ated a model using CAD so that I could team started the day by winning our first figure out the optimal way to arrange the match but ultimately, we lost our second room. I was personally shocked by the match of the day. By the end of the second difference in size of the alternative space, day of the qualification matches our team roughly three-fourths of the original stor- had dropped to 4th place. age room space. Due to the limited space, After the qualification matches it was we had to dismantle robots from past time for alliance selections. Throughout the years, which are fundamental when teach- competition we talked with and scouted ing new members about how a robot several teams and ultimately, we formed an works, and inspiring designs during build A CAD Model we made of our new shipping container to fit the most into alliance with two other great teams: Team season. Everything that couldn’t fit into the 8x20 ft. space. © FIRST Team 846 The Funky Monkeys Vol. 26 LynbrookRobotics.com | Page 3 Lucasfilms, Continued... lined with cameras. He explained that K- the camera data together, it’s not easy, but 2SO is only partially visual effects. In fact, from their enthusiasm, it sure looked fun! In it’s played by an actor wearing a motion the interview about our impressions and capture suit like I wore. When the actor how it ties back into our team, I pointed out moved, a digital puppet of the character the joy it brought me knowing that jobs that would be overlaid in real time to the move- combine art and technology are thriving. ments of the actor. A large screen called a What we do on our team, from the soft- “magic mirror” is used to try-on the char- ware, CAD modeling, to the 3D animations acter. As soon as I stepped in front of it, I we create are all vastly applicable skills. As a could see myself as K-2SO. When I raised final treat at the end, when we filmed our my arms, he raised his. When I danced, he “entrance,” R2-D2 rolled out! Beep-boop. danced. I was ecstatic and instantly tried to I’m so grateful for this experience. From “break” the model. It wasn’t that hard. His arms, longer than normal human arms, could pass through the body. Byrd ex- “I pointed out the joy it brought Kunal and Anna talking to ILM's Animation plained that the actors had to practice fa- me knowing that jobs that Supervisor Hal Hickel. miliarizing themselves with this difference for their Galactic Builders YouTube series. of scale. combine art and technology are Each video would feature one or two Meanwhile, Kunal got to check out the FIRST teams and one Star Wars related virtual camera. A screen equipped with a thriving.” project: Hasbro’s droid toys, Disney Ima- few reflective-ball-covered appendages. To gineering’s animatronics, and now ILM’s K- test this out I was tasked to play out a few the patient director who’s catch phrase for 2SO motion capture technology. scenes. First walking with fear, then with “action” is “in your own time,” to the quirky Motion capture? That’s right! To explore confidence, and then with confusion. Fol- actor who convincingly portrayed a dino- the concept, I donned a fuzzy suit and stuck lowing me with his virtual camera, Kunal saur’s movements, everyone we met that day on some colorful Velcro tabs with small re- could see how the scene looked on the was memorable. Being able to embody K- flective balls, slipping my hair through the screen in real-time. It was fun! 2SO is a testament to how technology, art, “pony tail hole” (good design!) in the hat. We also got to meet Rachel Rose (Co- and storytelling feed-off one another. As Naturally, I picked the red colored tabs, Supervisor for R&D) and Hal Hickel (An- someone aiming for a design/technology which turned out to be the exact ones used imation Supervisor). Both revealed to us related degree, what I saw makes me excited by an actor to practice playing Darth Vader! the amount of math that goes into bring- to bring together these two fields myself. Motion Capture Technician Brendan Byrd ing K-2SO to life. From the dynamic joint led me and Kunal into a black-walled room connections, to the software that puts all

Workshops, Continued... class. Before workshops begin, they have in the previous workshop and encourages machining to media. Whether you are more to plan the course of their workshop, and them to branch off and explore. Despite the hands-on or more theoretical, there is for some workshops, such as Design and limited time we have, many of the students definitely a workshop for you. Software, leads have to send out detailed are prepared going into build season, and Workshops are about 7 weeks long and instructions on how to set up specific they come out ready to teach the next span from early October to late November, software for their workshop. The first generation of new members. and are held after school on weekdays with This year, I was the lead for the design different workshops each day. We have so workshops. Even though I helped with the many workshops that we have to overlap “Like the students, I learned a same workshop last year, leading it was a them on some days! lot, and in the end, I came out whole different story. I was scared of being Just because the workshops are student underqualified, but many people helped me lead does not mean they are less in content a better designer and teacher.” along the way. Like the students, I learned a or quality. Workshop leads spend numerous lot, and in the end, I came out a better hours outside school preparing for their workshop is usually planned to help designer and teacher. I cannot wait to use everyone get started and on equal grounds. my newfound skills this coming Build For other workshops, such as Electrical Season. and Animation, the students are introduced to the tools and skills they will FRC Teams, Continued... need through presentations and group made me gain a whole new level of respect work. for FRC in general. It made me realize Once workshops start, preparations how, not only me, an individual, but the would range from class materials, such as entire team is part of something so much demos or crimped wires, to homework bigger. Every single person I talked to instructions, which could be as easy as welcomed my questions with big smiles thinking of ideas for the next Animation and were excited to share about their team. Video or completing tutorials about I even took pictures with them! The whole Kotlin. Because of the limited time we experience made me realize what an have to prepare the freshmen, curiosity intelligent and respectable community I and motivation for learning become was finding my place in. Every single team essential if they wish to thrive on the team. was self-driven and passionate, not only in Joonha H. (jr.) teaching rookie members While not mandatory, homework allows building a robot, but in building and how to use a minimill. students to practice the skills they learned maintaining a successful team. © FIRST Team 846 The Funky Monkeys Vol. 26 LynbrookRobotics.com | Page 4