The 2010 game is called Breakaway. This game is roughly based off of soccer, sharing similar game aspects. Two alliances (red and blue) made up of three teams each compete in each match. The goal is for your alliance to score more points than the opposing alliance by shooting balls (1pt) into the two goals (of four) on your alliance's side of the field. Once the ball is scored, it must be re-fielded by the human players within 11-15 seconds. The balls are returned with the ball return overhang. If the balls are not intercepted by a robot, it will roll into the opposing alliance's side of the field. The fully carpeted field is divided into three sections by 13.5" tall carpeted bumps with 18" tall tunnels that divide each bump. At the end of the match, alliances can score bonus points by lifting their robot above the platform of their alliance's tower (20") for 2 points. If a robot from the same alliance lifts itself from a currently elevated robot until it is above the platform of the tower, it is considered elevated, and gains that alliance 3 points.

The match starts with a 15 second autonomous period, where robots can use pre-programmed code and sensors to score balls into the four goals. Vison targets are attached above the goals to assist in this purpose. After the autonomous peroid finishes, a 2 minute teleoperated period begins. Human drivers take control of their robots and try to score balls, defend goals, and keep balls on their alliance's side of the field. In the last 20 seconds of the match, the finale begins. It allows robots to expand their size, and elevate or suspend themselves on their side of the field.

Above is the Field for Breakaway, Below is the Ball Return

This 2009 game is called Lunacy. The game is supposed to simulate 'driving on the moon', with a floor covered in 'Regolith' and a requirement of all robots to use 'Rover Wheels' (a combination that makes manuvering more difficult than normal). Points are scored by tossing different types of orbit balls into the other alliances' trailers. A moorock is worth 2pts, an empty cell is worth 2pts, and a super cell is worth 15pts.

The match starts off with a 15 second autonomous mode, where robots can track pink and green on top of another robot's trailer. Once the 2 minute teleoperated period begins, drivers can take over their robots and continue to score. Human players can also score orbit balls, and are also the only ones allowed to score super cells. Human players stationed at Outposts also have the ability to throw empty cells into play, which can be exchanged for super cells at fueling ports.

  In the 2008 game, “FIRST Overdrive,” students’ robots are designed to race around a track knocking down 40" inflated Trackballs and moving them around the track, passing them either over or under a 6'6" overpass. Extra points are scored by robots positioning the Trackballs back on the overpass before the end of the 2 minute and 15 second match.  There is also a 15 second long "hybrid" mode in which autonomous, programmed routines can be commanded by a human player.

Team 1511 attended the Finger Lakes and Philadelphia Regionals, as well as the Championship event in 2008.  Our offseason events included Bash at the Beach and the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus.

At Finger Lakes, we went 3-7 during qualification matches, and 0-2 in elimination rounds making it to the quarterfinals. Our team spent a great deal of time putting the final touches on the robot, working out last minute kinks in the controls, and polishing off our hybrid modes.  Our drive team was starting to get used to the robot and its capabilities to come out strong for the next regional.  Teamwise, 1511 earned the Finger Lakes Regional's Engineering Inspiration award which was a great honor for us, being considered the 'runner-up' to the Chairman's award we earned last year.

At Philadelphia we came out very strong being unbeaten until the final qualification match against the number 1 seeded team (we were #2 at that point) and two strong alliance partners, ending up 10-1 and #3 overall in the standings.  Unfortunately we were knocked out in the quarterfinals again, but much more satisfied with our robot performance.  Our team had one of the strongest and most consistent hybrid modes, and we planned with both of our alliance partners before each match to determine how to best use the hybrid period according to our robot strengths.  Award-wise, we were proud to receive the Imagery Award for our robot and team theme, as well as our first Underwriters Laboratory Industrial Safety Award!

At Championships, our personal robot performance remained strong despite some tough alliance members.  During eliminations we went 6-5, even winning one of our matches 62-38 with only one alliance partner that could not score trackballs!  Our hybrid mode and individual robot performance remained strong, and as a result we were chosen by the #1 seeded alliance in the Curie division as the 3rd bot!  We were teamed up with our neighbors team #1126 SparX which was great fun, and together with our alliance captains 1592 managed to make it to the semifinals.  We were eliminated in the semifinals in two close, high scoring matches of 98-106 and 96-114, our biggest downfall being the opposing alliance's combination of 3 strong hybrid mode robots to our two.

In the 2007 game, “Rack ‘N’ Roll,” students’ robots are designed to hang inflated colored tubes on pegs configured in rows and columns on a 10-foot high center “rack” structure. Extra points are scored by robots being in their home zone and lifted more than 4” off the floor by another robot before the end of the 2 minute and 15 second match. The 15 second-long autonomous mode made use of the CMUcam2 to detect a green light above the Rack allowing a robot to line up and score a tube without human intervention.

Team 1511 attended the Finger Lakes and Boston Regionals, as well as the Championship event.  During the offseason, we ran the Rah-Cha-Cha Ruckus Event for the third year.

At Finger Lakes, we went 3-8 during qualifications matches, and went unselected for elimination rounds.  FLR is often a time when we are putting the finishing touches on the robot, and this year was no exception.  Our robot mechanically was finished very late in the season, which gave both the electrical and programming teams a small window to get everything working in.  Further adding to the fun was this year's concept of a 'robot volume' that if your robot extended outside of, you would receive a penalty.  Our robot by design could move outside of that volume if not carefully controlled by the programming team's efforts.  This resulted in a complex series of motions that were automatic when all sensors, wiring, and driving was done correctly, but required the drive team and robot to have plenty of practice time.  Although our performance during qualifiers was shaky, missing out on the elimination rounds allowed our drive team several hours of time on the practice field to shake loose any remaining bugs.  

The 2007 Finger Lakes Regional honored us with the Chairman's Award, the highest award a team can receive in FIRST.  Our team was ecstatic to receive this award, which was a result of the previous 3 years of hard work, discipline, and a wide-range of robotics, student, and community-based activities.

At the Boston Regional, we went 7-2 during Qualifications, and 1-2 during Elimination rounds.  This is in large part due to our drivers' increased skill using the robot, and having the opportunity to quash any remaining bugs.  Many new strategies emerged during Boston, such as placing tubes on top of opponents ramps so that robots would not be fully supported by their teammates, and tubing robots so that they could not actively possess another tube.  During Elimination rounds we got to partner up with 467, the Duct Tape Bandits, who we enjoyed cheering with and (in 2008 at Philadelphia) competing with.

The 2007 Boston Regional honored us with the Website Award for this fantastic website you are experiencing right now, as well as the Spirit Award for our crazy loud and constant cheering.  Our Spirit also extended through team members' use of facepaint, our camo-coloured pit, and tri-monitor pit displays with slideshows.

 In the 2006 game, “Aim High,” students’ robots are designed to launch balls into goals while human players enter balls into play and score points by throwing/pushing balls into corner goals. Extra points are scored by robots racing back to their end zones and climbing the ramp to the platform before the end of the 2 minute and 10 second match.

 The game for the 2005 season is played on a 27' wide by 52' long playing field with the 9 goals configured in 3 x 3 matrix, similar to tic-tac-toe. The robots will attempt to place the red and blue game tetras in or on one or more of the nine goals to score points and “claim ownership” of the goals.