During 11th grade, I have experienced my first piece of real teamwork, as part of the YouthRobotics team, participating in the FTC Romania competition.
Our underfunded team managed to make waves amongst the veterans of the game, due to my contributions in the design deparment. As the sole responsible for the mechanical design of our robot, I have developed a few interesting mechanical constructions. From the pulley mechanism that was described as “magic” by opponents, to the inovative motion system that allowed us top-tier full motion using nothing but basic kit parts, to the bulletproof brick retriever, everything managed to impress and all the effort resulted in great performance.
To play around the budget, I have employed heavy usage of mechanical 3D printed parts, from essential brackets, to gears and racks. Even though the competition saw great usage of proper engineering implements, from fully machined robots, to mechanical mavels, our team had to work with household items such as drawer rails, gardening wire, telephone cords, cutting boards, and elastic bands. We managed to perform above expectations.
