Team 1370 Blue Charge

Middletown Robotics, Team 1370

The Purpose

Building robots and competing is more than just having fun. Robotics is an activity that we take seriously. We strive to build skills in everything from carpentry to human-relations, preparing students for the future — every future. Some students may be artists, others are programmers; engineers, web designers, animators, cheerleaders, we are as diverse an organization as they come. All of these students have a place here with Middletown Robotics. As some may see it, we "simply" build robots, but a closer look reveals a lot.

Our repertoire:

  • Animation: To make clips to win awards and aid marketing
  • Carpentry: To build a shipping crate
  • Cheerleading: To raise team spirits and add more memorable moments to the mix
  • Electronics/Wiring: To wire the robot for power and control
  • Engineering: To design the robot before fabrication
  • Graphic Art: To produce logo designs, aid website construction, provide marketing support
  • Human Relations: To converse with the public, reach out to the community, reel in sponsorship, and spread the word of FIRST
  • Management: To run the team as an efficient and productive whole that students want to take part in
  • Metalworking: To construct the robot's frame and mechanical devices
  • Photography/Videography: To document the team's progress and display it to the public
  • Programming: To program the robot to function as desired
  • Web Design: To administer and add to the team website
  • Writing: Submit grant applications, write essays, document team progress and side-stories

The Dream

Once you look at all of these areas of expertise, you may begin to realize the true scope of the dream. By partaking in the FIRST program, we are reaching beyond the scope or capability of any single educational program ever seen. We extend our arms to all interested students, taking them in and providing them an objective, a purpose, that they must work together in order to reach. The clocks tick downwards, creating pressure, while the difficulty of the challenges increase. The intensity of the build season and competition months is something to be awed by, an inspiring piece of frustration and accomplishment. And through this all, we grow, the students grow, and as such our goals as a team are met. We are here as a garden, cultivating young minds so that they can flourish in the future.

To some, our objectives mean a better educated, more skilled workforce. To others, it means a new generation of inventors and ingenious design. To us, either case is a success. We are grasping the foundations of knowledge and shaking them so that anyone who stops by can have their own share — everyone can benefit.

So what then is our purpose, in concise terms? To serve our students an opportunity for their own success. Remember, kids are the future.