FRC Overview

What is FRC?

FIRST combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of

science and technology. We call FIRST Robotics

Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school

student participants call it "the hardest fun you'll ever

have."

Under strict rules, limited time, and resources, teams of

students are challenged to raise funds, design a team

"brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program

industrial-size robots to play a challenging field game

against like-minded competitors. It's as close to real-world

engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional

mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship.

Information For Students?

Joining the Lindblom Electric Eagles can be a life-

changing experience. Through the program, students

develop advanced technical skills, develop an

understanding of design, manufacturing, and processes.

Students learn to work collaboratively on large-scale

projects while engaging in friendships that will last a

lifetime. The team structure is listed on the Team Training

& Resources page.

What Do Students Learn?

Relationship Building:

Being a part of a team, learning how to build

relationships, and networking is necessary. If you join

Lindblom's Robotics Team you will create new

relationships with students in different grade levels,

teachers, professional engineers, and all kinds of

intelligent, resourceful, and wise individuals that can help

you accomplish your life goals.

Independent Learning:

The tasks required to build an effective robot and operate

advanced prototyping technology, as well as the skills

required to learn CAD and Program are mission-critical.

They help you develop independent learning skills,

empowering you to be your teacher. You might be asked

to create a piece needed for a specific mechanism or write

code to control that mechanism. These activities will push

you to develop your skills to solve the problem.

Manufacturing and Assembly:

As we work in the innovation lab, students learn to control

machines from the Dremel saw to the band saw, or some

of the heavier machinery like the Tarmac CNC Mill and

Lathe. Building with your hands and using advanced

manufacturing technology allows you to create the

designs you imagine, and shape the world around you.

College, Scholarship, and Career Opportunities:

The LMSA Electric Eagles are composed of hardworking,

intelligent students who exude qualities that will make

them successful in any field. Being a part of this group

can help you meet people from your dream college,

introduce you to an opportunity that can jump-start your

career, travel the country to meet new people, experience

new places, and build a better understanding of the world

around you. These experiences will help you when you apply to college

and for scholarships. Furthermore, there are more than 80

Million dollars in scholarships dedicated to FIRST alumni.

Personal Fulfillment and Meaningful Experiences:

Outside of gaining experience and building technical

skills needed for future STEM endeavors/career paths,

students find that being part of a team and overcoming

challenges beyond the individual is truly fulfilling. The

ability to change the world around you and the skills to

have true agency over your life allows you to go where you

want and achieve your goals and dreams.

Season Overview

Pre-Season and Colloquium:

The robotics team begins its Preseason in September and

runs through late December.

Build/Competition Season:

During a regular school year, the robotics team has six

weeks to build a robot. During those six weeks, the

students will be expected to construct a chassis in

approximately two weeks. Once the chassis has been

constructed, the remaining weeks will have students

focused on designing and building the robot's

mechanisms about the challenge. Programmers would

then program the functionality of the robot's drive system

and mechanisms. Once the building process is complete,

students for the next couple of weeks will use the robot to

compete in regional competitions. If the students win at

least one of the regional competitions, they will then

participate in the Worlds competition hosted in April.

Post Season:

During Post Season, robotics students will travel to

different institutions and places to present our robot.

Students will also indulge in a lot of pizza to celebrate the

success of their season.

Summer Internships and Workshops:

During the Summer, the robotics team offers a paid

internship for rising Sophomores - rising Seniors. This

internship is meant for students to learn and polish their

skills in the programming, mechanical, business, or CAD

fields. This internship runs throughout June and parts of

July. The robotics team also hosts a CRA workshop. This

workshop has robotics teams from all over the city

visiting, Lindblom, to learn from our mentors.

Team Compartmentalization

Programming:

Beginning programming students would focus most of

their preseason time learning the programming language

Java on a program called Processing.

Intermediate programming students would begin to learn

and experiment with computer vision and robot

localization.

Experienced programmers during this time would have

autonomous challenges.

Mechanical:

Beginning Mechanical students would focus on

familiarizing themselves with tools and safety protocols.

Intermediate Mechanical students would focus on

learning how to use the large CNC machines in the

Innovation Lab.

Experienced Mechanical Students would help guide the

beginning and intermediate students throughout the

Preseason.

PR Team:

The PR team focuses on writing grants to possible

sponsors in an attempt to get as much funding before the

season begins. The media team updates the social media

and gets us connected and partnering with more FRC

teams in the Chicago area and beyond.