ncssm ROBOTICS

[Menolly]

Is there anything those of us far away can do to help?

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006, Lee Coltrane wrote:

> Hey - It's good to see that there are still people out there on this list.
>
> We may not have a football team, but NCSSM does have a robotics team. 
> And...we desperately need more adult mentors to help out.  If there's any 
> chance at all that you might be interested, please read on <lee is on his 
> knees begging>...
>
> Every year the students build a fully-functional robot, complete with 
> autonomous functionality, and human-operated remote (RF) controls.
>
> Each year they take the robot to compete in at least two regional FIRST 
> (http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/) robotics competitions.  Last year they 
> went to Columbia and Atlanta.
>
> These are *real* robots.  Not little radio shack toys.  Some parts are 
> regulated by the FIRST organization, and thus those parts are supplied by 
> FIRST.  But the majority of the robot is built from scratch, in the machine 
> shop at NCSSM.  The students fabricate parts, and build the mechanical 
> structure according to their own design.  The electrical components, sensors, 
> and microprocessors are built/wired by the students, also according to their 
> own design.  The students write the software/firmware that controls the 
> thing.
> This is a *huge* project.
>
> AND - here's the rub - they can't do it without strong, committed mentors to 
> guide them, teach them, and work with them.  We've always been short on 
> mentor support, but this year we've lost several of our mentors from previous 
> years (job changes, over-commitment, etc).  We now have only two committed 
> mentors for the entire project (me and Chip McFalls).  We are both 
> software/electrical guys -- the team has *no* mechanical engineers -- and, 
> while I could probably handle most of the mechanical engineering 
> requirements, that would mean that I would have to neglect the software and 
> the electrical.  This is a big problem.  It's just not a project that can be 
> handled with only two mentors - regardless of specializations.
>
> So...if you live anywhere within driving distance of NCSSM, and you're 
> willing to commit at least one evening every two weeks (more than that would 
> be great too), please drop me an email.  It doesn't matter what your 
> expertise is.  If you can hold a screwdriver, or offer an encouraging word, 
> these students could really use your help.  If you can design functional 
> mechanical systems, and/or teach students to do the same, then you would be 
> worth your weight in gold to these kids.
>
> They really are great kids.  And the project is a really awesome thing to see 
> completed.  Besides, when else will you get a chance to build a rover-sized 
> robot, in a machine shop, at no cost to you?  (If you get that opportunity 
> elsewhere, then I'm assuming that you have a much cooler job than me -- which 
> many of you probably do ;-) ).
>
> Thanks everyone.
> Please email me if you're interested.
>
> -Lee Coltrane
> '94
>
>
>
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>
>

-- 
menolly at mib.org                    http://www.livejournal.com/~nolly/

On that day, many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works
in your name?" And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you;
depart from me you evildoers." -- Matt 7:20-23, RSV