Team 1717, D’Penguineers, were a
FIRST Robotics
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (''FIRST'') is an international youth organization that operates the ''FIRST'' Robotics Competition, ''FIRST'' LEGO League Challenge, ''FIRST'' LEGO League Explore, ''FIRST'' LEGO Leagu ...
team associated with the
Dos Pueblos High School
Dos Pueblos High School is a public high school located in Goleta, California, northwest of Santa Barbara. Located adjacent to the foothills on the edge of the Goleta Valley in an area known as El Encanto Heights, it serves a student body of appr ...
Engineering Academy (DPEA) in
Goleta, California. D’Penguineers have won multiple awards at the regional and international levels of the
FIRST Robotics Competition,
[D'Penguineers - Team 1717 (2012) - The Blue Alliance]
/ref> and participate regularly in outreach programs for junior high and elementary schools. The team was highlighted in the book ''The New Cool
''The New Cool'' is the third studio album, by Australian rock band Daddy Cool (band), Daddy Cool. It was released in November 2006, thirty-four years after the release of their previous studio album, ''Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven''.
...
''.
History
Team 1717, consisting of the 32-student senior class of the DPEA, began their first season during the 2005-2006 school year, under the direction of DPEA founder and director, Amir Abo-Shaeer
Amir Muhsin Abo-Shaeer ( ar, امر موهسين ابوسهايير; born March 20, 1972) is an American teacher and mechanical engineer. In 2001, during his first year of teaching, he established the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy (DPEA) on th ...
. Since then, D’Penguineers have participated annually in the FIRST Robotics Competition, developing new techniques for student education, team communication, team collaboration, and build season preparation. Abo-Shaeer received a Macarthur Foundation award in 2010 for his work with the school and the team. Team 1717 was disbanded after the 2015 season.
Pre-build season
Preparations for the robotics build season begin at the launch of the school year, where Team 1717 students take both an Advanced Engineering class and an ROP FIRST Robotics class. During the months leading up to the competition, students begin to specialize, in areas such as computer programming
Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as ana ...
, CAD
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...
, electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
, and machining
Machining is a process in which a material (often metal) is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes ...
working with mentors from the surrounding community. Throughout the year, the students are exposed not only to this educational specialization, but they also learn to manage the business aspects of the team—they also make up presentation teams, apparel managers, travel planners, and account managers, among others. The process of the actual creation of a robot, from initial brainstorms to paper planning to physical building, is a concept foreign to most high school students, and the pre-build season is devoted to developing the skills and team unity necessary to have a successful build season.
Build season
The FIRST Robotics Competition begins in January, when the game is revealed, and continues for six weeks, until the completed robot is shipped. Team 1717 assembles to watch the game video, and the build season is off to a running start. Over the following six weeks, each student on Team 1717 will spend over 360 hours working to collectively design, build, and program their game robot, as well as strategize and organize to find the most effective way to play the game.
Competitions
Once the Team 1717's bot has been shipped, D’Penguineers attend regional FIRST Robotics Competitions and compete for their chance to go to the international FIRST Championship
The FIRST Championship is a four-day robotics championship held annually in April at which FIRST student robotics teams compete. For several years, the event was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to the Edward Jones Dome in ...
. In past years, Team 1717 has attended regional competitions in San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Arizona, and has qualified for the FIRST Championship in Atlanta, Georgia for three consecutive years.
Book
Team 1717 is also the subject of the book The New Cool
''The New Cool'' is the third studio album, by Australian rock band Daddy Cool (band), Daddy Cool. It was released in November 2006, thirty-four years after the release of their previous studio album, ''Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven''.
...
, written by Neal Bascomb
Neal Bascomb (born 1971) is an American journalist and author. He is known for his books on popular history.
Early life and education
He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Miami University with a B.A. in Economics and English Literature.
Career
Af ...
. The movie rights have been acquired by Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
The Walt Disney Studios is an American film and entertainment studio, and is the Studios Content segment of the Walt Disney Company. Based mainly at the namesake studio lot in Burbank, California, the studio is best known for its multifacete ...
, who are developing the book into a screenplay. The movie is set to be directed by Michael Bacall.
Awards
* 2006 Southern California Regional: Rookie All-Star
* 2006 Arizona Regional: Rookie Inspiration Award
* 2007 San Diego Regional: Imagery Award, Regional Finalist
* 2008 San Diego Regional: Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology”, Regional Winner[D'Penguineers - Team 1717 (2008) - The Blue Alliance]
/ref>
* 2008 Los Angeles Regional: Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology”, Regional Winner[D'Penguineers - Team 1717 (2009) - The Blue Alliance]
/ref>
* 2009 Los Angeles Regional: Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors, Regional Finalist[D'Penguineers - Team 1717 (2010) - The Blue Alliance]
/ref>
* 2010 Los Angeles Regional: Engineering Inspiration Award, Regional Winner[D'Penguineers - Team 1717 (2011) - The Blue Alliance]
/ref>
* 2011 Los Angeles Regional: Engineering Excellence Award sponsored by Delphi, Regional Finalist[{{cite web, title=Carver Division (2015) - The Blue Alliance, url=http://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2015carv, website=The Blue Alliance]
References
FIRST Robotics Competition teams
Goleta, California
Education in Santa Barbara County, California