Byting Bulldogs' Eighth Year

In 2018, we experienced another year of growth and learning that saw us achieve great results. The purchase of a CNC machine allowed students to make custom parts in-house using current technology, expanding their real-world skill set.

During the offeason, our team took top honors at the first annual ROBO-CON FRC competition, where we were undefeated in all our matches. Additionally, our girls won the Grand Rapids Girls’ Robotics Competition for the third year in a row and were finalists at the Bloomfield Girls’ Robotics Competition.

The Robot, “Lamar”

Our 2018 competition bot was able to place cubes onto both the low and high scales, climb in the endgame, and even score two cubes in autonomous mode. Through input from the human operator, Lamar was able to use its tank drive to maneuver around the field while gathering cubes with an actuating wheeled intake and place them in their desired locations with a two-stage elevator lift.

Awards:

• Waterford District Competition:

  • District Quarterfinalist

• Troy District Competition:

  • Rank 5

  • District Semifinalist

  • Entrepreneurship Award sponsored by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers

• Michigan State Championship:

  • Rank 9 in Ford Division

  • Alliance 7 Captain

  • Semifinalist in Ford Division

• World Championship, Detroit:

  • Semifinalist in Daly Division

The Game

In FIRST Power Up, teams were required to place milk crates, or "power cubes", on large balancing scales at two levels. Points were earned when a scale was tipped in an alliance’s favor. Alliances could also trade power cubes for “power ups” that would give them a temporary advantage in a match. At the end of the match, robots could earn additional points for their alliance by pulling themselves up on a rung attached to the center balancing scale.

2018 FIRST POWER UP Robot Reveal