Robotics: More than meets the eye

Photo courtesy of Robotics Team

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Joshua Whiteley
September 28, 2009
Filed under Features

When I joined the ‘Iolani Robotics Team two years ago, I had an idea of what to expect: robots, and the construction of them.  However, there were many more things that I didn’t expect.  I learned that there was much more than meets the eye.  Here are eight things you wouldn’t expect from Robotics:

1. Robot Battles are exciting. Many people think a Robotics Competition consists of robots doing uninteresting things, like stacking blocks.  Well, actually, it is that, except that it also has the brutality of a cage fight.  Robots pin each other to the wall, ‘accidentally’ flip each other over, steal goals, and score on bots that have been deactivated due to being rammed so hard the battery came out and have been utterly demolished.  It isn’t your Grandmother’s sport.
2. World Championships ARE possible. It’s the dream of every sports team: make it to the Nationals.  Well, the VEX Robotics Team has done better:  Worlds.  Twice.  ‘Iolani has one of the strongest teams on the island, taking the Rookie of the Year in 2007-08 season, and winning the Pan-Pacific Tournament in 2008-09.  The team has proven that it is not only capable of competing on a global scale, but can make it to the World Finals.
3. It really isn’t that scary. A lot of people think that building a robot is something that is too complicated for them.  It’s really not.  The engineering process breaks down all aspects of building, so that everything is small and manageable.  All new members of the team pick up the basics in a week, and by the time the robot is finished, you can’t tell the veterans and the rookies apart.
4. We play with big toys.  The FRC robots are a little heavier than a Roomba.  About 115 pounds heavier.  They take at least 2-3 people to carry, need a truck to be delivered, and are shipped in a crate large enough to stand in.  Last year’s robot included a custom water-cut gear the size of a hubcap.  In short: the robots are pretty big.
5. Zipties are a gift from God. Trust me, all team members learn to love these little guys.  It’s hard to explain.
6. Yeah, you do use math outside of school. No, your math teacher didn’t make that up.  It actually applies to the real world.  In fact, last year’s robot, the “Auto-Pirate II” used trigonometric functions to maximize the efficiency of the turning on its RT-AWD chassis.  The robot does all the hard calculations for you, but it’s cool to see math applied in real life situations.
7. Robot nerds are awesome. Try to name a place where you saw breakdancing techies, a blue-haired emcee from NASA, spontaneous dancing on the field, and a guy in a suit of armor made of soda cans.  If you can’t, that’s because you’ve never been to a Robotics Tournament.  Attend one to meet some of the most interesting people you’ll find.
8. Joining is easy. Send an e-mail to frcteam2438@gmail.com or drop by Science Office 2 and talk to Mrs. Tuthill.