Research

Though our project was more hands on and required very little research I still understand the power research has. Everyone knows research is used to gain and test ones knowledge on a certain subject and understand what outcome to expect when working in said subject, but most people fail to realize that that research is still valuable even when the outcome differs from the hypothesis. Aside from knowing what outcome to expect research also helps you to understand why you get a certain result. In fact by getting a "failed" result you may end up gaining an even deeper  understanding of the subject by going back through your research, finding, and understanding the error in your calculations or assumptions. Research is the basis of all learning from the time we are born. Whether we realize it or not from the moment we open our eyes we are conducting observational surveys of our surroundings in order to get a grasp on the world around us. Additionally, nothing is considered fact until someones observation or research proves it. In other words, without research we know nothing. And with so many resources for research literally at our fingertips on the internet we are slowly becoming a society of know-it-alls, but, is that a good thing?

Presentation Board

I envision the average viewer of my teams presentation board to be someone who has either some background in robotics and engineering or just a general interest in technology, or a nice balance of the two. Being that our robot is so eye-catching our board will most likely focus on background and information on its innovation process and functionality, with a touch of detail regarding our team android app and outreach programs. Honestly whoever walks by our board will probably find themselves thinking: "Wow these kids really did all of this!?" To which we will respond with a smile as we continue with our presentation, as if to say "Yes we did all of this." Then again we may also encounter someone with a more in depth understanding of robotics and higher expectations, who thinks to himself "I've seen better." Though this response may seem more on the pessimistic side we will still respond with a smile silently agreeing saying: "So have we." That is not to say I am disappointed in what we have done, in fact just the opposite. After seeing the high level of competition at our first qualifier we had no clue if we would make it through the next, let alone walk away with an arm full of awards. The bottom line is that the accomplishments we have made as a rookie team should be nothing short of impressive, no matter the viewer.