I participated in Botball competitions from 7th-12th grade. Over the years, I progressed from a clueless rookie to a seasoned team captain. The seasons always consisted of a lot of strategizing based on the rules and also prototyping many different mechanisms. There were many things our team had to plan out and constantly adapt to such as how to manage the limited kit parts for both robots and how our robots would score points without interfering with one another. Botball also required a lot of brainstorming, thinking on the spot at competitions, and also constant debugging and discussion between team members. 
 

For Botball competitions, each team builds two completely autonomous robots out of a kit which includes servos, motors, sensors, metal pieces, assorted lego pieces, and an iCreate (Roomba). In one part of the competition, the two robots try to score as many points as possible in a 2 min time period. Points are scored by moving different scoring items such as ping pong balls or foam cubes into different zones or by doing more complex tasks such as stacking blocks or color sorting pom-poms. In another part of the competition, teams play on opposite sides of the table against each other, which gives them the opportunity to interfere with one another. 

Since our robots had to be autonomous, we relied on many sensors so that they would be accurate and so that our runs would be repeatable. Some of the sensors we used included light sensors to start our robots, tophat (IR proximity) sensors to line follow, touch sensors for square-ups, ET (ultrasonic) sensors to calculate distance to an object, and a camera for sorting different colored pom-poms and for seeing objects on the field. 

In terms of mechanical design, I also learned many concepts over the years. We used many types of drivetrains including 4 wheel drivetrains, 2 wheels with a skid, treads, omniwheels, and the iCreate (Roomba), and through experience I learned which drivetrain is best suited for a given situation. Our Botball robots also needed several effectors each year which included claws, forklift systems, 4 bar linkage arms, pom-pom sorting mechanisms, etc. While building these mechanisms, I also learned concepts such as center of gravity and weight distribution and gearing/gear ratios. 

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I also contributed to the software for controlling the robots. I learned how to code in C and I picked up skills such as how to use my team’s reusable libraries and source control. I also programmed the iCreate using Create commands.

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In addition to the technical side of Botball, I also took part in the organizational aspect of the team. I enjoyed doing the team’s documentation and making robot checklists, and I also consistently gave the team presentation to the judges at the tournaments.

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Below are some pictures/videos of robots that I worked on during the 2016 season when I was team captain.

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