[ttldomination]

What have been the most exciting thing you have done or experienced in robotics?

The most exciting thing is perhaps working during crunch time.

You're watching a match, and all of a sudden, the robot trips. Not literally, of course, but there's a slight hiccup. The robot operator flinches, and while no one knows yet, I know that there's a problem. We finish the match with the usual end game, but as the drive team frantically pulls the robot off the field, I stare at the match schedule. My heart drops as I realize that there's only 15-20 minutes left to apply whatever fix is required to fix the random problem. The race is on.

What have been the most annoying thing you have done or experienced in robotics?

Students who don't try, or better yet, students who are resume-pushers.

I'll take the previous question and rephrase it slightly for another answer:
What has been the most saddening thing you have done or experienced in robotics?

When students crack under the pressure. As a mentor, I'm not here just to build the machine or boss around students. When the world (or robotics) is caving in on them, it's my job to come in and brace the walls.

It saddens me beyond belief when students let something get to them, and then they crack (if only slightly). I feel like that speaks to me as a competitor, teammate, and a mentor.

- Sunny G.