Author: Scott Rippetoe

This past Tuesday, Texas Torque took part in The Woodlands Township’s annual Fourth of July Parade!

The team’s float was , once again, a sight to remember.  The audience saw the Texas Torque 2017 robot, Corliss, shoot fuels to several members of the team, which drew the attention and admiration of children and adults alike. Stickers, info cards, and trading cards were shared to the excited community as our team spread the innovation and message of FIRST Robotics. The Woodland’s community admired Corliss and the many accomplishments of the team. They also were able to see the teamwork of the high school robotics team in action.

It was an exceptional experience to participate in the parade, and we hope to march again in the future!

From June 30 to July 1, Texas Torque had an awesome time competing at TRI. The robot did not have many changes since the Texas UIL State Championships, but it was a great chance for the team to test out new drive teams and positions. During qualification matches, we had some comm problems, resulting the team a low RP for the event.

The team was invited by 6377 Howdy bots, 3847 Spectrum, then we invited team 5986 Iron Fangs to complete the 5th alliance. We were glad to join back with spectrum, making it a Sporque alliance. (Thanks to 3847! They were giving our sporks at the event too).

Many Thanks to team 3847 Spectrum for hosting this amazing event, and congratulations to team 118, 3735, 4587, and 441 for winning at this event!

When FRC team 1477 was first established, we worked out of a U-Haul storage unit. We then moved into an unused science classroom at College Park High School, but it didn’t take us long to outgrow that space either. A few years ago, we presented our proposal for a district robotics center to our school district’s superintendent. Our superintendent approved, and in 2015 our new robotics lab was added to the district bond referendum. Students then went to polling locations to advocate for the bond, talking to voters and distributing flyers designed by the team. A few months later, construction began.

Mr. Rip, our lead mentor, welcomes visitors to the new lab.

Our new lab is a two-story extension of College Park’s gym wing. We drew up plans and sent them to the construction company, along with requests for equipment. Construction finished around the end of the school year, and we’re beyond excited to settle in and get to work!

Sonic, our 2013 robot, cut the ribbon to open the new facility. During the event, attendees were invited to try their hand at driving our robots. We also welcomed several members of the CISD staff who made this possible, including Dr. Stockton, our superintendent; Dr. Caffery, headmaster of the Academy of Science and Technology; and Dr. Murrell, principal of College Park High School.

Team president Eric R. and former VP London D. thank Dr. Murrell for his support.

We can’t wait to see where the new facility takes us! Our team is working to establish it not only as a new lab for us, but also as a center for robotics within our district. Come visit us during the Remix!