Greetings, Loved Ones. Let's Take a Journey...

My name is robot. Or at least, that's what everyone has been calling me. I would tell you more about myself, but there's not much to say. I'm only an idea right now. My team is the Firebirds, and they are very excited to design, build, program, and drive me. They have many hopes for me, and I really hope that I can do a good job and make them proud. Today, a bunch of the team members and mentors got together to talk about me - all good things, all good things. They talked about tasks they wanted me to complete, features they wanted me to have, and strategies they wanted me to use. My design was constantly changing all morning. Sometimes I had big rubber wheels; sometimes I used a tank drive mechanism. One minute I would have a big catapult; the next, I had a little ball pusher. Gradually, the girls broke into groups based on what type of design they favored. Once they had established their individual designs, they presented them to the team. In response, the team asked questions and offered constructive criticism. I was reassured to know that even when they were criticizing my design, they were doing it out of care. They want me to be the best robot I can be. Eventually, the team came to a consensus of what kind of robot they want me to be. I am going to be a short robot that can drive under the low bar defense. I will also have six wide, rubber wheels that are below my frame so that I can go over the moat, ramparts, rock wall, and rough terrain. I could possibly even have a suspension on my wheels. I will have an indented frame with a space large enough for a boulder and wheels on my frame to suck balls in and spit them out. At the end of a match, I will use my extendable unfolding hanging mechanism to scale the tower. I will pass boulders to my alliance members and open the drawbridge and sally port for my alliance members from inside the courtyard. But then again, the team may need to reevaluate later on what the best features are for me to have. My team will work hard to design, build, and program me to have all of these features. They are hopeful that they will be able to complete these features. If a design prototype does not work, I know that they will be able to find a new one.

I am so excited to be sharing my journey with all of you! These next six weeks are going to be both challenging and thrilling. I will be keeping you updated each step of the way with my growth. For now, my parts are being ordered and the team is taking a step back from build while the girls study hard for their finals. I am very excited for Thursday afternoon when the girls will be working on building me for the first time!

XOXO
Robot