Soccer Robot
Through MIT’s Discover Mechanical Engineering First-Year Pre-Orientation Program, I got to build my first non-Lego robot!
In my high school, our budding robotics program was limited to Lego Mindstorms. However, through this event, I learned how to use several tools and machines. These include a band saw, a drill press, a sheet metal bender, a caliper, and a hand tap.
We were all instructed how to build a base soccer robot, and then told we could add other cool features. I came up with wheel guards and side scoops to guide the ball towards the robot’s paddle. On the last day, we had a tournament by teams of four. By some miracle, my team ranked 2nd!
Building the robot
Worked in the famous MIT Pappalardo Lab, used sheet metal to build a chassis, added wheel guards and guides for the ball. Had a tournament on the last day!
