Robot Hank

In a build season with much frustration here's a welcome bit of whimsy.  The team named the robot Hank.  I don't know why, but it is coincidentally also the name of my son's frisky dog.  Puppy Hank is a most estimable canine who gives me many happy moments.  He adores me and I feel the same about him.  Robot Hank on the other hand has caused me a great deal of worry, and once banged me on the shin when he was feeling electronically out of sorts.

Here is Hank in his final form.

It was always going to be a challenging build season.  Pandemic, earliest possible competition schedule, and a team of kids who had little experience.  Indeed, this robot was primarily built by 8th and 9th graders.  And to their credit, the darn thing does work.  At least it was working on Tuesday night! 

Unless you are a very high level team the build process starts with high ambitions, but the compromises begin soon after.  It takes a certain amount of time to do the complicated stuff, and a bit of time past that to make systems robust and reliable.  When you fall behind in the first couple of weeks you can never make that time up.

It has been hard.  Some of my posts showing gnarled, twisted trees covered with ice are a bit of poetic expression.  

Well a great deal has been learned, and having a young team does mean the experience pool deepens quickly.  We have things to address logistically before we can start talking about next year.  But first.....tonight the robot goes off to Duluth the night ahead of the main team.  I'm riding a school bus with a couple dozen robot kids Thursday morning.

With what few functional neurons remain to me after that experience I'll try to post a bit about how Robot Hank does in competition.