Junior Robotics League

Junior Robotics League

Started in 2008, Junior Robotics League (JRL), is a 6 week league that is modeled after FIRST Robotics competitions. It is open to Kindergartners through eighth graders, who form teams and build a robot using a VEX Robotics Kit. Team Driven members take part not only in judging and setting up the matches but also in mentoring the teams throughout the season during weekly workshops. Students from Team Driven spend the preceding months creating the game, rules, and field setups. JRL also spreads the word about FIRST Robotics to our community while getting kids interested in STEM and robotics.
 

YEAR: 2018
GAME: High Tide
TEAMS:
OBJECTIVES:Teams have to place coins in treasure chests as their ship sinks from an ongoing kraken attack! Teams have to battle the kraken using cannon balls as they work to save their booty. Teams are also given the choice to push squids onto their opposing alliance’s ship in order to get more points. At the end of the game teams can climb their ships mast to avoid falling under as their ship sinks.
HIGHLIGHTS: This year’s competition involved larger field along with 3 team alliances instead of 2.

 

YEAR: 2017
GAME: On The Edge
TEAMS: 45
OBJECTIVES: Teams are seperated by alliance into two halfs of the field. The wall that seperates them allows them to work together or seperately to balance scales. Alliances can work together to balance a center scale using blocks, or chose to balance their own scale with blocks. If the scales are balanced more points are awarded for each block put on the scale.
HIGHLIGHTS: First time alliances were seperated and unable to play defense.

 

YEAR: 2016
GAME: Sink, or Sail
TEAMS:
OBJECTIVES: Teams used missles to sink the opposing alliance’s ships. At the end of the game, teams could rescue lifeboats off sinking ships.
HIGHLIGHTS: First year game was designed by Team Driven students instead of alumni.

 

YEAR: 2015
GAME: Quiditich
TEAMS:
OBJECTIVES: Alliances scored quaffles, avoided bludgers, and tried to control the snitch to keep it on their side of the field. At the end of the game, the team in possesion of the snitch got points.
HIGHLIGHTS:

 

YEAR: 2014
GAME: Streamline
TEAMS: 46 teams
OBJECTIVES: played in the “city” field of play, robots collected `Cargo and cleared smog in both Teleoperated and Autonomous periods of play.
HIGHLIGHTS: Lamar Advertising donated a large electronic billboard advertising for JRL along 50 highway exposing thousands of local residents to the program

 
YEAR: 2013
GAME NAME: Slapshot
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 40
OBJECTIVE: Teams had to place hockey pucks in low goals under a shelf, or turn the hockey puck sideways to enter it into the high goal. The end game which resulted in bonus points was placing their entire robot on an elevated shelf.
HIGHLIGHTS: This was the first year that two different fields were created. This allowed most matches to occur and sped up the event’s efficiency.
 
YEAR: 2012
GAME NAME: HighScore
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 34
OBJECTIVE:This pinball themed game required that foam golf balls be scored in tubes that were both inserted in the field at ground level and higher. Teams hung on a rectangular tower, located in the center of the field, at the end of matches to score bonus points.
HIGHLIGHTS: The Technical Communication Award which requires the creation of an Engineering notebook and a presentation to judges at the event was introduced for the first year. There was also a record setting 143 students this year.
 
YEAR: 2011
GAME NAME: Tower Power
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 30
OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this challenge was to stack “Tetrahedrons”, or 3D triangles, on top of the towers that lit up blue and red based on which alliance had scored most recently. When it was time for the end game the towers glowed green and the robots raced to the top of a steep incline.
HIGHLIGHTS: 33% increase in teams from the previous year. Introduced Founder’s Award which resembles the FIRST Chairman’s Award. The youngest group, The Weebots, happened to catch some attention from the Lee’s Summit Tribune, a local newspaper, who came and followed them through their journey.
 
YEAR: 2010
GAME NAME: Triple Threat
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 21
OBJECTIVE: The robot had to be capable of manipulating golf balls into bins on the outer edge of the field or onto three moving, elevated racks in the middle of the field.
HIGHLIGHTS: This year had a unique and exciting field. One of the special features was the water contraption in the middle of the field. This particular game had an extremely positive feedback.
 
YEAR: 2009
GAME NAME: Fastball
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 24
OBJECTIVE: The robot collected balls from pvc pipes that human players fed balls through. The goal was to collect as many balls as possible before dumping them in a goal along the outer edge of the playing field. Several obstacle courses inhibited robots from completely success. There were ping pong ball pits that trapped robots if they did not correctly drive over them. Tennis balls that were cut in half in the middle of the field also caused trouble for robots.
HIGHLIGHTS: Amazingly, this game featured over 700 ping pong balls in the pit.
 
YEAR: 2008
GAME NAME: Ringmaster
NUMBER OF TEAMS: 17
OBJECTIVE: Teams had to stack rings on a the corner of a large yellow box in the center of the field. Their other option was to put them through slots. They were only able to score with one ring at a time.
HIGHLIGHTS: This year was the first year that Junior Robotics League was started. It was an incredible success as 17 teams participated.