Believe it or not, another week has flown by! Other than being the second week of build season, this week also had the pleasure of signifying exam week at the local high schools. Due to consideration for exams, students were urged to stay home the night before their test, leaving the shop with less of a flurry of activity as normal. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean we weren’t productive.
Putting their math skills to the test, programmers were busy working on and perfecting the camera mechanics. Alannah Napast shed light on the new vision tracking system for aiming power cells. “It uses retroflection on field targets to send data on size so we can write up the distance,” explained the 3rd-year Pirate and Team Captain, “It tells us distance so we can change the angle of the shooter.” Way to score!
Our engineers were working on prototypes of the shooter, intake, and the arm to spin the control panel. Behind them, on the wall, a timeline with important build deadlines became a part of the shop scenery. This is a great addition to keep everyone accountable and on time. As machinery whirred in the background, the design team focused on developing the robot from the ground up in CAD.
Fire safety was the hot topic of this week’s safety talks. From the location of fire extinguishers, an evacuation plan, and PASS (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep), the helpful reminders were directed at keeping everyone safe in the case of a blaze. Safety will continue next week with a closer look into hygiene and ergonomics.
We’d like to thank the Optimist Club of Greenville for their continued support of our team over the years!
On Thursday, our Panera fundraiser night was a success. This restaurant graciously gave Pitt County Robotics 20% of their profits of people we brought in. Thank you for your delicious food and support! We also had a blast from the past when former team member and current MIT student, Lilly Huo stopped by the shop before heading back to Boston/Cambridge to give us best wishes for a successful season! We love it when former team members drop by!
Two days later, Team 7715 Robo-Banditos came to visit our shop. As our two teams gathered to meet in the area devoted to engineering, the room suddenly felt smaller. After a short introduction led by Alannah, everyone got to work. The energy of this team was contagious! Engineering worked on the chassis, intake, and magazine, while design planned the robot in CAD. The marketing and safety teams discussed strategy and tips. We loved the team’s smiles and enthusiasm. We can’t wait to see you again!
From a slow beginning to a bustling end, this week was full of learning. With exams over and second semester underway, our students are ready for a fresh start on Monday and a renewed focus on perseverance and growth this build season. Don’t forget to check in next week for another update!
