The first huge scrimmage we had been preparing for, Robot In Six Weeks, was taking place at Cardinal Gibbons. The team had one brief meetup at school before we left, to just make sure that everything was secure and working. Then, we boarded the bus and started our journey to Cardinal Gibbons.
Upon arrival, the team’s excitement just couldn’t be contained. As we entered the building, we set our stuff in our room and immediately started getting to work. The robot was surrounded by a furious frenzy of workers operating on pure passion. In the meantime, our software members got out their computers and began finalizing our auto, which was capable of scoring points through parking. Our other members who couldn’t necessarily work on the robot were mainly getting to know the other teams, and checking out some of the other robots.
The scrimmage matches that occurred were truly a spectacle for the team. Our new drivers were jumping for joy, with the anticipation of actually getting to test their driving skills in a competitive environment. The matches were packed with energy, as swarms of spectators would surround the field. The first few matches served as a rough lesson for our drivers. The excitement began to wane a little, as they were starting to feel a bit disheartened after their struggles. However, after a deep discussion with other members, with encouragements and support, our drivers recovered their jubilation and began to score points left and right!
At the end of the scrimmage, we placed ninth out of the thirteen teams that participated. The experience served as a great learning opportunity for our newer drivers, and really helped bring the team closer together in the stressful environment. After all, it takes a bit of heat in order to mold iron into a blade. The bus ride back was filled with a new found sense of life, and a joyful round of bus karaoke. However, this event only served as a step four our longer journey. No brakes on innovation, Till The Wheels Fall Off!
The day of reckoning, Kick Off, had finally arrived. We met up at school early in the morning to gear up, and head out. Upon arrival, our presenters checked out the schedule and made sure to identify their rooms. In addition to this, all team members made sure to check out the program list, and we made sure to divide and conquer based on the needs of our team.
Both of the presentations we had were a wild success. The programming paradigms presentation had a few troubles with loading the presentation on the TV, but our presenters just went with the flow and presented without until they were able to. Upon finishing early, they then just taught the attendees about anything they want to learn about.
Our portfolio presentation with Quantum Quacks was an incredible experience for our presenters. The college class space allowed for presenters to go forward onto the floor, and sort of allow presenters to connect and truly deliver information to the audience. The presentation was packed with tips that the audience was eager to absorb, many asking for a link to the presentation to preserve the information.
Following the presentations and lunch break, the game for the year was revealed. Our team enthusiastically began sharing designs for the robot, discussing various methods of intaking samples, scoring specimens, and ascension. Upon our return to our home base, we began analyzing game pieces and drawing up basic intakes using wheels as a sweeper.
The Kick Off event served as an incredibly fun event which led to some team bonding. The gears finally began turning, with all members starting the first step of the iterative design process. No brakes on innovation, Till The Wheels Fall Off.
