Our Second Regionals Event @FORT WORTH3/16/2024 Mark Infinity (FRC #9088) competed at the Fort Worth District Event this past Saturday. We finished 11th in the qualification rankings and got the opportunity to be alliance captain of the 7th seed alliance. We invited Team Alpha (FRC #2689), and Bluetonuim (FRC #9081), to our alliance and were able to win one match against Alliance 6 in the lower bracket before being eliminated. We were graciously given the Team Sustainability Award for our team mentoring efforts and our efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Thank you to Team Alpha and Bluetonium, for being amazing alliance partners, and to Nolan Catholic High School’s Robo Vikes for the practice fields and hosting the wonderful event. By Adya Agarwal
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Our First Regionals Event @WACO3/16/2024 This was our first District FRC event of the year and we were excited to get started! We had a wonderful time in Waco, TX and we learnt a lot about the competition. Thank you to the Extraco Event Center for hosting the event and to FIRST in Texas for organizing this event. While we may not have won any awards this time, we certainly had a fun time and hope to experience more like this throughout the season.
By Saharsh Kolachina Fort Worth Qualifier Setup!3/13/2024 The day before the second regionals event in Fort Worth, our FIRST Robotics Competition team gathered at Nolan Catholic High School. The school had generously offered to host the event, and we were eager to contribute our time and effort to ensure everything was ready for the big day.
The 2023-2024 FIRST® Robotics Competition season was called CRESCENDO℠, presented by Haas, and the field included a mix of towering structures, driver stations, and intricate mechanisms-- all things we needed to assemble. Before the second regionals event the following day, we needed to transform this empty space into an arena where robots would compete. And so we began: as we unpacked crates, unrolled field mats, and assembled goalposts, I acknowledged at the teamwork on display. Though there was a diverse group of people present that day-- such as students, mentors, and volunteers each with unique skills and backgrounds and varying levels of experience in the construction of the field-- we managed to build it together. Our shared passion for robotics united us. Now, with less than 24 hours until the Waco Qualifiers event, we eagerly look forward to competing on the field that we helped build. May the best alliance win! By Harshil Dasyam Blender Workshop2/18/2024 In a collaborative venture between our FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) team and an eager FLL (FIRST Lego League) group, our mentor led a transformative workshop introducing the younger team to the intricacies of animation, user interface design, and Blender's powerful capabilities. Starting with the basics of Blender's user-friendly interface, we delved into essential skills like object manipulation through scaling, rotation, and transformation. The mentor skillfully guided the FLL team through key frame animation, bringing their creations to life with dynamic movements. Transitioning seamlessly into user interface design, we explored how to create intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for our robotic solutions. The mentor also emphasized the significance of scale and transformation, showcasing their relevance in simulating real-world scenarios for testing robots. This collaborative learning experience has not only equipped the FLL team with valuable technical skills but has also fostered a deeper appreciation for the creative aspects of robotics, setting the stage for innovative and impactful projects in both FRC and FLL competitions.
Written By: Pranav Puttagunta Chess Pieces for the Visually Impaired2/18/2024 In a collaborative effort aimed at fostering inclusivity, our FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) team endeavored to design and 3D print a chess set tailored for individuals with visual impairments, offering a novel solution for the FLL (FIRST Lego League) team's project. Understanding the significance of accessibility in gaming, our team, in consultation with the blind community, crafted chess pieces with distinct shapes and embedded Braille codes, complemented by a tactile chessboard featuring Braille coordinates. Harnessing the power of 3D printing, this endeavor not only brings joy through recreation but also promotes cognitive development and strategic thinking. The project, driven by empathy and innovation, serves as an exemplary illustration of technology's potential to break down barriers and create a more inclusive world, providing inspiration and insights for the FLL team's own endeavors.
Written By: Pranav Puttagunta Summer Python Course2/18/2024 Last summer, we at Mark Infinity organized an online beginner's Python course for anyone who wanted to learn the basics of this powerful and versatile programming language. We understand that taking the first step in learning the vast world of computer science can be difficult and we wanted to serve as an introduction to this world that we work in almost everyday!
In organizing this course, we quickly drafted a syllabus and designed a detailed digital flyer to help anybody of any background to have easy access to our course. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows just yet— we needed an experienced mentor to volunteer their time to teach the students of the course. Thankfully, my dad, a distinguished software architect with more than 10 years of experience in the field, graciously provided his time and stepped into the role. The course consisted of 12 interactive sessions lasting 60 minutes that were held on Zoom every Saturday from July 8 to September 23. The attendees were taught topics such as variables, data types, operators, control structures, functions, modules, and libraries, using live demonstrations and exercises. The participants learned the basic syntax and logic of Python, and how to apply it to various applications, such as web development, data analysis, machine learning, and robotics. They also learned how Python can serve as an introduction to the world of robotics and computer engineering, which are used in many careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). Written By: Harshil Dasyam 2024 Speaker Series: Sagar Mahurkar2/12/2024 Today, we had the opportunity to host our 4th Speaker Series event this year. We invited Findability Science's vice president to speak more about enterprise AI, and how many industries and businesses today are utilizing this technology to help parse through data for the purpose of making large datasets easier to analyze. Findability Sciences is one of the more influential enterprises when it comes to automating and managing other companies through the use of AI, placing at rank 70 in Fortune's inaugural list, and being named the US government enterprise of the year.
Mr. Mahurkar outlined what exactly enterprise AI language models were, and went in-depth into the process of how this technology really works. Findability Sciences has had the opportunity to work with established companies such as Takeda, Dunkin, The Home Depot, Daikin, and more. They offer forecasting and business process co-pilots for manufacturing, retail, and healthcare enterprises globally. One of their more successful projects include the automation of drug testing for companies such as Takeda. In addition, they also have helped companies like Dunkin to help forecast how many donuts they should sell to maximize profit projections. Going into more detail, Findability Sciences' AI products typically follow a robust model to help gain accurate results with the least effort, and this model is known as CUPP. The process starts with the collection of wide datasets such as internal, external, and unstructured data. This large dataset is then unified and information from multiple sources allow this dataset to prepared; essentially this stage pre-processes he data sets and merges them. Then, the data is processed through discriminative AI which involves supervised and unsupervised machine learning, and reinforcement learning. It is also processed through generative AI which involves the use of large language models that are trained through the use of self-supervised learning. The final stage is presentation, which simply refers to the data being put together in a readable form; this could mean that it will be used for static reports, responsive dashboards, API-based access, or even conversational interfaces. Another important topic that was covered during this meeting was how data is forecasted. Typically, when a user thinks about a large language model, tools like ChatGPT or Gemini may come to mind. However, what they fail to realize is that these large language models are not trained to have a large area of knowledge in any specific field. This makes analyzing data extremely difficult, hence why generative AI models have been plugged into databases to question large datasets, allowing them better analyze the data. This could mean that you can find an answer to questions such as why a trend is going the way it is, or whether there has been a change in the data. It can also help understand, for example, why an app grew by a certain percentage; was it because of a specific policy that was launched, or was it because of ad campaigns? Through training large language models in this way, many analyzing datasets becomes very easy. Mr. Mahurkar was able to give us a demonstration of how exactly the large language model that Findability Services' developed works. A dataset with information regarding statistics about the sales of an air conditioner were uploaded, and the language model was able to parse through the data and create a graph and answer any questions regarding it. Another project Mr. Mahurkar shared with us was the "Prediction Dashboard." This tool allows the user to upload a dataset and it is able to model the data in the form of a graph through first analyzing the various scenarios/patterns. This allows for up a 95% accuracy in forecast simply through training the AI model in two minutes. We cannot be thankful enough to Sagar Mahurkar for being very engaging and interactive throughout the meeting, and being open to giving us a visual representation as to what goes on behind the automation of a company or business. We look forward to our future speakers this year! Written By: Sohan Prasanna Help Organizing Vex IQ Qualifiers2/10/2024 This January and February, the Wheelhouse Foundation partnered with VEX IQ organizers to host a couple days of qualifier matches. Through our local STEM community and the Wheelhouse Foundation we were able to be involved in the organization of these events. Several parents and members from Mark Infinity went to volunteer and help out with running the event. These events really put into perspective how hard working our FIRST volunteers are. We enjoyed watching the passionate kids compete and embrace the values of FIRST. We look forward to more experiences like this one.
Written By: Mira Thottakara 2024 Speaker Series: Pardha S. Pyla2/5/2024 Today, we had the opportunity to speak with Pardha Pyla, the head of UX for core data at Google. Throughout this engaging meeting, we were able to discuss more about what exactly UX is, its importance in businesses, and its role in the creation of different products and services.
Initially, Mr. Pyla outlined what exactly UX was, explaining that it was essentially the totality of effects that are felt, or experienced, by a user as a result of interaction with a product or service. Something to note, however, is that UX differs from UI, as UI focuses more on the aesthetics, look, and feel of a product, whereas UX prioritizes the overall experience of a user instead. To better help us understand what this field entails, Mr. Pyla provided us with the example of how a left-handed user would be unable to utilize a mouse that is made to suit the ergonomics of a right-handed use, meaning that this group of users falls under a different user class, hence why this highlights the need to design the product in a way that can cater towards a larger variety of users and enhance the overall user experience. Mr. Pyla also talked to us about the different roles within a UX career. The foundation of this field relies on UX researchers who study a certain group of users that a product or service is catered towards to gain a better understanding as to what exactly their needs are in that specific product or service. Essentially, UX researchers focus on analyzing the trends in a certain market to ensure the best possible user experience. Moving on, there are interaction designers who prioritize the overall dialogue and interaction that a user has between, for example, an application. This ensures a seamless communication back and forth between the app and the user, and eliminates any confusion. Next, motion/visual designers ensure that the user is satisfied with the visuals of the app. Audio designers are responsible for the audio cues when a user interacts with a product. Prototypers are the next role in UX, and they help design and develop a physical product to help understand how the experience of a user may play out, and improve this over time before releasing a final product. Finally, there are UX analysts who analyze a large dataset to better understand user behavior and derive insights as to how a particular flow of a product is better than another product. We are extremely grateful to have been able to speak with Pardha S. Pyla today, and learn more about what exactly the UX field, is and what it entails. We continue to look forward future speakers as part of the Speaker Series! Written By: Sohan Prasanna CEF robotics2/2/2024 Last summer, members of Mark Infinity and other FRC teams graciously volunteered their time at Coppell's first summer robotics camp. We were covered by many local news stations such as Coppell Star Media. Check this link for information: Coppell Education Foundation, McLaren partner for inaugural summer robotics camp | Coppell Gazette | starlocalmedia.com We were glad to help young students start their vast journey into the fields of STEAM and robotics.
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