End of Build Season

My first build season as a part of Team 1967 was certainly an experience that I never would have had, hadn't I joined Robotics. As a part of the Programming Committee, one of the main things we had to do before starting to work on our code was to go talk to the other committees to get a sense of which components we needed to program. At first, this task seemed very daunting to me, as I am naturally a very shy person, but after a while, I noticed that talking to others seemed to get easier and easier. Now, it doesn't bother me at all to go talk to members of other committees, which is a rather large accomplishment for me. My favorite part of build season was Robot Reveal Night, because it was quite gratifying to see that all of our hard work hadn't been for nothing, and had resulted in a functional robot.

Nandana SureshClass of 2019

CVR (Central Valley Regional)

The Central Valley Regional began on Friday, even though official matches didn't take place until Saturday. On Friday, many changes were made to the robot. The entire robot was taken apart and put back together all in one day, and luckily the hard work paid off. The belly pan of the robot was much stronger, motors were running smoothly, and the entire robot weighed under the maximum one hundred and twenty pounds. Matches began on Saturday, and things were running smoothly until communication issues between the field and robot began to come up. Even though these problems arose, the team took them in stride and worked hard to fix the issue, learning and having fun along the way. At the end of the competition, even though the robot didn't perform as well as the team had wanted it to, the team was rewarded with two awards for their hard work: the Imagery Award and the Safety Award. Even with the setbacks, the team had a great learning experience full of fun and competitiveness unlike anything else, connecting with fellow FRC teams throughout the event. 

 Miyo ImaiClass of 2018

CVR was a great regional once again and this year the team came home with two awards and a Dean’s List Finalist. These were all results of years of hard work towards team branding, safety, structure, and sustainability. When the robot was functioning, it performed amazingly well as it sped through defenses which fit in perfectly with our strategic vision. We did run into some communication problems but after intensive testing, we were able to identify the problem and are working to fix it. I got to bond with my teammates and make new friends which made the experience even better, especially when I got to see my friends get recognized for their achievements too. Can’t wait for SVR!

Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017

Week 5 of Build

The team has been pushing to finish the robot during Week 5, finishing up all of the CAD and beginning to assemble the robot itself. As co-head of mechanical who is trying to balance both outreach work for Chairman's and robot work, it's been a pretty hectic week as I've been jumping around between working on award-related material and pushing my subgroup, the point-scoring mechanism, to finish everything on CAD and begin to put together the mechanism while keeping them on task. It's been great to see everyone step up more and really realize the fact that we have a lot of work to do, yet so little time to do it before both Robot Reveal Night and Bag and Tag. I'm really looking forward to seeing how our robot turns out during Week 6!

Tiffany TaClass of 2017

As a rookie marketer, I've been learning a lot. This week, we've finished making all of our buttons for competition. We've also finished making all of our team bows and are about halfway done with making our giveaways. The most fun part of being a part of the team has been writing thank-you cards to people who have helped the team. This past week, we held a little Valentine's Day event for our mentors. We 3D printed little keychains in the shape of a heart with gears to show our thanks for our mentors for working with us over the long weekend. I'm looking forward to attending my first robotics competition.

Emily DuhClass of 2019

Week 4 of Build

For week 4, my subgroup decided to tackle the designing and CADing of the robot cart. It was really fun and a knowledgeable experiment. Since our subgroup has many miscellaneous projects, it was hard to switch gears, but although it was a challenge, we have an amazing robot cart. And though it will be hard to put this project away for the time being, we will switch gears yet again, this time, onto good bumpers for the robot. Despite being tough, this week was exciting as we’re getting closer to our final robot.

Ayusha AcharyaClass of 2018

I am in the Field Elements group in the Mechanical Committee. This week, I have accomplished to learn more about the chop saw, filing, and using the drill. We have been working on the bumpers and the handles for the robot cart. For me the most fun thing for me during build season so far was to work with my wonderful team and all the other Janksters. I made many new friends by working with my team, and I have learned a lot more about life in robotics as well as school through veterans.  I can’t wait to train the rookies next year!!

Anjali KasulaClass of 2019

Week 2 of Build

Being a rookie at the same time as being involved in other activities makes the opening weeks of build season that much more hectic but also, so much more exciting. This past week marked the end of Week 2 of Build Season. Week 2 consisted of a lot of brainstorming and research. To make this process more efficient, my committee (mechanics) split into subgroups to tackle different components of the robot. I was assigned to the Scaling Subgroup to design a mechanism that can scale the tower in less than 15 seconds at the end of the match. My favorite part is seeing all these crazy ideas start to form something that is becoming more realistic. After much discussion and troubleshooting, we started finalizing factors like how actual mechanism will function, materials we will use, and solving any issues that we come across.

Kathryn McLaughlinClass of 2019 

Week 3 of Build

I am in mechanical and in the Chassis subgroup. I am also the Chassis subgroup leader. This week we have accomplished all of the gearboxes and the CAD is almost done, but had to have minor fixes. We got our metal and tonight (January 31) Mr. Mula would try to laserjet the metal. This week we also put in almost all of our order forms, so the parts should be coming in soon. The most fun part of build season would be building the gear boxes. I like the gear boxes because it gave my hands something to do. I also liked learning about what a two speed transmission gear box. I also really like playing with grease and with locktight. Training rookies are hard, but fun. I found it hard because sometimes I would not have a job for them and they would goof off and they sometimes don't listen to me. But it can be really fun because I got to bond with new people and with people that I would not normally hang out with. I also got to get to know how they work and how I can improve their perspective on robotics.

Amber Kesapradist

Class of 2018

I am in the electronics committee and this week, my committee members and I have finished cadding the side board and and adding components on it. So far my favorite part of build season has been working on tasks with my committee form brainstorming to designing and cadding.  Spending time and bonding with them makes build season a lot more fun.   Additionally, training rookies is always an enjoyable experience as you can get to see how much you know and spread your knowledge to others.

Clare Tan

Class of 2017

Week 1 of Build

Being a rookie at the same time as being involved in other activities makes the opening weeks of build season that much more hectic but also so much more exciting. This past week marked the end of Week 2 of Build Season, which consisted of a lot of brainstorming and research. To make this process more efficient, my committee (mechanical) split into subgroups to tackle different components of the robot. I was assigned to the Scaling Subgroup to design a mechanism that can scale the tower in less than 15 seconds at the end of the match. My favorite part is seeing all these crazy ideas start to form something that is becoming more realistic. After much discussion and troubleshooting, we started finalizing factors like how actual mechanism will function, materials we will use, and solving any issues that we come across.

Katie McLaughlinClass of 2019

This week was not as fast paced as last week, but we still got a lot done! This week my group and I (field elements) did much more CAD work, and we started working on the driver’s station! The new and updated driver’s station is much lighter and much more sleek than our last one. I’m excited to see what this upcoming week holds for field elements!!

Anya ThakurClass of 2017

Week 1 of Build

Since kickoff, the team has been busy trying to keep up with the previously set deadlines throughout the build season.  We first analyzed the entirety of the game manual, created a strategy, went on to brainstorming, and then finally prototyping.  So far, the prototyping (I was put on the boulder manipulation group) has been my favorite part of build season, even though there is so much more work ahead of us.  As a veteran this year, I'm having fun helping my fellow rookies through the organized chaos that I had to go through last year, and I do hope they are enjoying build season as much as I am.

Miyo Imai

Class of 2018

 The start of build season has been quite tiring, awe inspiring, and very educational. My first brainstorm and chassis prototype group were super complex and detailed, and we had so much fun lamenting over how we were going to build this season's robot. In our groups we did some intricate math, rattled our brains, and took some hot chocolate breaks. Mentors pitched in their ideas and just like that, we solved problems and created new ones. We shared our ideas and solutions with the team and got great feedback and helpful suggestions. All in all, my first year in robotics is quite the adventure!

Zenaz Sarkari

Class of 2019

Kickoff

This year's kick-off was really exciting and interesting. First, we watched the game video which was super cool this year. This was my favorite part of the day because I think this is one of the most interesting games FIRST has ever designed. After we did that, we split into groups and read the game manual, which we then discussed as a large group. Finally, we brainstormed ideas about the possible things we wanted our robot to do. It was definitely a hectic day, but I had a lot of fun! 

Sana ShrikantClass of 2017

As a rookie, kickoff was a very new experience. Despite having to wake up and work much earlier than I wanted to, it was just as exciting as the veterans made it out to be. After watching the livestream and anxiously waiting for the game to be announced, the video finally began. This was one of my favorite parts of the day, because it was exciting to see what we were going to be work on after much anticipation. After the game was announced, we had wasted no time splitting off into groups so we could go over sections of the game manual. And once we had gone over the whole game manual with each other the brainstorming finally began. By the end of the day, we ended up with a long list of great ideas that are going to contribute to the making of our robot. 

Cynthia ChungClass of 2019

This was the first time I went to Kickoff at SJSU. It was super early, but everyone there was awake and ready to find out what this year's game would be. After finding out the game and being able to see the game pieces, we went back to ND to go over the game manual and brainstorm. Overall, Kickoff was so much fun, and the game this year seems like it going to be really interesting.

Hannah PatrignaniClass of 2018

WWRF Workshop

During the WWRF workshops, I only attended one workshop, 3D Printing - Getting Good Prints out of Printrbots. When I came into the workshop, I didn't know anything about 3D printing. During the workshop, they taught us things like how make the object to print, how the printrbot works, and what to and not to do while printing. We also learned about how to get the most desirable prints. Overall, the worksop helped me out a lot. I'm still not an expert on the subject, but I do know a lot more than when I started out.

Naina ManojClass of 2019

I attended the Intro to Java Programming Workshop and the Strategic Design for Build Season Workshop. As a member of the mechanical committee and having never before programmed, the Java workshop was full of new and confusing things. Thank God I had Kimberly Zhang, the most amazing programmer, sitting right next to me to help me through it all. The second workshop I attended was mostly ideas and concepts that I was preciously familiar with, so I was more comfortable and I could help rookies to learn more. Overall, the workshop experience was extremely fun and one that I will never forget.

Camille Miller

Class of 2016

Scavenger Hunt

The Scavenger Hunt was so much fun! It was interesting to see what activities were at each stop. I think the most fun one was at Johnny Rockets because we got to eat French Fries :P. Another entertaining activity was near Quickly’s. We had to dress up as the Jankster mascot as quickly as we could. It was really funny because everyone else who was walking by was just staring at us. I think, overall, this was a really fun experience.

Himani ParikhClass of 2018 

Toys for Tots

This is my second year helping out with Toys for Tots, and this year, I helped out at the face painting booth and was the toy runner. The toy runner stays behind the scenes and picks out toys that the children would like and delivers it back to Santa. I had a lot of fun picking out toys for the children and hearing their excitement as well as gratitude toward the gifts they received. I would most definitely help out with Toys for Tots again next year, because it is one of my favorite volunteering event that we do on our robotics team.

Rikako ShimizuClass of 2017

This past week I volunteered at Toys for Tots, a Christmas event for the kids of low-income families. The children came to see Santa Claus who gave them a gift and later participated in all the fun activities. The Janksters did a variety of jobs, but I was a toy runner for the majority of the time. Searching through mountains of donations to find the toys that the elves requested was really challenging, but I felt proud that that I was able to help out. The kids' joyful laughter of excitement upon receiving a gift from Santa was a great reward for me. The event had a high, positive enery and everyone was pumped for Christmas in the upcoming week. Though tired, I had so much fun and I would love to participate again next year!

Lily JohnsonClass of 2019

Young Women's Engineering Symposium

The Young Women’s Engineering Symposium was a great way to meet and hear the stories of different female professional engineers.  The women were all very inspiring to listen to, and I loved hearing the advice they gave us.  My favorite workshop (if I had to choose) would be the robotics engineering workshop.  The women showed off the robot they created named Relay, who is a used as a delivery service for guests at multiple hotels.  Relay is able to maneuver around a hotel and deliver items to hotel guests.  Overall, the symposium was a hit and I can’t wait to meet more female engineers next year!

Paulina RoblesClass of 2017

YWES gave me my first opportunity to get a feel of the engineering possibilities, and I am so glad I decided to go. I came to the event not knowing anything about the workshops I decided to attend, but I left with new knowledge of the three careers I had heard about. The first one, Biomedical Engineering, exposed me to how engineering and biology are combined into one super cool job that allows engineers to be superheroes by inventing multitudes of medical devices that work to keep people alive and healthy. I was also introduced to the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and their program SWENext for young girls looking into a future in engineering. In my second workshop, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, I heard about some gender bias that occurs out in the field and also had the oppurtunity to look at some interesting projects that the speaker, Kat, has worked on, including US Navy submarines and NASA rockets. In my third workshop, I got to meet the cute hospitality robot Relay and it's creators from the new company, Savioke, who explained their prototyping process, what they had to do to make it more human-friendly, and the algorithms needed to make Relay a successful robot in the hotel hospitality business. The event as a whole increased my interest in engineering, and I know that every time I consider what I want to pursue in college and as a career, I will look back on this event and remember everything that I heard and learned.

Miranda GodinezClass of 2018

Intel's FLL

FLL was one of my first experiences being a part of the robotics team and I had the most amazing time. I worked at making buttons, and so many kids wanted to draw their own pins; I felt like they had so much fun as well. When I walked around and saw how excited the kids were about showing off their pins, I had the biggest smile. In addition to making buttons, I helped out with the concessions and it was cute seeing the children debate over which candy robot they wanted. By the time I went home, I felt accomplished. Although FLL has all your attention on the kids for long shifts, I look forward to participating in FLL next year.

Tani PhamClass of 2018

It was great to see all the kids so enthusiastic about being able to drive the robot. I was also able to talk to some adults about our robot, its mechanisms, and our process throughout build season. The FLL tournament gave me more experience in talking about the robot in a way that anyone, even kids, could understand. Overall, the event had a variety of opportunities and fun activities for both children and adults to learn about robotics.

Nikita JagdishClass of 2018

October Projects

The October project was a great way for me to get to know the rookies and to prepare my mind for build season. I was amazed to see the different projectors that each group came up with even when give the same goal. After interacting with the rookies and girls from other committees, I am definitely more excited to see how everyone's unique and creative thoughts will be applied to this years game. This project benefited me as it was a tiny refresher of the process of build season.

Kimberly ZhangClass of 2017

It’s not easy having a million ideas in your head and only one month to take one idea, build it, and make it work. When the team was told that we had three weeks to brainstorm and build something that could shoot a specific ball for a certain number of feet away, I was so excited. I was paired up with two other rookies and two veterans to shoot a ping-pong ball at least 4 feet away, and I immediately thought the idea of a catapult. Our prototype worked pretty well, so the veterans in the group suggested that we should rebuild it out of metal and maybe use a piston. Building the final was quite stressful since we almost ran out of time in learning about angle brackets to connect extrusions. Unfortunately our final presentation and run didn’t work as well as we hoped since the piston was a new concept; however, I’m still glad that I got to work on this project, because I made tons of great memories and friends with the other veterans and rookies. After October, I’m really pumped to learn and work more in the Mechanical Committee. I never would have guessed that robotics would be the thing for me, but now I’m sure.

Shreya BasireddyClass of 2019

I had an amazing time working on the October projects. I’m new to the team and this was my first time. It really helped me adjust to being on the team. At first I was embarrassed that I didn’t understand what the veterans were actually talking about, but after working with them I was able to ask for help understanding things when I needed to. I realized later how important brainstorming is, because the machine would not have worked out as well without all of the planning. When we started prototyping, there were also challenges, such as constant testing, retesting, reforming, and at one point, we changed the method of how we were going to shoot the ball altogether. I feel this really prepared me for build season, because I’ve heard its really stressful and that week is so crucial because thats when most of the work is done.In the end our project turned out so well, and we even finished early.

Naomi DasariClass of 2018

Training Rookies

As I began my third year on this team I noticed many unfamiliar faces fill the small room I have always known as D107. I made my way through the crowd to find my friends to share my excitement, new students, FRESHMEN! I remember telling them that I couldn't wait to talk to all these new Janksters and get to know them better. At this moment I realized that I was one of those terrified, self-conscious freshmen just two years ago. I too sat alone in one of those desks, surrounded by people I had just met five minutes ago. Sadly, in that moment I had another realization, that it would take time for these freshmen to open up and be comfortable in the Janksters community. This deeper understanding has stuck with me, a month into the school year, I haven't gotten close to a freshman yet but I am hopeful, because one day, soon, they will be comfortable enough to shout out GO JANKSTERS at games and talk to veterans. That is a day I am waiting for.

Parisa DeokuleClass of 2017

Seeing all the new faces in robotics is utterly amazing. Looking back on my first year in robotics, I can remember how exciting it was to be learning so much so quickly and being opened up to a whole new world, one that I never knew existed. I can't wait for the new rookies to experience this. Robotics truly changed my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! Rookies, get ready to embrace your nerdiness!

Camille MillerClass of 2016

The start of a new school year encounters new people, new experiences and of course the reboot team 1967 Janksters. This is my second year on the team and it's exciting to take on the role of being a veteran instead of a rookie. It will be challenging to take be the teacher instead of the student, however with every new beginning there is something new to learn. Training the rookies is something that I am really looking forward to because I have the opportunity to teach new things on a topic that I am truly passionate about.

Ysabel ZagalaClass of 2016

Becoming a Jankster

People always say that freshmen are "fresh meat". I was terrified at the thought that I would be lost or unwelcome in a new to high school and a new home, even though I had several of my friends coming to Notre Dame with me. Yet, meeting the Janksters for the first time at Robotics Boot Camp 2015 made me realize that the team members weren't about seniority and upper class priorities, but I saw how greatly the words friendship and fun bonded each of them to one another. Through the various workshops and introductions to different committees, I have not only been able to make new friends and memories, but I learned basic robotics skills that would eventually accumulate to bigger contributions in the future. Although I lean more towards building the next robot with the Mechanical Committee because of the activities I enjoyed in Boot Camp over the summer, I'm extremely excited to work with all the Janksters and solve all of our problems together.

Jayel AmbatClass of 2019

Egg Drop Activity

The egg drop was very fun because as a result, it was cool to see all the amazing projects done in an hour. I was ready because I had done it in the summer for another camp. When we started, I saw that we had copy paper and I needed it to make a box to hold the egg. We also had tape and newspapers which we used as a padding but then during the summer, I knew that we had straws as well. So I asked for the straws, and luckily the Robotics room had them. We finished the project by putting the straws on the top as additional padding. When we finally tested it, I was sure it would work, because I saw that a group had done it that way and it worked, but unfortunately, I think that the blue tape and newspapers were too heavy, which is why when the egg dropped on the ground, it cracked.

Tania PhamClass of 2018

When the veterans told us that we were going to be composing an egg drop experiment, I had the perfect plan forming in my mind. My team and I got the materials right when the timer started. They agreed with my idea of what we should do, and we worked with what we had. We ended up covering our egg with 9 layers of protection and making a parachute within a time span of 1 hour. Even though our egg didn't make it, and even though I don't plan on joining the mechanical committee, it was still a fun and huge learning experience for me and my teammates. Sometimes the plan that you are so certain will work doesn't; and you just need to keep testing until you get it right! I can't wait to continue working with Team 1967.

Alex HuynhClass of 2019

Thoughts on the New Year

I'm excited for this upcoming year! As good as it's been to have a break, I'm excited to see all the Janksters again and get back into the groove of robotics. I can't wait to see the new Janksters, either! After meeting some potential Janksters at boot camp, I can say with confidence that we're going to get some incredible new students this year. Having such a big team just opens up so many possibilities. With a big veteran base and dedicated rookies, we'll be able to give more in-depth training to the students, get more work done, and hopefully have a bigger impact on the community. I'm excited to see how things turn out this year - not just with our team and its students, but also with the game itself. It's sad to think of my time as a Jankster coming to a close, but I think that this is going to be a great senior year. I can't wait for Build Season!

Tamara KawaClass of 2016

Boot Camp

Boot Camp was a blast! This was my second year helping facilitate the workshops and activities, and I think the overall energy we got from the campers was great. My favorite part was when we went Downtown for lunch on Wednesday, because I was able to see who I’d get along with since they liked the same food as me (kidding), and we were able to relax and have some great conversations while eating on the grass in San Jose State. Most of the students who attended boot camp seemed to have a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see most of them during our robotics meetings this following year.

Yashna BansalClass of 2017

Boot Camp is officially 3 years old! This year, it was full of energetic campers who were engaged and excited to learn. I look forward to seeing some of them come join this season! I got the opportunity to teach Arduino for the second year. During one of the free-choice sessions, I had one of the most rewarding experiences. There was a girl who struggled with understanding the logic behind code I was teaching her. After half an hour of trying countless methods and writing up plenty of notes, we finally figured it out together. Code and the logic behind is hard to grasp for those not familiar with it. To be able to teach it and know she understood was an amazing feeling!

Minh-Chau DoanClass of 2017