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Lucas Gonzalez
ENC 1101-0001
27 October 2014
Paper 2 Workshop Draft
Robotics Experiences
Introduction
For students that are majoring in engineering, it is necessary to have the best grades that
you can, however this is true for all other majors and is already known by the students. Another
critical thing for engineering majors is having experience. Some students dont have any hands
on experience and are not sure where they could get the best experience. Though all engineering
clubs give you some experience, none give you as much as the robotics club. In the robotics club
that I was a part of in high school we got every type of experience that a job would want you to
have.
Methods
In robotics it is critical that you get a basic concept for your robot as soon as possible and
that you know exactly what you need before ordering parts and building. To do this we use 3-D
design software such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks to prototype our robot designs. It is
important for teams to be able to accurately cut, drill, and weld in order to not waste metal or
ruin what was previously cut, drilled, or welded. This is why we had to be very familiar with
heavy machinery such as a sawmill, turret mill, drill press, metal lathe, and several types of
welding machines. In battlebots we expected to get battle damage no matter how armored up we

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were so we had to have the inside accessible. To do this we had to know to use basic hand tools
and hardware in order to make certain parts able to be screwed and unscrewed. Lastly, we had to
learn how to use many electronics such as batteries, motors, receivers and transmitters, and
microcontrollers in order to have the robot actually move under our control.
In robotics there are many rules and restrictions that you must follow completely or you
cant compete at all. When I competed in task robots, the robots had to be able fit in a certain
cubic area but was allowed to expand once the match started. In battlebots the competitions were
organized by weight classes, these can range anywhere from 75 grams to 340 pounds. In
battlebots there are certain weapons that are restricted in all competition such as EMPs, lasers,
or liquids. However, there are some weapons restricted in certain areas such as flamethrowers or
multi-bots. It is important for all builders, judges, volunteers, and spectators to be as safe as
possible, and there are many measures to ensure it. Before a robot could register for a
competition it must be able to prove that it has certain safety features and follows all rules by
going through multiple tests. Every robot must have a failsafe so that the robots stops if it loses
signal from the remote control and every robot with an active weapon must have a weapon lock
strong enough to keep it still.
In my experience with robotics it was just as much about the community as it was with
the individual builders and robots. The 305 Community Board which was made up of each
schools teacher moderator and club presidents. The purpose of the board was to schedule when
and where each competition would take place and solve any issues that may arise between
schools in terms of robotics. Each schools teacher moderator worked with the club president to
make sure that everything that needed to be done got done. Together they made sure that all
teams knew when and where competitions were and that all teams were registered if they were

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able to compete. Other than this though, it was up to the individual teams. It was up to the teams
to go to classes and learn how to build their robots, meet each other to work on the robots, and
fundraise and buy parts for their robots. It was also important that each team divides the labor
amongst themselves so that they wouldnt be sitting there doing nothing. Teams slowly learn to
divide the labor so that each teammate is doing what they are best at in order to have the best
robot they could. In my last year it was only me and my friend on our team so I was in charge of
building and driving while he was in charge of managing the money, ordering parts, and doing
the paperwork.
Results
Those who have been in robotics are much more profitable companies because of their
knowledge of the necessary tools, making you much more likely to be hired. You would easily
be able to use your knowledge of 3-D design software to prototype designs much quicker and
more cost-effectively. If you were unfamiliar with 3-D design software then you would either
have to spend more time learning how to use it or make physical prototypes which could be
much more costly. Through robotics I learned how to best use heavy machinery and hand tools,
which I quickly learned many engineering majors know very little how to use. Companies that
require the use of the machinery would not be able to use these unexperienced people as it would
become a safety hazard. I also have a basic knowledge of the electronics that would be used and
would be able to learn about the electronics much faster than engineering majors that were not in
robotics.
When working for engineering companies you often have to face certain limitations and
restrictions on the work you do. Many times an engineering major that is purely book smart can
come up with a good idea but theyll have a hard time or not be able to have the idea fit its

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restrictions. The designs that they make may be too large or too heavy to be effective in the real
world, much like when researchers find out how to make more effective AA batteries but they
would be the size of a brick. It is also important to have product be cost-effective which may be
harder for book smart students. With experience you know certain things that you could use
cheaper materials and methods for with similar results while someone unexperienced would want
every part to be as best as possible. Lastly, in robotics we are already used to having what we
make need to pass certain safety tests much like a product would before released.
In school, other than some projects, it is not necessary to work with others, however in an
engineering career everything is a collaboration. Companies make sure that people are working
on what they are best at because it doesnt make sense for the accountants to be building or the
artists to be going to court. In robotics we learn how to divide up labor and dont try to just do
everything ourselves because we know its best to work with others. Through robotics you can
learn about money management and leadership skills which is hard to learn when not involved in
anything. Lastly, many members eventually get on the board for the club which is an experience
that is impossible to get if youre not involved in any types of clubs. These show companies that
you have experience as a leader and can be trusted with higher-level decision making, allowing
you to get a higher job then someone with no experience.
Discussion
The robotics club is very fun but that is not the only reason that engineering majors
should join the club if they have not already been part of one. The club gives them experience
that all companies are looking for and are critical to be hired by them. Through my high school
robotics club I learned about all types of engineering tools, designing while following
restrictions, as well as managing myself, my team, and my club. Having this experience and

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knowledge makes companies see me as being more profitable and useful than students who are
just book smart. This is why it is important for all engineering majors to have been in robotics as
it gives more experience than any of the other engineering clubs.

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