Robotics Finishes in Top Five
For more than 20 years, the robotics team has undertaken a new challenge each year, working to create a functional robot. The team uses this robot to compete in the Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Robotics events.
The competition consists of robot performance, spirit and sportsmanship, marketing presentation, team exhibit and engineering notebook, along with several other awards. Each year brings a new problem. A robot capable of solving this problem and completing various tasks must be built. Also, the team, acting as a company, uses elements of the problem to inspire a brand.
“This year’s challenge was called Low G, meaning low gravity,” said senior Lexi Grimm, this year’s president of robotics. “It was a challenge set on the lunar surface in a Hoberman habitat. We had to build a robot able to traverse across an uneven floor, that being an elevated tarp, while performing different tasks for research.”
Creating a robot to fulfill the goal requires a great deal of thought and planning. Much of the time is spent brainstorming, before the team can even begin to build the robot, said Grimm.
“The first two weeks are dedicated to brainstorming and prototyping potential components for the robot,” Grimm said. “This includes using whiteboards to get the main idea and using cardboard for prototypes. Additionally, OnShape, a CAD software, is used to model the robot online. The team decides on the best method and compiles the different ideas into one final product.”
As expected, this challenge does not come easily. This year, the team took a chance on a different approach to wheels, which caused some problems. But, they came up with a solution.
“One of our main problems with the robot was the wheels,” Grimm said. “We took a big risk using a two-wheel and gear system on the robot, something we’ve never done during my high school years. We were running into problems keeping the wheels and gears in place because they kept slipping. However, we used wooden blocks to keep them aligned properly.”
Once they recognized the issue, they were able to overcome it and prepare for potential problems in the future. Junior Christian Romer, who is head of the build department and is in charge of the construction of the robot, explained how they did this.
“We built spare parts for everything and just either fixed or redesigned parts of the robot,” Romer said.
Additionally, the game floor itself increased the difficulty of the challenge. Made to replicate the harsh terrain of the moon, it hindered the robot’s ability to move smoothly.
“Another problem we ran into was the robot tipping on the tarp,” Grimm said. “With an uneven game floor, it was very important to keep the center of gravity low. Our solution to this was shifting the arm component forward and adding counterweights to balance it out.”
In the end, the robot proved to be effective. Marcus Carrillo, who has been involved in robotics for the last seven years as a mentor and coach, explained the success achieved each year.
“This year's competition was very similar to past years’ successes,” Carrillo said. “The team is consistently in the Top 5 every year, and this year was about the same. Our robot finished in sixth place out of 20 teams, with our engineering notebook and marketing presentation both finishing in the Top 5. As a whole, the team finished in the Top 5 for the BEST Award.”
Although the team’s ranking does not vary greatly, the team improves over the years, Carrillo said.
“The experience from one year to the next usually helps with how easy the team is to work together,” Carrillo said. “This year was one of the smoother experiences with the experienced team members really helping out the inexperienced members.”
Many people who join are new to robotics and have the opportunity to learn new skills in a very collaborative and creative environment, Grimm said.
“I really enjoy meeting new people and being in the robotics community,” Grimm said. “Each person brings a new set of skills and ideas to the table and it’s exciting to hear about all of it. Connecting with students from all of the grades brings me happiness in robotics.”
Strong teamwork is present within the robotics community, Romer said.
Romer said what he enjoys most about robotics is, “...being able to work together with the team to all work towards this one big goal. It's a very good community. We have a pretty wide demographic of students, and the grade levels go all throughout. Everyone is really nice and we all work together.”
Grimm agreed.
“The robotics community is nothing like I’ve ever experienced before,” Grimm said. “You can put people in the same group, but only they can make it a team with the way they act around each other. It’s a positive atmosphere where anyone can contribute to the conversation.”
The robotics team is always welcoming new students, whether they are interested in joining the build, code, notebook, or marketing department, Carrillo said. Each student is able to use their individual talents to benefit the team.
“The BEST Robotics experience is really meant to bring together all students who want to work as part of a team, not just the ones who just want to build a robot,” Carrillo said. “The team has a place for anyone interested in art, business, and communications, just as it has a space for the engineering inclined.”