Robotics Club
Interview by Daniel Kidd and Alayna Dallman
Daniel Kidd is not only a member of The Talawanda Tribune, he is also in Talawanda High School’s Robotic Club. Daniel and Alayna sat down and discussed THS Robotics Club advised by science teacher Heidi Schran.
What do you do in Robotics Club?
Our Robotics Club participates in a robotics league called First Tech Challenge. Each year, they give us a new challenge, and we build and optimize the robot based on the challenge.
This year’s challenge is to gather blocks called specimens, which we can place in baskets to gain points. We can also attach a clip to the specimen, turning it into a Sample, and then hang the clip onto a bar for points. The first 30 seconds of the match are autonomous, where we cannot touch the controllers, and we program the robot to do things automatically.
How do the competitions you participate in work?
Throughout the year, we travel to a few competitions and scrimmages. So far this year, we have gone to Walnut Hills. Our next competition is at Millett Hall at Miami on Friday, February 15, from 10:00 to around 6:00.
How long does it typically take to build a robot?
The time it takes to build a robot really depends on the challenge, and the available resources we have. Our current robot has probably taken around 6 months to get to where it is, and it still is not as good as it could be. Over the summer we plan to make a second robot, with a different build system, which will allow us to build things faster, and make it a lot easier to build things in the future.
What would you say is the most enjoyable part of Robotics Club?
My personal favorite part of Robotics Club is either the outreach portion of the club or right before the competition, when we spend plenty of time working on the robot. Some of the outreach we have done this year is the Aviation day in august, when we went to the Oxford Airport and drove the robot around, and let some of the kids there drive it through a short obstacle course. We also went to the middle school’s fall festival event, where we had the students drive the robot around, and pick up cups with candy. My next favorite part of the club is the week leading up to a competition, such as this week, where at least a few of us meet every day, and I take the robot home each day.
What do you think is the most valuable thing you learn in robotics club?
I think the most important thing that I have learned in robotics is the teamwork aspect of it, as well as the interview portion during the competition judging. Especially recently, I have been helping organize some people to work on the arm, the software, and the electronic parts of the robot. The next most important skill I have learned is the interviewing part of the competition judging. Before each competition, we have to meet with the judges and talk with them about the struggles, challenges, successes, and much of the outreach we have done with the robot.
