A New Year is Just Around the Corner for us!

This week we continued to work on our new years eve ball! It's going to take us a while to get it up and running with all of the added changes we have planed.

At the beginning of our meeting tonight Mike went over some of the things we have to make. He listed some of the things we are changing and adding, as well as what we want our new program to do. Now we just have to work on programing, wiring, and some minor mechanical projects, oh and promotional media odds-n-ends. Including blogging and making flyers to hand out down town.

I don't want to give to much away, but I can say that this year the New Years Eve ball in down town Muncie is going to shine bright and that it will be coming in for a spectacular landing at midnight this year!

Jessica Bennett~

Mike, Hannah, and Asher working on wiring 

The New Years Eve Ball, on the inside

Oh, this is our finished practice field

Anna and Larry hard at work

The Awesome Things We Do

For one thing we made a new years eve ball in 2009 and we use it every year to bring in the new year in down town Muncie. This week we started working on it to make it look really awesome for this coming new year. There are going to be some great new things in store, and we are all hoping it works!

Last year we had a couple issues getting our ball to turn on and light up with all of the radio interference. So this year one of the major things we are changing is our radio receptor. Some of our other tricks involve lasers, fog machines, and really bright flashlights! Now I don't want to give to much away, so if you want to see our finished product come to the Cannon Commons, in down town Muncie and see it in person! If you can't make it for some reason, or can't stay to see it drop there will be plenty of pictures! I can say one thing, if it all works as planed (or even close to what we have planned) it's going to be totally AWESOME!!!

Jessica Bennett

OPEN HOUSE!!!!

Today was the open house, and there were many refreshments. Ashley set up the computers in the computer room so that each computer showed a different website displaying our team. Many prospective members came, showing interest in many areas of the team, including programming and driving. A few people even signed up to be team members.

We had some problems resetting Marvin's WiFi, but we got the issues sorted out after a bit. Marvin's wheel speed was adjusted, and we did some more shooting practice with Marvin, who had no major issues. Some of the team members worked with CAD to make some parts for the mechanical room.

Today went smoothly, and we are happy with the results of the our open house.We hope all who came were happy as well. And that those who couldn't make it will come and see us next year!

Madeline Van Ness

We Are Having an Open House!!!

Muncie/Delaware FIRST Robotics

Team #1720, The PhyXTGears

P.O. Box 218

Muncie, IN  47305

Contact: PhyXTGears                  
Google Voice Mail: 765.203.1720
Email: phyxtgears@gmail.com
Web: www.muncierobotics.org

FIRST Team 1720, The PhyXTGears Open House
Delaware County’s only robotics team. Come see what we are all about! Meet Marvin the ball throwing robot and Muncie’s exclusive New Year’s Ball!

WHAT FIRST Robotics Team #1720 - PhyXTGears Open House WHEN November 13, 2012 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM WHERE Morrison Mock Professional center, at the back of the Meridian Health Services building, by the Life Touch Calling center. 3620 West White River Boulevard, Muncie, IN 47304 The PhyXTGears [fixed gears] FIRST Robotics Team 1720, is holding an OPEN HOUSE to introduce High School students and the general public to the world of science, engineering, computer programming and media presentation. Open to students in and around Delaware County. Our yearly open house is a great opportunity for High School students to see what’s available to them when they join a FIRST Robotics Team. When you join a FIRST Robotics team, you become a part of a huge community of high school students who are focused on one goal: to improve the world through the exploration of science and technology. There are many benefits to joining a FIRST Robotics team: You learn how to work with other people, teamwork and team building skills, electrical skills, programming, media (including blogging, photo journalism, public relations, public speaking, and fundraising) mechanical and engineering skills, how to use CAD design software and so much more! Additional Information about the FIRST Robotics Team #1720 - PhyXTGears Team 1720 is a FIRST Robotics Challenge Team. (www.usfirst.org) We are the only team in Delaware County but one of many teams all over the country! If you are a high school student in or around Delaware County and are interested in anything about robots, including how to build, program, design and operate them, you need to check out PhyXTGears. Our new season begins soon! PhyXTGears does more than just build and compete in FIRST Robotics competitions. For example, did you know: PhyXTGears designed and operates the New Year’s “Ball” that drops in Downtown Muncie every year? PhyXTGears holds a yearly scrimmage, hosted at Ball State, where we meet other FIRST teams from all over the US? PhyXTGears participates in the yearly Crossroads Regional FIRST Robotics competition, to compete for a chance to go to nationals? PhyXTGears gives back to the community by participating in a variety of volunteer efforts, like cleaning up parts of the Cardinal Greenway every month? That participating on a FIRST Robotics team makes you eligible for a variety of college scholarships? There are almost limitless opportunities to learn all kinds of skills that may not have ever occurred to you to even try? That participation on a FIRST Robotics team looks really good on a resume? PhyXTGears team members are available for for radio and print interviews. Contact Benjamin Bennett for arrangements. 765.749.8442

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For more information, please contact PhyXTGears Google Voice Mail at 765.203.1720, or e-mail phyxtgears@gmail.com.

*Team Member Notice*

A note from Tim that every current team member should be aware of:

Hi all,

With the lack of cleaning that went on last week in the mechanical room we have decided to meet at 5 pm on Tuesday. We really need to make sure we look impressive for the open house. The computer room looks great but we really dropped the ball in the mechanical room so everyone please show up and help us get things in shape on Tuesday.

Thanks Tim