Gonzalez 1

Lucas Gonzalez
ENC 1101-0001
3 November 2014
Paper 2 Final Draft
The Need for Robotics
For students that are majoring in engineering, it is necessary to have 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. It is also a good way to meet and bond with other
students since the robotics club is a community. The robotics club is also a perfect example of an
activity system. An activity system is a group that has agreed upon the tools, subject, motives,
rules, community and division of labor.
Methods
I will be using my own experience in the robotics club at Christopher Columbus High School and
the volunteer work I participated in through Starbot Inc., a non-profit organization. I have analyzed my
four years experience of competing in the club and volunteering to explain the use of tools, rules, and
the community according to activity theory.
I had also interviewed the two owners of Starbot Inc., Bill Garcia and Nola Garcia. As the head of
robotics competitions in Miami, they had been asked to give further information on how they view the
robotics community in Miami.

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Tools of the Job

According to activity theory, tools are the physical objects that the people use in order to
accomplish the activity. 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 much armor we
put on, 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.
Rules for Success
According to activity theory, rules are the laws and agreements that people follow while
engaged in the activity. 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

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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.
Club Community
According to activity theory, community is the groups and people who shape the
activity with their goals and knowledge. Bill and Nola have been working with the Miami
robotics community for over 15 years by organizing events, educating students, and giving them
the tools they need. They are heads of the 305 Community board which is also made up of
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. Bill and Nola also taught classes to multiple clubs in order to give
the students the education they needed to work. Some of these classes would teach robot design,
mechanisms, or electronics. Lastly, they give students access to their workshop, creating a
positive environment for students to work, learn, and bond with each other.
As a competitor I saw the community in a different way. Each schools club constantly
worked together so that they could go as far as possible. However, this was not just limited to the
schools club. Parents, teachers, and competing teams would help each other whenever possible
in order to make the competitions fun for everyone involved. I have given and received tools,
parts, or advice from my competitors in every competition, allowing each other to improve their
overall robotics knowledge. Also, it was clear that the work of each team was efficiently divided
in order to produce the best robot possible. This division of labor is crucial for a teams success,
as it has team members working on what they are best at.

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Results & Discussion

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
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 a 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.

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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.
Final Thoughts
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
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.