Hello Everyone!

[TeamUTC]

Hi, I'm Josh from Team Psyclone, representing the Sheffield UTC, an engineering and creative digital college for 14-19 year olds. I've started a robot club in my school, and hopefully I'll be able to introduce some new members into the Robotics community. Well, in October, as nothing's really been set up yet as this is a new school. If all goes well, I'll be able to get several teams of four with individual names, going out and making their own 'bots.

I'll have a see if I can get the UTC to accept the Roaming Robots event thing in, but I don't expect them to spend money on the event.

[Eventorizon]

Welcome, it will be great to see a few new teams!

Are you intending to build featherweight (13.6kg) of Heavyweight machines (100kg)? This will effect what events you go to and for what purpose.

There is Robots Live and Robotwars, which replaced Roaming Robots. The two of them host heavyweight events with Featherweights being a side show in the same arena. RoboChallange host the Featherweight championships, no heavyweights there at all as its run at Gadget Show Live.

[TeamUTC]

I doubt the school would be ready to fund heavyweights, so I'd probably get either ants, beetles, or feathers built, with feathers at a stretch. More than likely, this will be done over several weeks, maybe into next year, since the machines will be either 3D Printed or made using milling machines, or other facilities at my school. I have gotten the go ahead from the engineering teachers, after October half break it should be on tuesdays. If anyone is near or in Sheffield, feel free to drop in, and give a hand or look around, many people come in to take a look at our school. (By the way, I am a student, not a teacher)

[adz600]

I'm sure if you arrange a show and tell some guys could make it, all the best always design and then design again think of little details to create a strong reliable machine

Good luck

[Dan-27]

Sounds great Josh. I think I can help you out with some of the resources you'll be needed.

I've sent you a PM with more details.

[TeamUTC]

I'll have a look at the PM Now. Apologies for being off for so long, been quite busy. I've decided ants are the safest way to go, and cheapest. We have the 3D Printers for it, and Servos are cheap enough to be hacked.

[TeamUTC]

Well, it seems the club may be happening again, as it didn't exactly start off last time, as other enrichments had already been made in place. I'm hopeful, this March, that it will be back on, and hopefully, I may be buying a heavyweight to kick things off.

[Garfie489]

Id recommend you build featherweights first.

Firstly, if its a club you would want several robots to play around with. Having just one heavy limits what you could do as a club, and also would limit how much work you could do it on it outside event time. If you bought 3 feathers you could play with each other in the meantime, and work to perfect your designs.

Secondly, heavies dont come on the market very often. And many which are currently available to buy may require extensive modernisation. Feathers are easy to build with help, and you can get others to build for you if your really worried (then look at how they done it and copy)

Also, avoid building a heavyweight at all costs.

[TeamUTC]

I see your point. I'm still getting a heavy, but it will be for my personal team, with a few feathers under it's (or rather my) belt. I may bring it in to show what a proper thing looks like, but the separate teams will be building feathers or ants under their own teams. Thanks for the heads up, I really should have thought about that.

[TeamUTC]

Well, it seems that this may be becoming a reality rather soon, as I've got a list of people who are interested, a day, and soon enough, I should have a teacher. It'll be split into 3-4 teams, 12 people including myself. Preferably in teams of four. It introduces people into the sport, and hopefully it'll get people to carry on with it, rather than do it for the club, then drop it.