The Downs and Ups of Robotics

shaking off a rocky start

Conner Enquist, Staff Writer/Photographer|June 1, 2018

Main symbol for the 2017-2018 robotics competion, power-up

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Competition season has rolled in for our recently world-racking robotics team, the Neobots, and they may not have had the greatest start. Our fairly competent season last year has not been followed up yet, with our recent event seeing them in 24th out of at least 30. Least to say, our they have ran into a few snags, but they’ve been able to conceive a diagnosis.

The key problem was that the robot tented to suffer from what they refer to as “brown-out problems.” This means that the robot had trouble with power management, shooting excessive amounts of power to certain parts and starving out others, causing the robot to ultimately shut down. This problems also made it so that the drivers weren’t able to get much practice, which caused them to struggle at comp.

There were also a few minor problems, such as communication issues, but that is to be expected by a student run venture. The Neobots didn’t see as much of a turnout in members as they did last year.

But they were determined enough to pull though. So far, they have nullified the power issues, and the drive team has gotten a lot more practice. From the seniors that want to see a successful next year, to the sophomores that got their first taste of worlds, everyone will always be determined to see it through. Because if you can count on one thing, it is that the Neobots will show that they can solve any problem with determination, problem-solving, and spirit (and lots of it).