Team Duct Tape has moved into high gear in the 11th hour, with extra meetings this week in the hopes of having a functional robot in time for tomorrow morning’s first ROBOT League meet at Hillsborough High School. It’s looking a little touch and go, but we’re hopeful we have a robot that “goes”!

At a mid-week meeting, we enjoyed a visit from Emil Rivas and Bruce Frederiksen, from the Tampa Bay Microcontrollers and Robotics , which is collaborating with TDTs parent sponsor, Learning is for Everyone, on the formation of a new community based FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)  team (the Electrodes!) this winter.  Mr. Rivas and Mr. Frederiksen took the opportunity to talk to team members and our coaches to learn more about running a team, and to see FTC in action (or inaction, as in the case of our incomplete robot).  They also provided a great opportunity for our new TDT members to practice speaking with judges and others about their engineering process and their robot design.

It was a good all-hands, and hands-on, session, though, with almost every tool in the garage employed at some point!  We’ve definitely got some good solderers now, too.

So – one more meeting tonight and then – Game On!