It's been a long time. Too long.
A couple of decades back I started a DIY robotics class at the middle school. "Machines Behaving Badly" involved 24 kids in 6th - 8th grades each building a 3 pound combat robot out of scrap materials and unrealistic expectations. It was immensely popular. When the modern age came along and sign up was on the internet it once filled in 90 seconds.
The rules were the essence of simplicity. No flame throwers, no hand grenades, and no live animals. Two minute matches, double elimination with the Final having a degree of Finality as there usually would be a waiving of event rules. No time clock. No judges to rule on performance. Thunderdome Rules. Two Bots enter, One Bot leaves.
Ah, good times. The degree of enthusiasm and creativity it generated were the foundation of the high school FIRST team. The proposed 20th anniversary Machines Behaving Badly Smash it All Grand Finale Event was supposed to happen in 2020. It was done in by Covid lockdown and post Covid my robotics energies have since been directed in other directions.
But this year the Robot School students finished their major project a bit early so I decided to give them a treat. Lets revive Machines Behaving Badly.
Oh, not in its most exuberant form. No weapons, this will be a pushing match only and held on a table top instead of our enclosed arena. But it is an opportunity to merge the Old Ways with a bit of FIRST format. So, three versus three, red versus blue and with a complicated bit of gameplay that requires both individual driving skill and thoughtful cooperation.
We started out with just a few robots pushing things around on a small table...
Then moved up to FIRST robotics style 3 on 3 matches, Red versus Blue. The goal was to push objects of variable difficulty into milk crates for scoring points.
After a few practice rounds the kids did get much better. But some objects defied their efforts. From far back in the Combat Robot days I dredged up the little guy who once sat atop our famous robot Turbo Gnome. He's no pushover....
Tournament on Tuesday. Should be Nostalgic, Nonsensical Fun.
Your passion for the subject shines through in your writing. Thank you!
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