September 8, 2010 -- FIRST Tech Challenge team repairs Fire Department Robot! We brought a repaired Freddie (the Fire Truck) back home, to the Auburn Fire station!

Over our summer vacation, our team took on a project for the Auburn Fire Department. Their Fire Safety teaching robot "Freddie The Fire Truck" wasn't working and hadn't been used for several years. We brought him to where we meet and brought him back to life -- updating him so that the audio system could use an MP3 player rather than a cassette tape, re-configuring his driver controls to be more intuitive, and basically giving him a complete tune up and repair. Now his headlights turn on, his eyes look left or right, he can wink, drive around, and talk to kids when they come to the fire station, or when he goes to the schools -- he was a big hit with the elementary school kids and would lead the charge into the classrooms.

The firefighters were thrilled to have Freddie back home and ready for action. They also enjoyed the new updated controls and how easy it is to now drive and control Freddie's movements. Even though Karl is driving in the pictures, all of the firemen took turns driving him around the station. They even drove him into a class that was being held in the firehouse!