Press Releases

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August 8th, 2019- With the 2019 competition season finished, Team 3467 – The Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team has focused its off-season efforts towards outreach. From showcasing our robot at local events like the Strawberry Festival or weekly demonstrations at Camp Carpenter to making a global impact on the other side of the world, Team 3467 is
dedicated to spreading S.T.E.M. and igniting FIRST in our local community and beyond.

Team 3467 team member, Paul Matthews, was originally going to Taiwan to visit family, but decided to make his stay more impactful and influential for FIRST teams in the country. With the help of his parents and connections in Taiwan, he was able to organize a conference for teams around the country to come together and share knowledge with each other. Being the only
representative from a U.S. team, Paul was able to provide a different viewpoint on FRC teams. This event was impactful to helping teams grow from collaboration and help from each other.

On August 1st, Paul presented to Taiwanese FRC teams in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. This conference took place in the auditorium of Taipei First Girls School. Taipei First Girls School is an elite and selective all-girls school center to the country’s most important governmental buildings. This conference was attended by 6 teams in total; Team 6191 Robokryptonite, 7636 Robomania, 7497 MARAHAO, 6947 Savage Tumaz and a newly
established team called “Fi-Lab.” Approximately 50 representatives from teams were present, along with Taiwanese government officials interested in FIRST programs. The conference featured 5 different presentations on general team organization Team 3467 prepared a presentation about our team structure, function and business. This presentation highlighted the unique aspects of our team, including our connection with FIRST, our fundraising plan, pit design and much more. The presentation was opened up to Q+A shortly after.

We give a huge thanks to Paul and his parents Paul and Rose Matthews for working hard to organize this conference! We can’t wait to see what new opportunities and partnerships for the team open up from this event.

With the school year approaching, Team 3467 is also preparing for recruiting and training new members. We are attending numerous events at the high school, including; freshman orientation, the WHS Club Fair and the fall open house. We have tons of fun STEM activities lined up for new recruits, and we hope to get many more people to join the team and experience FIRST robotics.

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March 6th, 2019 – On March 1st and 2nd, the Windham Windup FIRST® Robotics Team competed at the New England Granite State District Event at Salem High School, an event hosted by FRC Team 6324 “The Blue Devils.” This competition was our first of the 2019 season. 36 teams from across New England were present to compete and enjoy this Week One event. Teams competed in 12 Qualification matches each to decide their seeding. Team 3467 was ranked 15 out of the 36 teams and was chosen to be part of the 7th seed alliance by FRC Team 4958 “Robocats.” The alliance competed well but was unfortunately knocked down in the Quarterfinals.

This year’s 2019 game is called “Destination: Deep Space.” On the field there are 4 rockets and a cargo ship, each alliance of 3 teams having 2 rockets and a half of the cargo ship to score points through. Teams use their robots to score balls or “cargo” at 3 different levels and heights, teams do the same with hatch panels to secure in the cargo. Some teams develop mechanisms to climb on platforms of different heights as well. Two human players man outputs on each side of the field to give cargo and hatches to their robots while a drive team of 5 people stay behind the glass to operate. Points are awarded based on how many hatches are placed, cargo scored and platform heights climbed to. Students have 6 weeks to design and create unique robots to complete some or all of these tasks.

At this event, student Vivianne Snell was selected at the district level for the honor of going on to the New England District Championships to compete for the Dean’s List Award. Out of 72 potential nominees two students were chosen for the next round. Each year 2 members of each team are nominated by mentors for this award through an essay and must participate in an interview with a judging panel. Vivianne is the Junior Captain and Electrical lead of the team. In order to be nominated, these students must be dedicated individuals, role models for others to look up to and must exemplify the core values that FIRST stands for. We wish good luck to Vivianne as she advances forward!

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February 16, 2019 – The Windham Windup FIRST® Robotics Team recently competed at the Week Zero, the first preseason scrimmage of the 2019 Destination: Deep Space game. This event was hosted by FRC Team 166 “Chop-Shop” at Merrimack High School in Merrimack, NH. The event featured 22 teams from across New England, along with one team from all the way up in Montreal, Canada. Teams competed in 3 qualification matches each to determine their seeding. Team 3467 was the captain of the 7th seed alliance, and picked FRC Team 5813 from Concord and FRC Team 3986 from Montreal to compete with them. The alliance played well but unfortunately was knocked down in the quarterfinals.

Week Zero was an extremely useful event for our team to test the abilities of our robot so far, and get a taste of the 2019 game. New and old members were finally able to get a true experience of the rigor and stress of competition season through this low-stake event. Members were able to learn how to orient themselves, scout, handle tasks in the pit and ultimately better prepare themselves for when our first competition rolls around on March 1st. Our drive team was able to learn more about game mechanics, strategy and how to better function on the field for maximized performance. The event was also a first-look into how robots actually compete and use the field. People from all over the world could stream the competition to see what other teams are doing and gain a better understanding of the field.

Through this event we received valuable insight to what aspects of our robot need alteration. Knowing this information, we have a plan and schedule of all the work that needs to be done in order to prepare our robot for its first official competition. We are excited to continue work and can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in stock for us!

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January 5th, 2018 – The 2019 FRC Deep Space season has finally arrived! On January 5th, Team 3467 – Windham Windup attended a kickoff event hosted at Salem High School with Team 6324 – Blue Devils to view what this year’s game is and collaborate and discuss plans and strategy to organize ourselves for this year’s build season.

Eight of our members were able to go to the official FIRST kickoff event at SNHU. At this event, over 50 teams were present, all eager to see the reveal of this year’s game. The event featured numerous speakers and representatives of FIRST. Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, the founders of the FIRST organization spoke, along with many other influential people from S.T.E.M. fields and companies. The students attending the official kickoff event were able to get the first live view in the world of the official game field. The SNHU kickoff event was streamed all over the world through Twitch. Teams globally tuned in to see the game reveal and get to work. Spectators were also able to ask questions and gain information that will greatly aid in build season endeavors.

For the past few months our team has been hard at work to train and prepare members for build season. Students have been learning and training in various subjects. The pre-season has helped students get a taste of the true rigor and hard work that goes into build season. The next 6 weeks leading up to competition season will be fun but busy. The team will have meetings 5 days a week, and will spend countless hours in creating a working robot ready for our first competition. This year’s game is complex, requiring a robot that is able to place balls and panels at high and low levels to score points, while being able to climb on different levels and heights. This challenge will be tough as we come up with a strategy optimal to scoring the most points. The next few weeks we will be working to prototype different robot designs, digitally and physically build a final design, program the robot and prepare ourselves for competition season. We wish good luck to all teams participating in this year’s competition.

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December 4th, 2018 – On December 2nd, The Windham Windup FIRST robotics team hosted the 2018 NH FIRST LEGO League State Championships at the Windham High School. About 50 teams across New Hampshire were invited to the event based on their performance at numerous qualifying tournaments in that took place in November. This year’s theme was called “Into Orbit,” a space-based game centered around creative innovations to tackle problems that aerospace engineers face in human space travel. Students were prompted to show off their newly learned skills and knowledge on space at the championship, and were judged on various presentations across different categories related to this year’s theme including; robot design, research projects, teamwork skills, as well as on the field robot performance.

Throughout the day Windham Windup – Team 3467, along with other local FTC teams, participated in a FIRST program “open house.” The team was able to publicly display and demonstrate their 2018 Power Up robot to hundreds of people. Onlookers were able to ask questions about the robot and it’s development, and were able to learn about different electrical and mechanical components on the robot. The demonstration was a wonderful opportunity for younger FLL students to learn about the other programs and opportunities that FIRST offers. We hope that the demonstration inspired and motivated FLL participants and younger people to consider participating in the numerous of programs FIRST offers like FTC and FRC.

We would like to give a huge thank you to NH FLL, BAE Systems and our volunteers for putting together a well run event and making it run smoothly all day. We applaud all FLL teams for their constant efforts this season and at the event, and wish them good luck in their upcoming season! We would also like to congratulate Blue Box, a local Windham FLL team, for their success in the competition. They earned the 2018 NH FLL Championship State Global Innovation Award, an award given to teams who demonstrate creativity and innovation in their solutions. We wish them luck as they present with teams worldwide in June of 2019.

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October 28, 2018 – Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® Robotics Team recently competed at the 22nd RiverRage, an off-season event at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, NH. This event was hosted by 3 of the Manchester FRC teams; Team 131 Chaos from Manchester Central High, Team 238 Crusaders from Manchester Memorial High, and Team 501 PowerKnights from Manchester West and Goffstown High. The event featured 29 teams from all over New England. 20 qualification matches were played, with each team getting 4 matches to determine their seeding. Team 3467 was the first pick of Team 4905 Andromeda One to be on the sixth seed alliance, the two picked Team 1073 The Force Team to be their third alliance partner. The alliance performed impressively in the quarter final matches against the third seeded alliance, losing their first match but bouncing back to win the second and third matches. With hardwork and well thought out strategy, the alliance advanced to semifinals where they faced the second seeded alliance. Despite the alliance’s determination, they were unable to win their semifinal matches against the opposing alliance.

RiverRage will be the last offseason event that our team will compete in for the 2018 Power Up offseason. We found this fun, low-stake competition to be a perfect learning experience for our new members. We introduced our new members and parents to the typical mechanics of a FIRST game, and some of them even had the opportunity to be on the drive team. New members received training on how to complete various tasks in the pits, including changing out bumpers and changing out parts. They learned about essential skills for being successful mechanically, electrically, and strategically for when the 2019 season rolls around. It is crucial that we get our new members oriented to a competition environment as soon as possible so we can go into the 2019 build and competition season stronger than ever and have a great year.

With the 2018 Power Up season coming to a close for FRC 3467, we would like to give a huge “thank you” to the teams who hosted this amazing offseason event. We would also like to give a thanks to the parents, mentors, sponsors, and supporters who have made our 2018 season possible, along with our veteran-members and alumni who have continued to give members endless support and knowledge. The 2018 Power Up season will always be a memorable one. We are looking forward to the release of next year’s game, Destination: Deep Space, at the beginning of January 2019, and are excited to start building and competing again. We can’t wait to see what the 2019 season has in store for us, and hope to see friends, old and new, next year.

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October 2 2018- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team is gearing up for another season. While the robot-building and competition season does not begin until January, there is still much to do. Students are busy receiving basic training on all aspects of the team, as well as more intensive training for their skills in subteams such as electrical, mechanical, programming, design, digital media, business, and strategy. The hard work that students are putting in before the season’s inception will help them to follow up their 2018 season.

A few weeks back, we held our yearly informational meeting where we welcomed our new students onto the team. Each year, we lose students due to graduation and we have to recruit new students to keep the overall flow of the team going. We have begun training the new kids, providing them with basic skills and knowledge of FIRST.

In our efforts to prepare for the 2019 competition season, Team 3467 has been working on team-building exercises, design challenges, outreach events, contacting sponsors, developing a presentation team, and practicing driving and operating the robot. Through these tasks, students are developing INTO A close-knit group of bright individuals, and show a passion and excitement for learning and expanding their range of skills. The team recently displayed a couple of robots at the Deerfield Fair, and received an award from 4-H. The Windham Windup also helped introduce young minds to engineering concepts and technology by doing demos at RoboExpo hosted by FRC Team 1058, The Seacoast Extreme Fair and a display at the Deerfield Fair. A press release on Team 3467’s performance in a few weeks at RiverRage 22, an off-season competition, along with other general information will be available soon.

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November 14, 2017- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team recently competed at Battle of the Bay, a Thanksgiving-themed event in Alton, NH. This event was hosted by Team 319, Big Bad Bob, and was attended by teams from all around New England. Team 3467 was selected to be on the sixth seed alliance by FRC Team 4909 Billerica Bionics, and the two selected FRC Team 2370, the iBots, to be their third alliance partner. The alliance performed exceptionally well, powering through the matches leading up to finals, and ended the season with a win. The opposing alliance in the final matches consisted of FRC Team 1073 The Force Team, FRC Team 238 Crusaders, and FRC Team 1729 Tidal Force. All three were fine adversaries and took the competition to a tiebreaker round.

While most of the team was busy working in the pits and operating the robot, two students and two business mentors participated in a series of event seminars by giving a presentation on the structure, crucial qualities, and responsibilities of a successful business team. Team 319 hosted a seminar during Battle of the Bay for presentations that would be beneficial to the FIRST community. 3467 was fortunate enough to be a part of it. Our ‘Business Team 101’ presentation helps the members of the FIRST community understand how to acquire proper funding for their team through fundraising and outreach, and emphasizes the importance of having a business team that is experienced, personable, and well-rounded. 3467’s hopes for the attendees of the seminar were that teams would leave with refined knowledge of how to create, structure, and operate a business team that would be able to sustain itself through outreach, public relations, and fundraising. Our presentation yielded extremely positive feedback, and our viewers were quite impressed with what our team does in terms of outreach and fundraising tactics.

The Steamworks season has come to a successful close for FRC 3467. Off-season events have helped shape our newer members into the well-rounded and problem-solving individuals they need to be in order to thrive in the FIRST Robotics Competition, and our veteran members have continued to offer support and advice for their teammates, new and old. The entire team is eagerly awaiting the release of the FIRST Power Up game challenge on January 6th. Until then, students will continue to work on learning about all aspects of the team and will work on small projects designed to enhance their technical skills, as well as give presentations for potential sponsors. 3467 is putting its best foot forward for 2018, and cannot wait to get back into the competition swing in February.

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October 16, 2017- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team is gearing up for another season. While the robot-building and competition season does not begin until January, there is still much to do. Students are busy receiving basic training on all aspects of the team, as well as more intensive training for their skills in subteams such as electrical, mechanical, programming, design, digital media, business, and strategy. The hard work that students are putting in before the season’s inception will help them to follow up their 2017 successes.

Team 3467 received the 2017 Chairman’s Award at the district and district championship events. As a result of these accomplishments, they traveled to St. Louis, Missouri for the 2017 FRC World Championship to end their competition season. Team 3467 placed 9th out of 67 teams in the qualification matches for their division and ended up as captain of the 8th seed alliance for the elimination rounds.

In their efforts to prepare for the 2018 competition season, Team 3467 has been working on team-building exercises, design challenges, outreach events, contacting sponsors, developing a presentation team, and practicing driving and operating the robot. Through these tasks, students are becoming a close-knit group of bright individuals, and show a passion and excitement for learning and expanding their range of skills. The team recently displayed a couple of robots at the Deerfield Fair and received the 4-H Excellence in Educational Display award. The Windham Windup also helped introduce young minds to engineering concepts and technology by doing demos at the Salem Boys and Girls Club and the Andover YMCA. A press release on Team 3467’s performance this weekend at River Rage 21, an off-season competition, will be available soon.

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April 6-8th, 2017- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team competed at the University Of New Hampshire to continue their 2017 competition season. Team 3467 came in 36th place out of 64 teams in the qualification matches but was unfortunately not chosen for the elimination rounds.

This year’s 2017 game challenge is called “Steamworks℠”. Teams use their robotic creations to shoot “fuel” whiffle balls into a boiler shaped tower, and assemble gears onto the “airship” shaped tower in the middle of the field with two human players known as pilots inside of the airship, all during a series of two and half minute matches. Points are awarded according to the quantity of fuel filled, gears assembled, climbing onto the airship, and whether or not the airship took flight. Students have six weeks to design, build and program their unique robots prior to competition. During competitions, teams from all over New England work together in alliances of three to complete the many tasks implemented in Steamworks.

Although the team did not participate in the elimination rounds during the championship, Windham Windup received the District Champions Chairman’s award, which is the most prestigious award in FIRST Robotics. The award is given to a team who illustrates and demonstrates the values of FIRST and what FIRST can do for the community. This award is sought after by all FIRST teams and the Windham Windup is honored to have received such an award for the second time this season.

Over April vacation, Team 3467 will be traveling to St. Louis, Missouri for the 2017 FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship. The team is working incredibly hard to improve their robot and practice presenting with the little time they have until the upcoming competition. They are excited to put their best effort forward going into the final event of 2017 competition season and are also looking forward to the opportunity of competing with teams all over the world for the World Championship Chairman’s award.

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March 25-26th, 2017- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team competed at Bedford High School to continue their competition season for 2017. Team 3467 came in 13th place out of 41 teams in the qualification matches and was chosen for the 6th seed alliance for the elimination rounds.

This year’s 2017 game challenge is called “Steamworks℠”. Teams use their robotic creations to shoot “fuel” whiffle balls into a boiler shaped tower, and assemble gears onto the “airship” shaped tower in the middle of the field with two human players known as pilots inside of the airship, all during a series of two and half minute matches. Points are awarded according to the quantity of fuel filled, gears assembled, climbing onto the airship, and whether or not the airship took flight. Students have six weeks to design, build and program their unique robots prior to competition. During competitions, teams from all over New England work together in alliances of three to complete the many tasks implemented in Steamworks.

The Windham Windup was excited to work with FRC Teams 5556 “Carriagetown Robotics” and 885 “The Green Team”. The alliance was the 6th seed for the elimination rounds out of 8 alliances total. Although the alliance did their best to compete in the elimination rounds, they were unfortunately knocked out in the quarterfinals.

The next competition that Team 3467 will be competing in will be on April 5th to 8th at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire for the New England District Championship. The team is still working incredibly hard to continue improving their robot with the time they have until the upcoming district championship. They are excited to put their best effort going into the district championship of the 2017 competition season.

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March 4-5th, 2017- Team 3467: Windham Windup FIRST® robotics team competed at their own Windham High School to kick off their competition season for 2017. Team 3467 came in 30th place out of 39 teams in the qualification matches but was unfortunately not chosen for the elimination rounds.

This year’s 2017 game challenge is called “Steamworks℠”. Teams use their robotic creations to shoot “fuel” whiffle balls into a boiler shaped tower, and assemble gears onto the “airship” shaped tower in the middle of the field with two human players known as pilots inside of the airship, all during a series of two and half minute matches. Points are awarded according to the quantity of fuel filled, gears assembled, climbing onto the airship, and whether or not the airship took flight. Students have six weeks to design, build and program their unique robots prior to competition. During competitions, teams from all over New England work together in alliances of three to complete the many tasks implemented in Steamworks.

Although the team did not participate in the elimination rounds, The Windham Windup was ecstatic to receive the Chairman’s award, which is the most prestigious award in FIRST Robotics. The award is given to a team who illustrates and demonstrates the values of FIRST and what FIRST can do for the community. This award is sought after by all FIRST teams and the Windham Windup is honored to have received such an award.

The next competition that Team 3467 will be competing in will be on March 25th and 26th  at Bedford High School in Bedford, New Hampshire. The team is working incredibly hard to improve their robot with the little time they have until the upcoming competition. They are excited to put their best foot forward going into the second event of 2017 competition season.