Intro to Robotics 2013-2014

Smashing, clashing, and slicing, the various wedges, blades, and titanium plates of the Jesuit robotics team ram into the carefully constructed battlebots of the various schools competing in the National Robotics League competition. From simple wedges with sawblades to tank-like invincible masses of steel and titanium, the Jesuit robotics team has just begun constructing their battlebots that will be entered in the battlebot competition in May. Four teams generally consisting of about three to four members have been given a newly increased budget of about $1200 and free reign to design and build their weapons of destruction. With catalogs full of various parts that they can order, they can build pretty much anything they want to. The tournament will take place in May. The destination is not set yet, but the team is hoping to bring it to Dallas.

The team is also working on two machines for the Magis Golf Tournament. They have converted the T-Shirt cannon into a golf ball shooter and they have made a machine that will swing various golf clubs, relying on the angle and size of the club for distance and position. The Magis Golf Tournament will take place on October 14^th. At the tournament, the team will showcase their robots’ power by launching the golf balls as far as they can. Some have even been projected to shoot over 500 yards!

Later, in the spring, the members will be participating in “First Robotics Competition” in Lubbock, a competition that challenges a team’s ability to adapt, in which the various teams must design a robot able to overcome many various and unknown difficulties. The team will be assigned a random task that they have not seen before. These tasks have set parameters and a certain time limit. They test both a team’s creativity and ability to adapt. The team doesn’t know what challenge they will have so they have to be prepared for anything! This takes careful planning during the designing stages and quick decisions in the actual event.

Overall, the team is looking pretty good this year. Many of the members from last year have risen to new heights and have taken charge of new recruits, leading them in set teams for the battlebot competition. The new recruits work under these seasoned veterans and learn the trade while helping the older members. According to Kieran Celli, robotics veteran and leader of one of the battlebot teams, “it comes down to the effort that’s put in. From the start to the end of the competition, there are those who give whatever time they have to the team, and they are not just students, but parents and teachers as well. With what I have seen so far, this year is going to be one of the best ones yet.”

Good luck to the battlebots team! Go support them if you want to see pure awesome metal machines fighting it out!