Chaos, Inc. - That was Then...

In its rookie year, the Baldwin Robotics Team Chaos Inc., has already experienced many exciting moments through its participation in the nationally acclaimed FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) programs and competitions. Beginning with the dedication of a few Baldwin High School science, technology and business teachers and students in May 2004, and initially supported by grants from the Baldwin Foundation for Education and Baldwin High School’s Class of 2003, the team was officially founded in September 2004, and has grown to include about 25 members and over 40 alumni.

In September, the team participated in a preseason FIRST competition, hosted by SBPLI. Impressively, as the team did not have its own robot, members quickly learned how to use one graciously loaned from another FIRST team, Plainview-Old Bethpage. Chaos, Incorporated is the first rookie team to ever use a borrowed robot in a competition. Coming in seventh place overall was also an extremely pleasant surprise.

This aspiring rookie team’s success did not end there. Our first creation, completely original to our team (the mini robot), came in first place in the Vermont Kickoff Workshop Competitions.

In the official FIRST season of 2005, Baldwin Robotics went to SUNY Stonybrook to watch a satellite simulcast of the official FIRST Robotics Kickoff ceremony to discover that the game would be "Triple Play." The team hosted its own kickoff back at school, where designs and strategies were discussed. The team chose a design out of over 30 proposed designs and immediately went to work. A field team was established so that the soon to be built robot would be put into practice. After weeks of construction, programming and practice, the team was ready for the SBPLI Hofstra Regional. In fact, they showed everyone at the regional what Baldwin Robotics was capable of, as they went home with the 2005 All Star Rookie Award, which made them eligible to attend the FIRST Robotics Championship in Atlanta.

Expectations were high for the team in the year 2006, for winning the All Star Rookie Award and making it to the finals in Atlanta had been a huge accomplishment for Chaos, Inc. However, this was the year that the team realized that it was time to grow independent and attempt to win by fulfilling the idealistic goals of FIRST.

The game was "Aim High" in 2006, and again, Baldwin Robotics attended the SBPLI kickoff at Stonybrook University, meeting quite a few of alumni along the way. Afterwards, the team went back to the school to hold their own kickoff meeting, where design concepts were discussed. The team also decided that they wanted to build a robot that was capable of offense, using a shooter, defense, and a robot that could utilize the human player as effectively as possible.

During the build season, the construction team realized that miscommunication resulted in a robot that was severely overweight. Unfortunately, the shooter was extremely heavy and needed to be removed from the robot in order to make the weight requirements of the competition. The team coped with this loss and quickly devised an effective defensive strategy when they arrived at the SBPLI Hofstra Regionals.

Despite the quick transition from an offensive robot, Chaos, Inc. actually did extremely well as a defensive robot. However, the team's shining moment came when a robot on an opposing alliance broke down during a match. The members of Chaos, Inc. immediately went to the robot to help fix the broken robot, and was recognized for fulfilling the ideals of FIRST and displaying gracious professionalism with the Johnson and Johnson Sportsmanship Award.

The SBPLI Rookie All-Star Award 2005-This is like the chairmans award for the rookies. It includes recognition for things like fundraising, community involvement, team organization, business plan, as well as actually building a robot that works. Since we ran into a million problems at the regional, the judges saw how much of a team we were and realized that we deserved it, we never missed a round!

The Brunswick Eruption Looking Ahead Award- We won this award for being the first team ever to borrow someone else's old robot for a preseason competition.

The Johnson and Johnson Sportsmanship Award- This award was received for our outstanding display of gracious professionalism on the field in the face of defeat when our team members stepped in to fix a broken robot on the opposing alliance during a match.

SBPLI Soundtrack Award 2007-This award was received this year during the Stonybrook Kickoff, for our soundtrack submission for the contest held by the FIRST officials at SBPLI. In addition to a $1000 prize, the song will be played during the regionals and future promotional SBPLI advertisements.