Robotics during a Global Pandemic

The massive scale and unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenge, but we see this as an opportunity to learn and grow. Through the dedication of student leadership, Team Berkelium has been creating programs to support new members, working on an internal competition, and improving outreach. 

In response to the pandemic, Team 5419 has been developing projects to work on in the months before the season begins. We are also making efforts to educate new students and make sure they have the tools they need to be successful in FRC and in STEM as a whole. Furthermore, we have completely overhauled our system of educating new students to accommodate the pandemic. Making sure that even in the worst of situations, every student is given the opportunity to learn and grow.  

Team 5419 is composed of several specialized sub-teams, each of which is adapting to the pandemic differently. The controls team has been designing a class to introduce newer members to the basics of the computer programming languages that that the team will be using. Raphael Huang and Nicholas Underwood, the leads of the controls team, have been hosting workshops during robotics meetings to support newer members. These workshops involve a large range of demonstrations, practice problems, and guided exercises. 

Because many of the new members don’t have any experience with programming, Huang and Underwood have been guiding groups of students through the process of downloading runtime environments and text editors.

Additionally, newer members have learned how to execute basic code in Kotlin, which is the primary coding language the team uses for robot code. Many newer members already have experience in Python, so Huang and Underwood have been expanding on that knowledge and introducing students to the structures of object-oriented programming.

Similar to what the controls team is doing, Dane Hohmeyer is taking the lead in starting a class designed to help familiarize newer members with the mechanical side of robotics. Because the team can’t return to in-person work in the near future, the class will primarily serve as an introduction to computer-aided design (CAD). CAD refers to the use of computers for engineering 3D models, and is incredibly helpful when designing robots.  

Both the controls team and mechanical team are hosting office hours to offer additional support to any members that are struggling or have questions.

In addition to the introductory classes, the mentors (alongside the leadership team) have created a teamwide competition that they’re calling “Pick, Pack, Punt.” Teams of 4-5 students will collaborate to design and manufacture robots that will complete a variety of challenges to earn points. Although most of the construction will be completed individually, teams will have opportunities to meet virtually to plan and design the robots together. Along with the support of their peers, students are encouraged to seek help from mentors and more experienced team members. This project is yet another way we are working to remain active and educate students during the pandemic.

Team Berkelium is also using this time to redesign their website and strengthen their social media presence. 

Throughout the year, we hope that we can continue to find ways to strengthen bonds between teammates and encourage STEM learning and innovation.