Underpants On The Outside

Underpants on the Outside is about two things: comic books and funny* stories.  However, the comic book clause also contains the Nerd Corollary: any subject nerdy enough to be enjoyed by a reasonable comic book fan is also included.  In that vein…

(*funny-ish, at least.)

For the past two years, I have volunteered on a robotics project at an all-girl high school in Manhattan.  I signed up for two reasons, neither of which are “duh, it’s an all-girl high school”.  First, I majored in electrical engineering.  Second, robots are AWESOME.  It would also be my chance to impart my knowledge onto eager, young minds, except the most important lesson I learned in college was: “Always make sure your lab partner has a thick Russian accent.” 

Last year, I almost blinded a girl with solder.  For some reason, I was invited back.  This year, I was cutting a piece of PVC pipe when it shattered, flinging a jagged piece that damn near hit a girl in the neck. 

The robot was recently shipped to the competition, after a final weekend of working furiously.  When I left, I took videos of how much progress we had made.  Enjoy. 

First video: Autonomous mode

The game begins with a ten-second period when the robots cannot be controlled and perform according to a programmed set of instructions.  I would have liked to help with the programming, but my expertise was required elsewhere.  We see the robot take off at max speed, plowing into a mockup of one of the goals.  If the robot does this at the competition, at its playing weight of 120 lbs, it likely obliterate the field and possibly some small children.  (I’m the one you can hear yelling “BAM!”) 

MVI_0056.AVI

Second Video:  The Shooter

At the time of filming, the shooter had not been mounted on the robot, but we wanted to test its range.  I put in some initial work on the shooter, but for the most part I concentrated my efforts elsewhere.  It’s supposed to throw a nerf ball through a 3 ft ring, 8 ft off the ground.  Ideally, the shooter would be able to score from 35 ft.  This is the shooter firing from (I’m guessing) 20 feet.  The balls do leave the shooter, but don’t bother counting, none score a goal.  On the plus side, running the motor like that really drains our battery. 

MVI_0057.AVI

Third Video: The Rollers

Ah.  Here’s where my brilliance shines.  Like the shooter, the rollers have not been mounted on the robot yet.  They are designed to pick balls up off the ground, and if reversed, shoot the balls out into low goals. Watch how effortlessly they transport the balls.   Oh wait… No.  The roller motors spin for about 2 seconds before the whole apparatus binds.  You then see a bright spark come from the motor.  (For those of you who aren’t technical, that ain’t good.)  It is by far the least functional part of the robot.  Of course, that’s where I worked the most.  At least we’re consistent: with both the shooter and rollers in operation, we might be able to squeak out 30 seconds of battery life.  Too bad the rounds are almost five minutes long.

MVI_0058.AVI

(A video of this year’s challenge can be seen here.  Watch the “Aim High” video.)