Robotics Team Off To A Good Start
January 14, 2019
Right now, the robotics team is competing in pre-season events, which are held across all of Massachusetts and include unique, crazy robot designs made from all types of materials. They won their first competition, the Bay State Brawl, which was held in Northbridge, Massachusetts on October 20th, 2018. They also competed in the Savage Soccer event and the VEX Competition in November.
Their main build season starts on January 6th, when they will have six weeks to build a robot for the competitions in March and April. Because these competitions are expensive, they have to raise lots of money. They’ve been reaching out to sponsors, hosting fundraisers, and they are accepting donations. If you can help donate, see a member of the robotics team any day they are available.
Aiden Kelly says “I am looking forward to traveling more later this year in robotics, and it feels good to travel with my team, especially to places like Rhode Island.” He feels that the robotics team to him are very close and they are almost like family.
One of the most interesting tools that the robotics team has is a 3D printer. It can be used to create 3-dimensional objects in just a few minutes or hours, depending on what the item is.
According to Mr. Kevin Monteith, “A 3D printer is a rapid prototyping machine which uses additive manufacturing to create models really fast and it is used in a lot of different industries.” This means that it receives digital copies off of items on the computer and uses layers that repeatedly move on top of each other to make a 3D model very fast. 3D printers, materials are solidified under a computer, which usually includes layers of pigment. Other materials that can be used are nylon, epoxy resins, ABS plastic, silver, etc.
Many unique items can be printed, including nuts and bolts, bottle openers, outlet protectors, pen holders, measuring cups and much more. The process starts with a 3D models from a computer, which can be built ground up with 3-dimensional software or with scanners which can be used to create a digital copy of an object. If you want to learn more about 3D printers, check out this website which will explain more.
