Most FIRST Robotics Competition teams are based out of one or more schools, there are some exceptions. Edgar Allan Ohms, based in Land O' Lakes, is one of those exceptions. The team is the first FRC team based in a public library in the nation. Because of the team, the library has built a makerspace to support the team. Today, the makerspace sees over 100 people per day.
Miller Bacon, the Lead Engineer and only remaining original member, came by to talk to us about the library and the team. He discussed the changes from the initial season, the expansion of the makerspace and how the team has grown around himself and AmeriCorps VISTA Joel over the past 4 seasons.
In addition, he talked about an overly ambitious project which involved creating custom tank treads for the machine. As it turned out, the change in materials from the practice field to the competition field caused some initial troubles.
Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.
