Sunday, October 9, 2011

My Robot Friend

It's been a bit since I've posted, but fear not! Things are going well, and some exciting things are taking shape!

Work is as exciting as ever. There are new challenges almost every day it seems, yet nothing that seems to be impossible. Our systems environment is ever-changing, and the causes and motivations are numerous, but it's all in a day's work. I've also taken it upon myself to start implementing measurable quality metrics in my work, and that has been an interesting journey. I'm starting to learn a number of tools and techniques for automated building, testing, and deployment, and those are skills that should serve me anywhere on any project.

Outside work, I got the itch to do some engineering mentoring, and so I got a hold of my local high school. They don't currently have any programs like the old "computer club" that I attended when I was there (it was really just 3 or 4 of us that would hang around in the computer lab after school). However, just as I contacted them, the tech lab teacher was gearing up a team for a robotics competition called BEST. Basically, over a 6 week period, the team of high schoolers must design and build a fair-size robot (maximum 2 feet cubed) out of basic provided materials, like plywood and PVC pipes, plus an electronics kit. The robot must then perform certain game tasks in competition. I've been volunteering my time with them, and I'm really having a blast, even if there isn't all that much programming. Many general engineering principles, like designing to meet goals and building prototypes, are still useful. Maybe after the competition, I can keep something going through the rest of the school year. We'll see.

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