About
FAQ
Sponsors
Lovat
Outreach
2023-2024
2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
Meet the Team
Mentors
Student Leads
Robots
Nessie - 2020
Whirlpool - 2021
Selkie - 2022
Paddo - 2023
Contact
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Congratulations Team 8033 Milstein Division Finalist at Worlds 2024!
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you meet?
Meeting frequency and length vary over the year and can also vary substantially by person and position. During the offseason (Aug-Dec and May-June), we typically meet twice per week and once per weekend, sometimes more. During the season (Jan-April) we meet from 3:30-6:30 on Tuesdays, 3:30-8:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3:00-6:00 on Fridays, and 10:00-7:00 on the weekend. We hold all-team meetings every Sunday from 1-3 pm.
During the offseason, we focus on training, outreach, and off-season competitions using the prior year’s robot. During the season, we focus mostly on robot build and competitions.
Do I have to live in Piedmont/be a PUSD student to join?
No, our team is open to all students in the Bay Area!
Will I get to work on the robot, with such a big team?
Yes! We make sure everyone gets to work on the areas they are interested in, and that includes the robot.
How do you allocate roles and responsibilities?
Our current organizational structure consists of a Team Captain, a Robot Vice Captain, an Operations Vice Captain, subteam Leads, members, and mentors. Captains are nominated for next year at the end of the season, while Lead positions are application based. Roles and responsibilities are allocated based on positions, interest, and attendance.
Do you use a kit or do you build from scratch?
We design and build a new industrial-sized robot almost from scratch each year. Very few parts of our robot are components from the Kit of Parts provided by FIRST at the start of the build season, and some we purchase as COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) parts. Most parts we design and fabricate in-house.
Do I need to have experience?
Prior experience is not a requirement for joining the team!
Though it is nice to have, we will train you on everything
you need to know, and we give new recruits our very best
attention.
What non-technical roles do you have?
Currently, we have:
- Business—fundraising, grants, budget
- Marketing—publicity, media, design + branding
- Outreach—community events, volunteering
- Team Enrichment—internal events, field trips
What do “off-season” and “build season” mean? What do you do in the “off-season”?
The game challenge for the year is announced in January.
The build season consists of building the robot to play
that year’s game and going to official competitions, and
lasts from January to April.
The off-season is an opportunity to train new recruits, develop
new projects, facilitate outreach events, and plan for the
build season. It lasts from around September through
December.
Do the students use the power tools in the lab?
Yes! There is a mandatory certification process for each tool,
but all students have the opportunity to
learn how to safely use power tools. Certified mentors must
be present for all tool use.
Are there things I can do over the summer if I have time to help me prepare?
Depending on which subteam you are interested in joining,
your subteam Leads may have different resources
available to you to prepare. More information will be provided
at our Open House in the spring at the
Mary G. Ross Engineering Lab, where you will also be able to
get the contact information of subteam Leads.
I play a sport in the spring—does this mean I cannot join?
Many of our students participate in spring sports and are
active team members in both the off-season and build
season.
However, time conflicts happen, and it is part of your
responsibility as a member of the team to manage those and
decide what your priorities are.
How many competitions do you have, and on what dates?
Currently, we are planning on one to two off-season
competitions between September and October,
two regionals between March and April, and, if we qualify,
Worlds in mid-April. This will be updated with
specific dates once they are released.
Is there travel involved?
For competitions, we travel to 2 regional events, potentially
Worlds, and 1-2 off-season events.
In addition, we have field trips to the workspaces of other
teams as well as tech companies nearby.
Specific travel plans are to be determined, but the team will
work with you to make sure everyone eligible
is able to attend.
Is there a fee to join the team?
We have a registration fee of $600. If this cost is prohibitive,
please do not hesitate to reach out to us—
we offer confidential financial aid.
Do you have financial aid/scholarships? How do I access it?
If financial hardship is a constraint, please email
robotics@piedmontmakers.org as we offer options and
scholarships.
What do registration fees cover? How is the team funded?
Registration fees help pay for robot parts, tools, equipment,
and competition fees. In 2022-23, approximately 30%
of team revenue came from registration fees, 15% from
grants, and 55% came from donations and sponsorships.
Our mentors and administrators are volunteers.
