Robotics

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire students to explore STEM through the hands-on experience of designing, building, and programming robots based on sound engineering principles while having fun in the process.

Our History

The King’s Academy launched its Robotics Program in 2014-2015 with both a high school FTC team (15 students) and two junior high FLL teams (12 students).  The school’s junior high students now have a Robotics/Engineering course elective in lieu of FLL teams, increasing availability to more students. Starting in 2019-20 the high school students also have an Intro to Engineering course utilizing Project Lead the Way curriculum.

Game Strategy

The first step is always to understand the FTC Game, which includes a brief animation (link to 2019-20 SKYSTONE season) overview and comprehensive game manuals.  

The team then strategizes what tasks are most important by evaluating the tradeoffs between risk and reward (potential points scored).  This year the team used Macbooks and Google Drive to help define their game strategy. The interactive spreadsheet helped the team analyze the risk/reward tradeoffs and calculate approximate points per second. 

Brainstorming Designs

The next step, once we've decided which scoring tasks are the highest priority, is to brainstorm design solutions. We have found using large sticky notes and presenting our ideas to each other is an efficient process. This process also encourages all team members to contribute their ideas and to think "out-of-the-box."

Hardware Development - Prototyping/Testing

Prototyping the sub-assemblies (i.e., drive train, ball collection and scoring alternatives, sensors, etc.) gives us useful feedback, fairly efficiently, on which ideas will work best.  A variety of materials are used, everything from Tetrix parts, cardboard, plastic, foam, and other raw materials.

And with the on-campus machine shop, students can now fabricate custom parts using various equipment such as a mill, lathe, and drill press, supervised by adult mentors. The students not only gain valuable hands-on experience, they can implement more complex designs and rapid prototyping. We are especially grateful for the generous donations of several TKA families and the Wayne and Gladys Valley foundation to equip the shop.

Software Development

The software team uses an Android Studio-based programming environment. Several team members are proficient in JAVA but constantly mentor new members.

This year's challenge includes a lot of autonomous navigation that requires pre-programmed software that can use gyro, light, and color sensors. The challenge also allows for vision targets (three different images) to assist robots with more accurate navigation during the autonomous period. In addition, the students learned to use GitHub as a collaborative development tool.                                                                                          .

What is FIRST?

Founded in 1989, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) prides itself on its leadership in the scientific arena and its commitment to building a strong foundation for the country's future workforce. Founder Dean Kamen, the recipient of the 2000 National Medal of Technology, has "awakened the innovative and imaginative leadership in America's youth to the excitement of science and technology." FIRST has competitions for several different age groups, from JrFLL (Junior FIRST LEGO League) for elementary school students, FLL (FIRST LEGO League) for middle school students, to FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) and FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) for high school students.  

Access FIRST's website. 

About FTC

FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.

For more information, please access the FIRST FTC website.

About FLL

Introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society. 

Access FIRST FLL website.

2021-2022 Accomplishments

MidKnight Madness Wins Alliance Award & Innovative Award!

TKA Robotics Team, MidKnight Madness, competed against 15 other teams and together with their qualifier partner scored the highest points in the competition with a total of 215 points.

The team was awarded the Winning Alliance Award as well as the Innovative Award given to the team that thinks outside the box and has the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness to make their designs come to life.This award is given to the team that has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to any specific components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and 'out of the box' thinking related to design. 

The team qualified to the upcoming Northern California FIRST Tech Challenge Regional Competition to be held on March 12 and 13, 2022 in Newark Memorial High School. Prayers are appreciated as the team will be working hard for the next three weeks to prepare for the upcoming NorCal Regional. 

Many thanks go to Mrs. Annette Lane and Mr. Andrews for mentorship of the team. Congratulations to MidKnight Madness team members! 

2019-20 FTC Robotics

The 2019-20 FTC challenge was called SkyStone. To see the full challenge, check out the FTC game animation.

Both teams competed at the January 18th qualifying tournament in Santa Clara with the following results:

MidKnight Madness #7854 won:

• 1st place Inspire Award given to the team that best embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech Challenge program and is a gracious competitor. With this top place award, Team 7854 qualified to compete in the NorCal Championship tournament competing against 56 of the top teams in the Bay Area.
• 2nd place Connect Award connecting with their local STEM community to explore opportunities available in engineering, science and technology as well as helping their community understand FIRST robotics.
• 2nd place Design Award which recognizes their robot's design elements that are both functional and aesthetic and that incorporates industrial design elements into their solution. 

MidKnight Mayhem #15385 won:

• Captain of the 4th seed alliance

At their first qualifying tournament on November 23rd at Cisco, the teams won the following awards:

MidKnight Madness #7854 won: 

• 1st place Think Award for their engineering notebook
• 2nd place Design Award for robot's design elements
• 3rd place Inspire Award given to the team that best embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech
  Challenge program and is a gracious competitor.

MidKnight Mayhem #15385 won:

• 1st place Design Award which recognizes their robot's design elements that are both functional and aesthetic and that incorporates industrial design elements into their solution.

• 2nd place Robot Game as the finalist alliance
• 2nd place Connect Award connecting with their local STEM community to explore opportunities available in engineering, science and technology as well as helping their community understand FIRST robotics.

2018-19 FTC Robotics

This year TKA expanded to two robotics teams: MidKnight Madness #7854 and our new team MidKnight Mayhem #15385. We had a total of 21 students, including 10 rookie members.

Both teams successfully qualified to compete in the NorCal Championship based on their accomplishments at the qualifying tournaments. Championships were held on March 3rd at Independence High School in San Jose.

At the December 8th tournament at Google, both teams' robots performed so well that they were selected as alliance partners to compete in semi-final rounds.
MidKnight Mayhem #15385 won:

• 1st place Connect Award for connecting with their local STEM community to explore opportunities available in engineering, science and technology as well as helping their community understand FIRST robotics.

MidKnight Madness #7854 won: 

• 1st place Innovate Award for their out-of-the box thinking and most creative design solution
• 2nd place Think Award for their engineering notebook
• 2nd place Robot Game as Finalist partner 

MidKnight Madness #7854 won their semis match in this exciting video below (2.5 min) to advance to the finals round. In the first 30 seconds, robots score points in autonomous mode (no driver) by deploying from the center lander and correctly detecting a gold mineral (yellow block). Then drivers use robots to acquire gold and silver minerals (white balls), deposit minerals in the lander and finally reattach to the lander at the end of the game.

2017-18 FTC Robotics

Last year's TKA's MidKnight Madness team had fifteen students, grades 9^th-12^th, including ten rookie members. FTC challenges students to design, build, program, and drive robots (no larger than 18"-cubed) in a game played by two alliances of two robots each.

The challenge for the 2017-18 FTC season was FIRST Relic Recovery, a 150-second game to score a variety of points during both autonomous (pre-programmed) and driver-controlled periods.  To see the full challenge, check out the FTC game animation.

At the February 3rd, 2018 robotics tournament in Daly City, TKA's MidKnight Madness won

• 1st place Inspire Award for overall performance (being a strong FIRST ambassador and role model for other teams)
• 3rd place Think Award for their Engineering Notebook (documenting their design process to remove obstacles through creative thinking)
• 3rd place Connect Award for community outreach and business plan 

At the December 2nd, 2017 tournament at Google, the team won 

• 1st place in the Robot Game as the Captain of the Winning Alliance 
• 1st place Design Award for the best industrial design 
• 2nd place Innovate Award for most creative design

The team advanced to compete in Northern California Championships in February, 2018.

Watch this exciting video of one of their final matches below, won by TKA #7854 and their partner from St. Mary's school in Berkeley #11575. In the first 30 seconds, the robots score points in autonomous mode (no driver), followed by two minutes of stacking blocks in patterns and their partner successfully scoring a game element outside the field. 

2016-17 FTC Robotics

In the 2016-2017 season, TKA's MidKnight Madness team had fifteen students, grades 9^th-12^th, including four rookie members. The team qualified for the NorCal Regionals and won the following awards at their first two tournaments in the 2016-17 season: 

2nd Place - Finalist Alliance for the robot game (both tournaments)

1st Place - Think Award for their Engineering Notebook (documenting their design process to remove obstacles through creative thinking)

2nd Place - Inspire Award for overall team performance (being a strong FIRST ambassador and role model for other teams)

This two-minute video highlights TKA's bot #7854 scoring in the robot game by detecting/scoring colored beacons, launching balls in center goals, as well as placing their large cap ball on the center goal.  

2015-16 FTC Robotics

The MidKnight Madness 2015-16 team had fifteen students, grades 10th-12th, including four rookie members. 

The team won the following awards at their first two tournaments in the 2015-16 season, which qualified them to attend Regionals:

• 1st Place - Captain of the Winning Alliance for the robot game
• 1st Place - PTC Design Award for implementing industrial design principles that differentiate the robot's aesthetics and functionality
• 3rd Place - Inspire Award for overall team performance 

At the Northern California Regional Championship in February 2016, MidKnight Madness finished in 3rd place in the Robot Game within their 24-team division.

View this exciting video (2 min.) from one of the semi-finals rounds of the FIRST Tech Challenge qualifier tournament (Jan. 23, 2016). TKA's bot #7854 is partnered with Notre Dames #7593, and the video shows both teams scoring "climbers" in a rescue shelter, then TKA climbs the mountain and successfully hangs from the high cliff bar.

2014-15 FTC Robotics

The 2014-2015 team had fifteen students from grades 9 through 12. Five students had prior experience in robotics and were graduates from FIRST LEGO League (FLL). Three of those students also had experience in FTC and transferred their knowledge to The King’s Academy sponsored team. In addition, we had two teachers who served as coaches, and four adults as mentors. 

We competed in multiple FTC tournaments and won the following awards at the January 24th, 2015 tournament:

• Winner of Innovate Award - most innovative, out-of-the-box robot design
• 2nd Place Robot Game - Captain of Finalist Alliance
• 3rd Place Inspire Award - overall achievement

Congratulations MidKnight Madness on their inaugural season!! 

2015 Junior High Robotics

TKA's Junior High students participated in FIRST LEGO League (FLL) the past two years. Being on an FLL team is more than just building with Legos. Students work closely with their team to build and program an autonomous robot, do a research project on a real-world problem, and prepare a presentation of their solution, all while having lots of fun.  Robots are built and programmed using the LEGO MINDSTORM platform.  The Master's Builder's team in 2015 was comprised of 10 students, grades 6th to 8th.  Junior High students now have the opportunity to take a Robotics/Engineering elective.

2014 Junior High Robotics

TKA had two on-campus Junior High teams in 2014 coached by TKA staff and four off-campus teams coached by TKA parents. They all competed in local FLL tournaments.

Our Sponsors for the 2019-20 Season

The majority of the Robotics budget comes from individual and corporate donations, including company matching gifts for volunteer hours.

The following companies have provided either financial or material donations for the 2018-19 season, and we are grateful for their generous support.

For more information about TKA Robotics, please contact us by emailing: robotics@tka.org.