Next Stop: USF Engineering EXPO!
Who knew TDT cleaned up so nicely? Team members visited with 
guests at the Tampa Bay Engineers Week Banquet last night, enjoying the opportunity to share their work with engineers from around the area, who seemed equally appreciative of the team’s efforts. We also made some great new friends and are looking forward to some interesting new outreach and community service opportunities in the coming year.
Today, it’s into wild at the USF Engineering Expo ! You can find us, along with FTC teams 409 & 5210, Middleton Robotics and FRC and FLL teams from the area, in ENC 1002. Stop by and visit, and check out all the great activities going on at the Expo!
In the News & On the Road – Next Up: Tampa Bay Engineers Week Banquet
Fresh from Lockheed Martin Eweek, TDT members are back to work with drive practice, and more outreach readiness, gearing up to 
exhibit at the Tampa Bay Engineers Week Banquet Friday night, and the USF Engineering Expo on Saturday. In between,the team got some good press from 83 Degrees Media and The Laker , highlighting our journey to the FTC State Championship .
With three outreach events this week, team members are working in shifts to get everything ready for the State Championship. Burning out motors during E-week demos added some new challenges, and the expense of 2nd day shipping to get replacements in on time, but we’re going full steam ahead, darn the torpedos!
TDT on the Road to Lockheed Martin E-Week Celebration
TDT Display at 2012 E-Week event
Team Duct Tape hits the road this week for an outreach triple play, starting with Lockheed Martin’s annual E-Week Celebration, one of our favorite FIRST outreach opportunities for several reasons:
1) Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Orlando is absolutely AWESOME! They not only invite FTC teams to provide demo opportunities to their engineers during National Engineers Week (this week – if it’s not on your calendar, it should be!), but…
Chris and Ryder enjoying LM E-week 2012 outreach matches
2) We get a whole room, with a full competition field to run full matches in for two hours!
3) We get to see a bunch of our FTC friends and play with them!
4) And they provide lunch. AND
5) They give teams a two hour tour of the Lockheed Martin facility!
We love talking to the engineers, and some of their families that come by for the day, sharing our design and build with them, and getting some of their insights in the process. There’s always someone among the passers-by who has never seen FIRST Tech Challenge , and we enjoy introducing folks to the game and to FIRST.
It’s a great way to celebrate E-Week – or at least to start celebrating it! We’ve also got the Tampa Bay Engineers Banquet and the USF Engineering Expo on the calendar this week. There should be parades and confetti, too! E-Week is awesome!
Team Duct Tape 