Subject: Nashua Robot Builder's Jan/Feb Newsletter

Nashua Robot Builder's Jan/Feb 97 Newsletter
 

By: John Cook

Hi All! I am Not Dead!

Yes, once again its time for Nashua Robot Builder's usually monthly newsletter where I ramble on pointlessly about the stuff we did at the last meeting. ;-)

This time it's gonna be brief, I'm busy, club members are busy, you're probably busy so hang on for a Really Really Short Newsletter.

January 97.

We tried to do a couple of things in January. First we tried yet again to tour PRI Automation in Billerica, MA only to be turned back at the last moment by buracracy. Seems HR didnt want a bunch of geeks wandering around their plant on a weekend but we can come back anytime during working hours. Damon Michaels, our host, was very apologetic and took is out for beers instead and told us all about PRI over some cold ones. Thanks Damon!

Next we tried to do the MIT annual robot contest. That worked better, two of us (Me and Jay Francis) made it and watched most of the contest. This year it was a variation on pick up blocks except that each block had a hole in the middle and you were supposed to pick them up using the hole. Well, it worked good for some who got their accuracy right but for the rest..... Something about it just lacked "umph" this year. I've gone 4 years running and it seemed too many just tried dead reconing and got lost quickly. That, or maybe the field was just too tough, getting pegs in those small holes was tough.

February 97

Was a wash! One new member showed and I showed him some cool books about robots and some of the neat stuff mine does but thats about it. Come on guys, am I that bad a host or what?

Next Meeting!!

This Sat, March 8, 1pm my place in Nashua.

C O N T E S T  P O S T P O N E D

Originally we were going to hold a contest this month but it seems we've all been just too busy to get there so I'm pushing it back a month. There's also the idea that maybe we should go to the Trinity Fire Fighting contest so see that, which is also in April. Hmmm!

Road trip anyone?