Middle School Robotics - Pre Tournament Report

Home stretch for the combat robot phase of the middle school class.  Lots of machines coming together but there are always a few that seem to go down to the wire.

The machine below is one of my favorites this year.  It has a Barby Jeep gearbox with the final reduction gear removed and a "slapper" hubbed to it.  Of course some nasty spikes will go on just prior to the tournament but I don't want to let this thing loose with too much extra time.

This kid's older brother is a new recruit for the high school team.  I really do feel like a minor league baseball manager at times.

Now that is a pretty cool creation.  But for the most part we have fairly unimaginative entries this year.  The schedule has been very tight and of course we have the usual missed sessions due to illness, sports, etc.  On the afternoon of the last build session we still had many kids at this stage:

It is in part the times we live in. Those who imagine the current generation to be tech savvy are using a very narrow definition of same that pretty much means "can play on their phones".  Actual use of real world tools?  It is a vanishing skill.  At times I feel we are not just losing that battle but have already lost it.

Ah well, we shan't go down without a fight.  And along the way those of us who remember the Old Days get to have a little fun too.  There is often a need for "bracket fillers".  These are essentially sacrificial 'bots that we toss in when an empty slot in the tournament tree turns up.  They are usually driven by audience members and are not intended to be serious.  This "Precious Moments" figurine has the words "I love you this much" emblazoned on its base.  I just had to add glowing red demonic LED eyes to complete the effect.