Chronicles of Robo Club
- Chronicles of Robo Club
In the distant past (not that long ago), two best friends sat in a classroom, pretending to listen while we both dreamed of robots that could actually do our homework for us. Spoiler alert: it is yet to happen. But what did happen is that we both landed on the path to the Robotics and Automation department at one of the best colleges.
Coincidence? Destiny? Or are we just that fantastic? The jury's still out on that one. But here’s what we know: When someone asks us about our branch of study, we get to casually throw in, "Oh, we're studying Robotics and Automation." And let’s be real—sounds way cooler than saying, "I'm studying ..............." but come on, robots!
This all started from a long back—bright-eyed kids obsessed with digging into how everything worked. While other kids would be busy trading Pokémon cards, we took apart remote-controlled cars (some, in fact, quite successfully putting them back together). Then, luckily for us, fast forward a few years: here we are, drowning in circuit diagrams and control systems, still chasing after it all.
We had this grand dream that by the time we turned 18, we would have a functional Iron Man suit. But in reality, we are still struggling to make the line-following robot not crash into walls. But, you know, we are making progress.
Mandatory Course: Robo Club
If you think robots are just some sci-fi fever dream, wake up—because at Robo Club, we’re out here actually building the future. No theories, no boring lectures—just straight-up hands-on chaos. Picture this, a bunch of clueless rookies walk in, and a few weekends later, we’re coding drones, assembling bots, and occasionally waging war against circuits that seem hell-bent on disrespecting us.
This is about wires and code, but trial, error, and some of the wildest comebacks you've ever seen. Teamwork? Not an option : survival. Whether we're tinkering with mechanical beasts or debugging code like our grades depend on it (spoiler: they kinda do), each session was an upgrade-both to our skills and to the art of making things work against all odds.
Five classes. Five weekends. Five times we ditched our Saturday mornings to jump headfirst into tech that felt like being right out of a futuristic film. Each weekend had a plot twist that kept us on our toes, ensuring boring wasn't even in our vocabulary.
and the best part? We weren’t just learning—we were engineering the future. One bot, one drone, and one absolute banger of a plot twist at a time.
(Seniors introducing us to the Robo Club during the 1 week induction program)
Class 1: Lego Robots and Friendly Chaos
We arrived for class half-asleep but undoubtedly intrigued. This one seemed cool because robotics and automation sounded attractive, but we really had no idea what to expect. And suddenly, we got hit by the plot twist. We were given Lego kits. Yes, you heard that right. Old-school Lego-the ones we built castles, race cars, and sometimes used as weapons for sibling wars with. This time, however, we weren’t building a house of questionable structural integrity. No, this time, it was a robot we were building.
Excited? Certainly. Confused? So much more.
We split ourselves into teams right away. This is when the chaos really started. Just think of a team with ten different ideas and nobody truly knows what to do. That was us. One would have a walking bot while another would want something with wheels. Someone was convinced we could make a mini battle bot. Spoiler alert: none of that happened. We learnt teamwork by bouncing ideas off each other, fumbling through instruction manuals, and slowly but surely jigsawing what vaguely resembled a robot together.
(Teams jigsawing what vaguely resembled a robot together)
Meanwhile, some of our classmates were still thriving across the room. They were borderline cyborgs of Lego assembly. We were arguing over where to attach the wheels, and they had already put together a robotic arm and done programming for a line-follower bot. It was as though we were watching a time-lapse video of expert builders while we were stuck in slow motion. If it made us feel better, we weren’t really here to race. That's what we told ourselves for a consolation.
Then, drones came in.
With the day probably at a close, our seniors set up one more surprise for us. They gave us an introduction to drones-how they look, how they work, the types of drones available and, most importantly, about flying them. We held our first drone; it was like holding a piece of the future, so sleek, advanced, and buzzing with possibilities. The moment we turned it on, we knew we'd become addicted.
Some of our first flights can be described as "interesting." One of us grazed a classmate's ear, another one sent a drone into a chair, while yet another's decided it didn't want to take off that afternoon. No one got too hurt, and these were not exactly--how do I put this?--great flying moments. However, beneath the panicking and frowning was something exhilarating.
So, were we able to build a real Lego robot? Not really. Was any one of us flown by drones? Certainly not. Did we have a great time learning? Absolutely ! And boy, this was just the beginning.
(The robotic LEGO arm and Drone introduction from Seniors)
Class 2: Coding – Wait, This Is Actually Fun?
After the Lego madness, we walked into Class 2 thinking, “Okay, now we’ve got the robots, but what next?” Enter coding. Now, we’ll admit it—coding seemed intimidating at first. The screen was full of lines of text, and people were typing things like they were casting spells. But when we got to program the Lego robots we had just built, things started to click. It wasn’t just about writing a bunch of random letters and symbols; it was about giving our creations instructions, telling them exactly what to do, and watching them obey like little robotic minions.
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. We struggled a bit at first—tiny mistake with a semicolon, anyone? A single missing character could break everything, and we had our fair share of “Why isn’t this working?!” moments. But when our robot finally moved as planned—rolling forward, making a turn, and even stopping at the exact point we wanted—we practically jumped out of our chairs. “Yes! We did it!” It felt like magic, except the wand was a laptop, and the spell was a well-written line of code.
But here’s where things got even better. Our seniors weren’t just there to teach us coding—they were there to drop some real-life wisdom too. They told us that learning in class was just the beginning and that if we really wanted to get good at this, we should explore beyond the classroom. Take extra courses, build our own projects, and experiment. Basically, don’t just stop at what’s being taught—go out there and create. It wasn’t just about coding; it was about developing a mind-set of always learning, always improving.
And honestly? That advice hit different.
Class 3: Tinkercad – Let’s Get Serious
By the time we got into Class 3, we were feeling quite cool about the whole "building-a-robot" thing. Having made the robots, coded them, we started walking into the class feeling as though we knew what we were doing. Then came Tinkercad - a platform for designing circuits and simulating projects. It sounded like something only a genius engineer would know to work with; we were definitely not at that level yet. Wires, resistors, LEDs, and now this mysterious thing called a breadboard - heaven! Tinkercad opened us up to a whole other world of tech. But once we got the hang of it, it began to be fun!
Seniors guided us in wiring the circuits and writing the code to make it all work together. They didn't just throw instructions at us; they described every step, the 'why' of our actions, and how it all connected into the bigger picture about robotics. It did make a great difference. Rather than willy-nilly putting components in place, we actually learned how electricity flowed through the circuits and why the components were needed along the way, while coding brought it all to life. Each time we made something happen - a blinking LED or a spinning motor - it felt like we were levelling up. It wasn't just tutorial following; it felt like we were already one step closer to being real engineers (or at least being real good at playing with tech). Between the coding and the circuit building, the senior students did everything to preserve the fun in that class. They were funny and patient, and there was more than one occasion when a resistor managed to get fried from one of us, and they came out with a few jokes to cheer us up. It was more of a hangout than it was a class where we learned so much without realizing how much was being taken in. By the time we want to perform a session, we were absolutely hooked on Tinkercad.
(The virtual project we did on displaying on an LCD Display)
Class 4: Virtual Drones – Taking Control
And then it was the fourth class—well, we felt as though we had seen everything by now. Robots? Check. Coding? Check. Circuit design? Check. Well, what else could they possibly throw at us? Apparently, we are not even close to the grand finale, or at least, our seniors seem not yet to have finished with blowing our minds. This time we got into deep waters, the coolest thing: drones. Not just a brief cameo like before, this time it’s way out 2013 far: we had a whole "learning how drones work and how to fly one" session. And did I mention? VIRTUAL DRONES.
Yeah, you got that right. Each of us was going to get to pilot a virtual drone. None of the standing and watching someone else get all the fun—this one was a real hands-on program from the start. Each of us, with a controller in hand and a digital drone cracked up on the screen, got to give it a go. It was like walking into a high-tech flight simulator, but instead of just goofing around and learning, we were actually honing our skills as drone pilots. Suddenly words like “throttle,” “yaw,” and “pitch” turned from fancy words to, you guessed, honest maneuvering.
But, to tell the truth, the first minutes were outright chaos. Some people zoomed in sudden bursts and crashed mere seconds after their take-off (no drones were harmed in this event, luckily). Some others go spun around, basically launching themselves into chaos trying to figure out where up was. But slowly, it was beginning to make sense. With our seniors in their infinite wisdom, explaining every bit patiently, we were actually getting the hang of it. They broke it down so well—how to balance the controls, how to hover the drone in mid-air, and how to make smooth turns instead of jerky transitions.
They were messing around, frenetic button-pushing and holding on for dear life. In one minute, we were like novices—doomsday racers at best. Well, it would be too early to claim a place in the drone racing league, but we were quite good for the beginning into it. It was a great mix of fun and learning, and we couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was at the turnaround. If this was virtual, we couldn't wait to get our hands on real drones.
Class 5: The Grand Finale – A Report to Remember
After four Saturdays of building, coding, and flying virtual drones, we hit the last class—a report-writing task. At first, we were like, ‘Do’ we really have to do this? But as we wrote, we realized how much we had learned—from Lego robots to coding to handling drones.
With a bit of fun and nostalgia, we wrapped up our Robo Club journey on paper. And just like that, the course ended—not with a robot battle, but with a report worthy of a masterpiece.
Why You Should Join Robo Club (According to Us)
If you think mandatory courses are boring, Robo Club is here to prove you wrong. It’s a place where creativity meets tech, where you get to build robots, code, and even play with drones. Whether you're a total beginner or someone who already knows a thing or two about robotics, there’s always something new to learn. Plus, the hands-on experience makes everything way more exciting than just reading about it in a textbook. And if you ever find yourself deep in the Lego-building struggle, don’t worry—just take a deep breath and remember: it’s all part of the fun.
The best part? You’re not just learning—you’re surrounded by a group of people who are just as curious (and sometimes just as confused) as you are. The seniors are there to guide you, crack jokes, and make sure no one sets anything on fire (hopefully). And trust us, the feeling of getting a robot to move or a drone to take off is worth every moment of trial and error.
So, if you’re still unsure about whether Robo Club is worth your Saturdays, take it from us: it totally is. You’ll pick up skills, make new friends, and maybe even surprise yourself with how much you enjoy it. And who knows? Maybe next time, we’ll actually finish that Lego robot (fingers crossed).
Robo Club—where weekends are for learning, building, and having a blast!
- Benitaa Paulin EA & Fana P Felix