About the HexaSonics

About the HexaSonics

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TC is the FIRST program for middle school (7-8th Grade) students. The HexaSonics are an FTC team based out of the Allendale Middle School and the surrounding areas in West Michigan. On the team students learn design, building, programming, people skills, and more. Student will travel to events and compete as a team. The team was founded in 2014. Since then, the team has won the State Championship three times, qualified for the Super Regional four times, and has qualified three times for the World Championship. The team was founded by six students hence the Hexa, the SONICS is an acronym for Scientifically Outstanding Nerdy Inspired Crazy Students.

Subteams

Design Team

The Design Team takes the concepts of the robot and prototypes to create 3-D CAD (Computer Aided Design) models of the robot using SOLIDWORKS. The CAD models are then made into detail drawing for parts to be manufactured and assembly drawings for Robot build. The design team will learn about design techniques, mechanics in relation to design, space constraints, and more. The design is a key step in taking our robot from concept to reality.

Build Team

On the Build Team, students work with the mechanical side of the robot making prototypes, building components, machining parts, and assembly of the robot. During the build process, students learn about mechanics of the robot components, breaking and assembling roller chain, use of standard tools, and debugging of the robot. During events, our build team members may also help in the pits for working on and repairing the robot during competition.

Engineering Notebook Team

The Engineering Notebook is an extremely important part of our team that tells the journey that the team takes throughout the season and the year. Our Engineering notebook will have daily journal entries where the students will create entries of the work that they did, the failures, the successes, the learning, and more. All students on the team help with the entries and updating all of the team information. For our Engineering Notebook we use Google Docs on a shared team drive.

Fabrication Team

Fabrication is how we make parts. We build a very custom robot that needs many parts made that were designed by our design team. Our students, with the help of mentors, will learn about milling, drilling, turning, cutting, broaching, and more in our team build space. Our team also has a CNC Router for fabricating more complex parts our of poly-carbonate and aluminum. Along with this we also work with our 3D Printers for part creating and prototypes.

Programming Team

The Programming Team is where all of the logic to make the robot function happens. The team used Java for the programming of the robot and uses Android based phones for operation and control of the robot. The programming team will learn about coding techniques, camera vision, sensor integrations, autonomous and teleoperated programming modes, control components, and how they all integrate together. Without this team the best designed and built robot cannot function!

Promotion / Media Team

The promotion team works on ways to help promote the HexaSonics in the community and with other FIRST Teams. In the Promotion team the students have the opportunity to work on the Promote and Compass videos for Awards at competitions, work on the team website, and help with other outreach and promotion. The Promotion team will also create our presentation that is used with the Judges at the events.

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