Mystery Solved!

Time of Writing: 11:59 P.M.
Head Count: 5
State of Mind: OVERDRIVE

This is it: one day before the real thing. At this point, most of the teams should be putting the finishing touches and designs of their robot. Blitzkrieg, however, is another story.

The Sciborgs are not unfamiliar with rushes. The feelings of anxiety and hurry coalesce to form a heavy burden that weighs down on us, reducing high quality to who-cares-as-long-as-it's-finished quality.

Starting at 8 in the morning, we took the graveyard shift, and, man, did we discover some interesting stuff. One thing is that electricity still flows when the wires of the vehicle board touches the steel frame. This'll be important later on.

Now onto the mystery of the wiper motor. Remember how one wheel wouldn't even budge an inch when Blitz moves forward or backward? After dissecting Blitz's wiper motor, we discovered a neat little thing: whenever the wiper motor's back plating hits the steel frame, sparks fly.

What does that mean? The board test earlier proved that the frame was conductive. It could be that a defect within the wiper motor itself caused electricity to flow freely (suspect: loose plating). On the other hand, the other wiper motor was running smoothly. Here's a theory: let's say that the forward motion of the motor is caused by positive charges, while the backward motion is caused by negative charges. The reason why the spinning motion is so fast compared to linear motion is that one wheel moves forward (positive) while the other moves backward (negative), while going forward has both positive, and going backward has both negative, creating a sort of repelling action and preventing one wheel to go the distance. Fixing this conduction problem may help. If this hypothesis is true, then we have just solved the mystery of the wiper motor!

We're not out of the woods yet, though. There's still the trial of the DC motor and the conveyor belt, not to mention the actual art of Blitzkrieg. Doing them all in one night? The Sciborgs have had worse.

And that's it for the longest blog in Sciborgs history to date. Here's hoping you learned something, guys!

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The Legend of Blitzhoven

     When the sun goes out, so does the mind.
`
     Rollers: check. Glass: check. Pneumatics: check. Sanity: Unknown.

     When these things combine, they form something. Just something.   

     The rollers are ready, the cannon is fixed, and the wheels are reaching its maximum performance. All in one night.

     The music starts, and the curtain opens.

     Now for the biggest hit of the 21st Century. Time to meet...

     Blitzhoven!

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New Threads

     The Robotics team has dwindled down to three. The chaos brought upon by scheduling conflicts has finally reached us.

     In an effort to not waste any time, we worked on the robot's conveyor system and overall offensive stats. Sadly, Blitz is ironically slow as hell, but for some reason, the 'bot can spin really fast (shoulda named it Tornado, huh?). Not all were misses though - this day saw the grand unveiling of the complete, revolutionary pneumatic cannon system, a.k.a. the Pneumacannon. 

     With the main techies absent, we instead focused on the blog and t-shirt design. 

     New threads and new weapons. We proclaim that The War has Just Begun.

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10-24-14: The Longest Day

Time of Writing: 11:60 PM/AM
Head Count: 7
Conscious Minds: 0

Depravity. Exhaustion. Anxiety. Tiredness. Hunger.
No one escapes. No one lives.

     As of this writing, not a single soul was sane. We have fallen into the abyss of depravity. Two people were playing with the stepper motor. Another two were fixing the robot with 0% presence of mind. One was watching videos about pranks. Two were using a steel bar and one of Fuego's wheels to play baseball. That's it for the status report of the members. Number of Casualties: 7.

     This was the last day of the periodic exams, where our productivity should be nearing its maximum level, and at first, it was going well. The Prez went out for a while to buy cola, while the rest were busy building the robot. The frame was fixed and the preparations for the cannon were finished. Unfortunately, our premier all-rounder had caught some glass powder in the eyes, and so he was sent to the ER, where he made his last will and testament (not really, but still). Ouch. Number of Casualties: 1

     In the afternoon, journalism training was up. With half of the Robotics team involved, our numbers gradually dwindled until only 3 were left. The good thing is that we managed to test the pneumatics system with a makeshift cannon. It was good, but it could be even better. Now onto Side B: the wheels. Even now, we still haven't figured out a solution to the slow and sometimes unresponsive movement of the wheels when moving forward or backward. The godforsaken things even need to be readjusted every time. We needed tools, so we went out to get some from the faculty room. This was where the long road began: one slipped, and one got sprinkled by Terminator powder. Such a fun day. Number of Casualties: 3

     The dogs began to howl - it's night. Under the new moon, hunger and exhaustion claimed our minds and souls. We did crazy stuff no one else can ever relate to. In the midst of the insanity, the smell of smoke and fried dreams filled the air. The hybrid motor has fallen. Number of Casualties: 8 

     To whoever set their eyes upon this, this is a warning. NEVER WORK OVERNIGHT.

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Hallelujah

It's raining, man! A little shower can't slow down the Blitz train, though. Then again, we really did nothing, except for some buying and scavenging here and there.

To accommodate for our severely underfunded ventures, we decided to pool what remains of our hard-earned money, giving us enough to buy a total of 40 blind rivets and a few 2-inch screws. Fortunately, a kind soul gave us some cash for welding and fixing the wiper motors.

(Note: This was the first time one of the Sciborgs felt the punishing heat of a freshly-welded wiper motor. It still hurts even now. )

With the wiper motors welded and ready for rolling, we shunted them onto Baby Blitz's frame, with some effort. Later, the wheels were attached, and BAM! Blitzkrieg is ready for action...

Or not. 

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Stressed Out

    Stress (n.) - a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

   When people get overworked, they tend to go haywire. When people are thrust into a sudden, serious situation, they tend to go catatonic. When steel is placed on a long piece of wood, it tends to break.  All of these things are collectively known in a single word – stress.

   It's been 12 hours since we started this charade. For some reason, we can't seem to fix the wiper motor. And it broke down. We tried to fix the magnets inside back in their place, but alas, we were unsuccessful. Then we bought a new one.

   Another problem had come forth when we tested out the pneumatic system. Contrary to our high and prideful hopes, the pneumatics, even with the aid of an illustration board to have a bigger impact area, was useless. The ball couldn't even go out of the makeshift cannon. The clock's still ticking. We're screwed.

   This all happened in the midst of the periodic exams. With mind, body, and soul crushed as the tremors of examination burrowed deep, our stressful escapades have just begun.

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He Lives!

     This is a momentous day for the Sciborgs. After weeks of planning, building, and frustrations, finally – FINALLY – we have achieved our penultimate goal: the test drive.

     Still reeling in from the devastation brought upon by periodic exams, the team was unsurprisingly haggard. Most of us just want to go home relax. Alas, the show must go on, and the robot’s waiting for us. Before the test, some adjustments were made to Blitz (Has riveting ever been this fun?), and the wiper motors were fixed. After a not-so-terrible time of learning how to use tools, we successfully put the wheels, motor, and boards in place, if ‘successfully’ means ‘the wheels are slanted and can’t even move normally.’ And so, Blitzkrieg’s first test drive began. During the test, we discovered a lot of aspects that may hinder our efforts: one wheel was slower than the other, and the concentrated mass on the back was slowing down, or even stopping, the robot. In short, it was not going well. So much for Blitzkrieg’s first-ever test drive.

     This day had both success and failure written on it. Nevertheless, all those technicalities mean that we can still go the full mile, and a few adjustments actually gave us hope that Blitz can rise upon any adversity center stage. Our ancestors did not give up on Fuego back then, and neither will us.

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Leo

There comes a time when every Robotics team has to swallow their pride and ask others, besides their coach, for help. For us Sciborgs, no pride has to be swallowed; in fact, it invigorated us even further. With tech-saviness in one hand and badassery in the other, he proves to be a powerful asset to the team.

Meet Leo!

The husband of our coach, Mrs. Lea, he's an aeronautic engineer who really knows his trade. Leo's tools, skills, and know-how helped us greatly in fixing Baby Blitz.

Leo's advice has passed on to our generation, and we will pass them onto the next. Thanks for everything!

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Three Day Hiatus

To our dear viewers (if there are any), the blog is back online!

After three whole days of unproductiveness due to the calls of research and Pidabs, the Robotics team had ultimately come to a halt. But now, we're back!

To celebrate the return of operations, PIZZA! That's right, pizza is the holy grail for the Sciborgs, and finally we can taste its sweet nectar. After that, we went back to business, working on the wheels (as usual), and the pneumatic system.

As frustating as it is, Blitz still has a problem with movement. On the bright side, the pneumatics was working fine (even better with the bottle cap on), and the new front wheels were fixed.

Take a look at the improved Blitzkrieg: now with wings!

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DC vs Stepper vs Servo

Three motors. One robot. What to choose?

A spinning motor is essential for our conveyor belt. Without it, Blitz can't get even a single ball. To help us in choosing what motor we should use, we lay down the specs of each one:

DC Motor - Low torque, high speed, continuous motion (forward and backward), already in arsenal
Stepper - Good torque, hackable speed, back-and-forth movement (hard to control)
Servo - High torque, Medium speed, very expensive (360 degrees)

The clock's ticking. We have to decide on this ASAP - before a royal rumble of races begins.

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A Gamer's Paradise

E-gizmo - the one-stop shop for anything Robotics. It has chipsets, gizduinos, and wires galore.

What really reeled us in is the gaming area near it. For just P100, two people can play just about any multiplayer game in their arsenal. As the Sciborgs are all about gaming, the place truly is a gamer's paradise.

Four lucky Sciborgs got the chance to shop at e-Gizmo, where they bought a new stepper motor, multimeter, and Arduino/Gizduino shields. After all that shopping, they moved on to the gaming zone, where gamers' souls are sucked in and can never get out - which almost became true for the Prez.

For the Sciborgs, this day was fun and productive. Thanks for the help, e-Gizmo (and that gaming place)!

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Framed

    This is a blog update, live from the aluminum shop!

     Today's Monday - a time when students are cramming their heads (read: slamming) as a tirade of subjects rain down upon their weary, Sunday-centered minds. Meanwhile, the Sciborgs are cutting loose downtown. *smirk*

     The biggest badasses in the block are currently staying at the Shop, without a care about school. Come on man, Blitz's life is on the line! Baby Blitz already has a soul; he just needs a body.

     We need a frame. We are prepared to sacrifice everything.  

     All for Blitzkrieg.

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Behind the Wall

    The blog seeps out every piece of information we have. 

     It represents our remaining time in the world. Our overworked minds struggling to maintain their grip on sanity.

     Our gurus of programming strive to procure sacrifices to appease the blog lord. Every word, every letter counts.

     The wall of text is up. The next sacrifice has come. Time to Blitz!

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One Busy Saturday

     Saturday - the one day of the week that we always wait for. It's a (supposedly) fun time where many students can have fun and relax without the burden of schoolwork looming over them. Not for us, though.

     Kicking things off are the barangay meeting and journalism training. The barangay meeting was a double whammy, triple even,as not only did it give us an opportunity to meet up, it also allowed us to find some threads for the robots, which was, of course, an unfruitful effort; the food, on the other hand, was great.

     Anyway, we scoured the entire northern half of the city for the wheels, which were ultimately provided by one of our own (so much for exploring the neighborhood). The wheels were from an old peewee bike. Unsurprisingly, we had a really fun time (read: hellish) in taking out the wheels from the ancient, rusting artifact, but after some tool-working (and hand-breaking), we finally got wheels.

     The team is well-known for crashing parties (Hey, free food!), and this time, we're crashing a journalist party. With their venue being the only suitable place to go, we set out to the school to show off the new threads and have fun with the pneumatic system (a very joyful tradition).

     Our bellies were filled and Blitz was one step closer to completion. We'd say that needs a thumbs up!

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The Scavengers

     For most people, scavenger hunts are overrated. Sure, they're fun and they instill a sense of adventure, but with the modern couch-based society, hunts are not only tiring, but also dangerous. For the SciBorgs, it's a regular duty.

     After learning that the current pneumatics system is pitifully weak, we decided to heed our coach's advice and find some suitable extensions for it. Simply scrounging around for materials was pretty boring, so we formulated a challenge: the members would each get a material for the extension, then we test it out. The one with the best performance is the winner. 

Here's the recap:

Aluminum Can - Not only did it not work, it actually damaged the can itself, making it unsuitable for the cannon.
Illustration Board - Although it covers a large area, its flimsy structure counted it out of the game.
Sheet Metal - While its integrity was superb, it did little in improving the performance of the pneumatic.
Electric Fan Elisi - Its sturdiness and power were much better than the others; alas, it was too big for the pneumatic system to fit.

     Ultimately, the winner was none of these four. The bottle cap extension, with the integrity of the elisi and improved overall performance, took home the bacon. Here's hoping for a brand-new artillery cannon!

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No Tools Allowed!

     With all our plans set straight for Blitzkrieg, we didn’t know what we were supposed to do with our beloved yet run-down piece of machinery named Fuego. Although it had served us well since the beginning of time, we just had to say goodbye to the much-loved robot. And what better way to offer a heartfelt farewell than to crush the robot into bits. Yeah, it was awesome. 

     But that “heartfelt farewell” turned into something brutal. Going by the phrase “no tools allowed,” we went from geeky technophiles to primordial cavemen. With our bare hands, we tried to knock the nuts off from the still-robust structure to no avail. Then, a sudden gust of enlightenment provoked us to use a huge rock to dismantle the robot and we ended up with a seemingly-useless pile of crap. 

     We set aside Fuego’s remains and laid him to rest. And with this, all our eyes are now on Project Blitzkrieg!

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Special Delivery

     With the wheel problem solved, we now need brand new wiper motors. Fortunately, we have just the thing, courtesy of one Mr. Leeward Mañosca of Golden Gears Automotives, and the package came this afternoon.

     Opening the LBC box was like opening the door to your new house. The fresh smell of new machinery filled the air. Although the new wiper motors were a bit smaller than the last ones, they're still functional. Also, nothing can beat the feeling you get when popping bubble wrap.

     We have the frame, the wheels, the systems, and the motors. Project Blitzkrieg can finally take off.

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Sketch Up

    Everything seems according to plan. A bunch of ideas came into our mind and let our creativity do the rest. It was another day for us to get a chance to complete the sketch of the robot. After we brainstormed, it was a piece of cake.

                      

     Fuego, the name of our former bot,with an outdated system, must undergo a complete repair - if we are to still use it. The burning beast has been used for 3 years now and it would be a big challenge for us because for those past years, we were very unlucky in taking home the bacon, but now this is the time to write the name of TagScie in the history of Robotics.

     To begin with the 'reconstruction' of Fuego, the first thing to fix is the frame. It is very important because it will serve as the base for the rest of the bot. Scrap metals, wires, hardware tools, mechanical parts, and other useful things that we could think are the essential necessities in reconstructing the robot.

     The day ended with a smile. Two days have passed but there are still more days to come. Here's hoping we'll end up with an amazing robot that will bring the name of TagScie to glory.

     Glory to God, Hail to TagScie!

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Day 0: Project Blitzkrieg

    Genesis, this day was the beginning of our plans. Together, we’ll probably find the marked path of victory. With the help of our adviser, Ms. Lea Rowena Cabugon, our thoughts and plans have been validated. Her presence seems to motivate us to start the work and stop lagging.

     This day, the river of knowledge that flows within us conveyed to mold the bot’s function and all of its entity. We critically assumed all the possible hindrances, as well as the schools who excelled the last time. Cirglen Mamaril, our team leader, told us about how the mechanics of other school’s robots were so coooool. The codes have been reassessed and compiled by TagScie’s Spiderman, Paul Jerick Lara. The newly introduced pneumatic system was taught by Ma’am Lea,together with the honchos, and was easily understood by us. YAY ^_^

     Assumptions? Too many. We are positively looking forward to the things that’ll come. Hope it won’t attract the negative pole. To sum it up, the first day was successful in bringing us new information and brought us a huge dose of fun and excitement.

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From Lightning to Thunder: How We Named a Robot

A robot is special. It is more than a complex connection of steel, chips, and wires mingled with a burst of art. For us Sciborgs, our robot is our child. We nurture him, we care for him, we support him in every way we can. As with every proud parent, we bless our child with name, a name that will transcend time and space and encourage him to push forward beyond any difficulty. His name: Blitzkrieg.

“Blitzkrieg” is a German term that means ‘lightning war.’ It is a tactic formulated during World War 2 that involves combined arms forces of infantry, armour, and air units breaking through defensive lines at lightning speed and destroying the enemy from within. Used by the German army, it was effective against the Allied Army in Europe, and has since been adopted by several militaries. The name is perfect for our robot. ‘Blitzkrieg’ symbolises courage, dedication, and strength, as well as the tenacity to grab victory as fast as lightning.

All names have a history, and we did not just pick the name from a bunch of sudden suggestion because it was cool. No, our robot’s name has a story behind it.

One stormy afternoon, the Sciborgs were inside a classroom, fixing our robot, whipping up the codes, and wrecking stuff. Just as we were about to put the ‘finishing touches,’ lightning struck. As if the heavens itself gave a sign, light flashed from outside the windows and thunder roared through the sky. Suddenly, the lights went out, and the school was blanketed in darkness. Unable to see, we attempted to go outside. Unknowingly, we bumped into the robot, rolling it out the room to the hallway. The robot was nothing more than a skeleton with wheels, and yet it was able to cruise out onto the open, no-roof passage. We went outside to get it, but something unexpected, something unimaginable, happened. As if Zeus himself brought upon his wrath, a lightning bolt struck the robotic frame, bringing light to the skies and sending a message to the Sciborgs. Thunder roared, and a thought flashed through our minds: one word – Blitz. In time, Blitz evolved to the word we know today as Blitzkrieg. In honour of that day, we bestowed upon our robot the name: Blitzkrieg.

Now you know the story of the ‘Blitzkrieg.’ Now you’re probably asking: is this all true? – of course not. 

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