Robot School Third Update

Robot School rolls along.  The kids have the main project bot moving now, but there's still a lot of work to do to optimize ball pick up, transfer and launch.  Among other things they are learning the concept of "kludge" when designs behave a little differently in the real world than in CAD!

I do like the target that the build team has constructed.  It's adjustable, so we can modify it a bit depending on what sort of trajectory the final full power shooter can manage.

So far it would not come anywhere close, alas.

Other things are also happening.  We had an epic nuts and bolts sorting competition.  This was a good opportunity for them to show team work and cooperation.  It also helps us get thing sorted for the upcoming high school team season.  We basically try to use only two sizes of bolts.  Everything that is "close but not quite right" needs to be identified and taken off the hardware cart.  Sure, you need the occasional weird metric bolt, but we have a special quarantine for them!

We've also had the kids doing a bit of CAD work.  Designing signs seems like a good first project.  In fact, we had a couple of them work up a sign that has all their names on it.

The new router enclosure they built contains the sawdust very nicely, so clean up was easy.  Here's a few shots of the sign in process.  Mostly shot through the clear vinyl curtain.