The Early College High School robotics team is hard at work putting the finishing touches on their robot, Electric Sheep.
The inspiration for the name of their robot came from the contest’s obstacle course, “Blade Runner”, and the book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick.
The team opted to break away from convention and came up with a track design for their robot. This design choice gives their robot more traction and the ability to spin in place.
“Our model is very versatile in that it can easily cross the bridge or go on rough terrain,” said team vice president Elijah Drysdale. “Also, following the exact specifications of the BEST track, we have worked on a model course to test our robot, and that’s how we’ll initiate our test stages.”
Along with making sure that the robot can handle the terrain, students must be meticulous in their measurements to ensure that every piece is compatible.
“Earlier, I had a problem with the track,” said team member Nicholas Payne. “It kept slipping off the sprocket when I’d put the robot in reverse, so I had to make a sprocket with longer teeth to correct the problem.”
The group is confident that their experience and knowledge will strengthen subsequent classes so that they can continue to be successful at competition.
With 74 members and the entire campus rallying behind them, the enthusiastic team hopes to do well at this weekend’s contest.
