[Jay TenBrink]

We have had some interesting off season projects in the past. Many of our projects were dreamed up during Nationals or on our way back home from Nationals.

Summer of 2002: We had seen some cool shipping crates that converted into workshops down at the Epcot center. We designed and built our own and have been very happy with it. Stop by in Atlanta and check it out.

Fall of 2002: Our 2002 drive train was slow and weak. We resolved to never have that happen again. In the airport on our way back from Florida we formulated plans to build our robot dynamometer to test and develop drive trains.

Fall of 2003: We designed and built our robot CVT, (continuously variable transmission).

Fall of 2004: We built a 12 foot wide 4 foot deep floor to ceiling display case to show off our robots, trophies, and projects at our school.

Fall of 2005: On the plane back from Nationals in Atlanta the first sketches for our prosthetic robot hand were made. We built it in the fall and visited our regional medical center’s prosthetics lab as a team. Stop by in Atlanta and check it out.

Fall of 2006: We may continue to develop the prosthetic hand to give it individually powered digits or install pressure sensors on the fingers. We also may give it skin over its bones and muscles to make it look less cyborg and more human.