Chicago Robotics International Sees Success

Five Romanian teams, as well as teams from all over the U.S., from California to New Jersey and everywhere in between, came to Parker to participate in the Chicago Robotics Invitational. Nathan Satterfield and I were the two designated event coordinators, but we couldn’t have done it without the rest of the team at Parker who helped out, including Brianna Ifft, George Austin and even a few students like Jack Adee, Beckett Nikitas, Jacob Boxerman and Finn Hall.

This was by far the smoothest CRI that we’ve hosted as of yet. We tried a lot of new things this year, including a round robin-based elimination bracket, which definitely had some challenges relating to timing and fairness with this new system. We were the first ones to ever try this kind of bracket, to our knowledge, in the FIRST Tech Challenge, so there was a ton to learn and things that we hope to improve on for the future.

CRI continues to embody what makes the FIRST Tech Challenge program, especially here at Parker, so special. The program means that students, mentors and volunteers from all over the globe and all walks of life came together to put on an amazing show and event for all involved. Each of these participants were willing to help each other and lend a hand no matter if they were playing with them or against them.