Solving problems quickly, and coming up with creative solutions
One of the most challenging aspects of building a battlebot is that everything breaks. Learning to quickly fix problems that come up with creative solutions is a key skill. During the Robodrome competition, We made a crucial mistake of accidentally using lock-tight on the screws that secured the plexiglass to the frame. We did not know it at the time but lock-tight actually reacts with plexiglass and causes it to crack. Thinking fast I used electrical tape to try to hold the plexiglass together. This worked as a quick fix and we were able to continue the competition.
The Competition
I love battlebots competitions as it’s such a competitive yet friendly environment. Even when we were working on repairs, we were still able to help other teams with their problems. We were able to help one team by helping them debug their radio receiver by lending them our spare receiver.
Plexiglass and Lock-tight
This was something I never realized and now I have this first hand experience I was actually able to apply this knowledge to the Marine Design Club where I made sure we avoided using lock-tight near our plexiglass hull as this would have been disastrous.