First good post from Atlanta

What an extraordinary day! I don't know if words can adequately convey how much excitement and fun there is here in the Georgia Dome and convention center. The pit area is full of color and costumes, and very serious engineers-in-the-making. And it is huge! It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the pits to the arena – and it is all on the teams themselves to make it on time – no babysitter announcements here.

Scouts are everywhere in the pits, asking each team a predetermined set of questions – what kind of engine do you have? How many speeds – 2 or 4? How maneuverable are you? What are your strengths? They are in the stands as well, with notebooks and laptops at the ready, picking potential alliance partners and not taking the partners' word for their abilities.

Parents and mentors are here too – many dressed in the team uniform, sometimes more fanciful than their kids (my current favorite is the mid-50ish man with the blue and yellow spikes in his hair). There are also 50 New Zealanders here, all wearing black baseball caps with little stuffed kiwis on the top. The Kiwis aren't here with a team – they are looking to start their own regional competition!

Our guys are fitting right in. And the bot is more than holding its own, performing well in both auton and controlled mode. This is the first time we have seen the cream of the crop here – some of the bots are deceptively simple, but maneuver with complexity. Some are incredibly complex, and can't maneuver at all. Competition is going to be fierce – that's for sure.

More later – with pictures!