Summer 2007 News 
Edina Robotics to participate in Edina School’s East Campus Open House
October 5, 2007 -- Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816, The Green Machine, will demonstrate its 2007 competition robot during the Edina School District’s open house at the East Campus, on Sunday, October 14th. The East Campus includes two school facilities, Normandale Elementary School and South View Middle School, as well as the Edina Community Center and City of Edina gymnasiums. The Green Machine will showcase the capabilities of its 2007 robot, including its dual-ramp system, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Normandale School auditorium. By 2:30 p.m., the robot will be available for public inspection inside Door 6 (the pool entrance foyer) of South View Middle School. Visitors will be encouraged to page through the photo album submitted by the team for the 2007 Chairman’s Award competition; watch team-produced videos of the robot in action, and learn about FIRST Robotics and Edina’s recent activities from team members present.
Medtronic, Inc. Renews Sponsorship Commitment to The Green Machine
September 2007 -- Medtronic, Inc. is supporting Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816, The Green Machine with a generous donation of $10,000 to help underwrite the registration fees and expenses necessary to compete in the 2008 FIRST Robotics competitions. Dr. Stephen N. Oesterele, Senior VP of Medicine and Technology at Medtronic, challenged the team to attract new sponsors, with another $2,000 grant to come when the team does so.
A delegation of team members, including 2008 captains David C., Dan P., and outreach subteam leader Sophie B., met with Dr. Oesterele at Medtronic’s World Headquarters in Fridley. The group presented an update on the team’s 2007 season, the expansion of The Green Machine as well as that of FIRST in Minnesota, and about upcoming local and regional outreach events.
“The presentation went very well, Dr. Oesterle was pleased with what [the team] has accomplished,” said David C. “As always, he gives [the team] a challenge to work on for the coming year. Lead by Alex N. and Emily H., our team’s corporate fundraising and marketing subteam leaders, we’re ready to go!”
The team is also planning another presentation at Medtronic headquarters this fall as part of ongoing efforts to recruit new mentors on behalf of FIRST teams throughout the region. The Green Machine will stage a “show and tell” meeting where both of the team’s competition robots will be used as demonstration models.
Corporate sponsorship provides the funds for the team to build its 2008 robot and compete in the FIRST Regional Competitions. In the 2008 season, the team may attend two regional competitions in the spring of 2008, including the first-ever FIRST Minnesota Regional in Minneapolis, and also to compete in the Championship Event in Atlanta, Ga.
In the upcoming season, the team anticipates expenses of $50,000 to $60,000 to accommodate a team of upwards of 40 members. The donation from Medtronic as well as that from other sponsors will be used to compensate for these costs.
Summer car wash raises cash, fuels team spirit By Sophie B.
August 2007 -- This summer, The Green Machine held a very successful team spirit/car wash fundraising event at the Holiday Station on Interlachen and Vernon, Edina. Team members assembled around 10 AM, then washed cars, usually in frenzied bursts, to raise money for the upcoming 2008 FRC season. After four hours of sweat, soap, and sun, we packed up the wet towels and buckets. Exhausted, yes, but we raised $487 to help finance team activities and events. It was fun to get team members together during the summer break and a chance to meet students who are joining as rookie members. Everyone had a great time and made lots of cars sparkle. Team 1816 thanks the staff of the Holiday station for their support, and donation of their parking lot facilities, and thanks everyone who bought a ticket and turned up to get their car washed.
The Green Machine joins FIRST's President's Circle
July 12, 2007 -- Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816, The Green Machine, was selected as one of 20 teams to join the 2007 FIRST President's Circle. To be considered for the President's Circle, teams had to submit a video of no more than two minutes in length explaining what they have done in the recent past to inspire and recruit new FIRST teams.
President's Circle teams will collectively focus on inspiring the formation of new, sustainable teams. This summer, President's Circle teams will collaborate on defining "best practices." Beginning in September, these teams will communicate their findings with other FIRST teams to help them to recruit new teams and sustain new teams beyond the rookie year.
Joining the Green Machine in the President's Circle are Team 341, Miss Daisy, which provided its "Team in a Box" DVD to all teams attending the 2007 Minnesota Kickoff event, and Team 233, Pink Team, which is well-known for its "Best Rookie Award" given to the team it considers the best rookie team at regional competitions.
To see all of the submissions, including The Green Machine's entry, click http://www.youtube.com/video_response_view_all?v=YI6OdKdileg.
Summer training and activities keep The Green Machine moving forward By Greg B.
July 10, 2007 -- This summer, Edina Robotics FIRST Team 1816-The Green Machine is taking part in a series of training sessions with Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis, faculty to train FIRST members before the build season begins. In the first of these sessions, twelve team members -- veterans and rookies alike -- participated in a six-hour session lead by Dunwoody faculty member Al Jaedike, director of manufacturing programs.
During the campus tour, students were introduced to many of the industrial-arts concepts that Dunwoody teaches, including automated systems and robotics, and engineering drafting and design.-- Demonstrations and hands-on activities followed in such robot-useful areas as machining, welding, computer-aided drafting, and electronics. Additional sessions scheduled for later in the summer and into the fall pre-building season will ensure that team members have further opportunities to gain more in-depth knowledge and training in these areas as well as giving additional team members the valuable experience that the sessions have proven to be...
Honeywell makes $5,000 Grant to The Green Machine
June 13, 2007 -- James Olson, a member of the Honeywell Retirees Volunteer Program, personally delivered a $5,000 grant from Honeywell International to Edina Robotics Team 1816-The Green Machine.
Accepting on behalf of the team are (left to right) treasurer Stephanie Hornung; co-captain Dan Purdy; captain David Cook; Mary Manderfeld, Principal, Edina High School, and Mr. Olson. This grant will be used to help the team defray expenses while competing in the 2008 FIRST Robotics Competitions. In 2007, expenses to build a robot and participate in the Wisconsin Regional and National competitions exceeded $45,000. The Green Machine also received major funding from Medtronic, Inc., NASA, Ecolab and the Edina Education Fund. Honeywell International not only supported the team with a $1,500 donation in 2007, but also donated warehouse space in which the team built its 2007 robot.