Build Season Week 2 POV

The second week of robotics was very fulfilling, and I enjoyed growing my programming knowledge. I spent a lot of time learning how to create classes and how to use pointers in C++. With the help of the programming leads, I had the opportunity to apply my newly acquired skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Ridhima Prashanth Class of '22 

My favorite part of this week was when my subgroup came up with a solid design for our mechanism. At first, we had a few ideas that all could have potentially worked, but had trouble figuring out which one would be the most consistent. We identified the pros and cons of each mechanism. I learned a lot about robotics and the different aspects that go into deciding what can and can’t work for the robot. This week, we also started on our prototyping and will test to see if it works. Next week, I look forward to finalizing our prototype and starting on the final mechanism.

Sophia Contos Class of '22 

Throughout the second week of build season, my subcommittee and I have been working hard to brainstorm creative ideas and develop them through prototyping. We are working on intaking and outputting cargo, and, through the process of addressing this challenge, I have learned how to communicate more effectively with my teammates and mentors. I have also learned a lot about robot research, drawing inspiration from robots used in past challenges to introduce promising ideas to our team brainstorms. Next week, I am looking forward to mechanizing our complex prototype, which will help my subcommittee and the rest of the team soon decide how to proceed with the spacing of the different components on our robot.

Leela Mukherjee Class of '21 

We have been preparing various electronic components and training our rookies in CAD. We also started to work on possible improvements for the battery cart and driver station, in anticipation of competition. I learned about a new method for crimping CAN wires, which was challenging at first, but I eventually understood how to do it properly with the help of mentors. Electronics will now be using that method to crimp CAN wires, and possibly other types of wires, too.

Srija Ponna Class of '20