robot

Summer is almost here, even though the weather might not agree (or be even slightly encouraging). Work has been progressing on an off-season robot, which may or may be complete before school is out.

Seniors finish school on Friday the 13th, but until then, the show goes on!

Boten Anna

This year's robot has been crated and shipped, and is now, presumably deep in the bowels of the shipping company, or in storage somewhere, sitting and waiting. And it's going to sit there for at least a good three weeks, because the Microsoft Seattle Regional is not until March 20th.

Our 2008 robot is named "Anna", after the Basshunter song "Boten Anna" [Wikipedia article] that went around on the Interwebs a little over two years ago, and peaked on the charts of several European countries. We were going to name the 2007 robot Anna, but it was not very well-put together, so we called it Ultimate Novice halfway through the Pacific Northwest Regional to reflect that. I'm not at liberty to discuss all the bells and whistles, but I can talk in general terms!

Saints Robotics would like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day. Or, alternatively, International Singles Awareness Day.

In actual news, we've seem to run into yet another problem. We had previously planned that the robot would be shipped this following Friday the 22nd. Our week-long midwinter break is going to be the following week, so we would have shipped the robot on the last weekday of break. However, I have just been informed today that this is, in fact, not the case, and that the robot needs to be crated and ready to be picked up by Tuesday morning.

Today marked just about 50 hours on-site for this build season. Of course, this does not include days where we stayed late and the countless hours spent writing emails and planning outside of designated club time. With the IB program and AP classes, students who have been showing up have given a lot of themselves for the completion of the robot and associated tasks.

Saints Robotics' robot's drive system and wiring has been completed today. The appendages still have to be completed and the software needs to be uploaded, but having something that moves is a great step forward from having nothing but motors, wires, and metal.