i formed a competitive robotics team with 5 friends in high school to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. i initially wanted to code the robots but ended up working on and enjoying the mechanical design more.
i designed subassemblies in autodesk fusion such as the drivetrain, disc shooter, pneumatic angle changer, and string deployer. these assemblies were mainly composed of commercial off-the-shelf hardware and aluminum channel, electronics from the vex v5 system, and some custom machined polycarbonate sheet parts for more complex geometry.
we designed the first iteration for the las vegas signature event and the texas regional competition, and the second iteration for the world championship. we qualified for the world championship by earning the regional championship excellence award, the highest award at the competition.
the countless hours i spent with my team working on these robots strengthened my technical skills such as cad and manufacturing, as well as my interpersonal skills such as my ability to work and communicate in a team and quickly adapt when things didn't go our way.
i also realized my love for mechanical engineering through this experience which eventually led me to pursuing it further in university.