Wilsobotics Progress
Since our Scrimmage event in December, the Wilsobotics team has made tremendous progress in both fundraising and development as we prepare for the upcoming regional competition on 1 April.
To kickstart our fundraising efforts, we held a cake sale at the end of December, when students generously contributed by either baking their own cakes or purchasing store-bought ones to sell. By the end of the day, we had raised an impressive £365, which went directly towards funding new components for the robot. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the sale by buying cakes and donating to the team.
Over the Christmas break and the start of the Spring term, Aidan and Giovanni (Year 12) worked hard to secure four incredible sponsors — Accu, hxlabs, Automate UK, and GoodCore — all of whom bring extensive experience in the robotics and technology sectors. Their generous contributions have significantly boosted our funding, allowing us to purchase crucial parts for our robot, such as linear motion, sensors, and a Mecanum drivetrain. In particular, ACCU’s (https://www.accu.co.uk/) generous in-store funding has been invaluable, helping us source high-quality screws, bolts, and spur gears, all essential components for our build.
Thanks to this funding, we have also been able to expand our team’s potential by investing in a new 3D printer, enabling us to design and manufacture custom parts tailored to our robot’s needs. Using CAD software, we have been prototyping key components, saving the team time and money while also crucially optimising our robot’s performance for competition.
Wilsobotics’ robot is now well underway, and we have now successfully integrated both vertical and horizontal linear motion systems, which will allow us to efficiently pick up and place game elements during the competition. Our next steps involve optimising our intake systems and claw mechanisms to ensure we can interact with game pieces effectively. Additionally, to improve autonomous navigation and scoring accuracy, we have implemented a vision processing camera, colour and distance sensors, and odometry tracking. These upgrades will give our robot a significant advantage during the competition’s autonomous period, allowing it to move precisely and make strategic decisions in real time. The progress our robot has made would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions in helping us bring our ideas to life.
With the regional competition rapidly approaching, we are making our final refinements and believe we are in a strong position to perform well on 1 April. Stay tuned for further updates on our performance at the event! Do have a look at our Instagram page — @wilsobotics — for some interesting photos and videos of the robot!
Article written by Adam (Year 10), Giovanni (Year 12) and Aidan (Year 12)
