Who Are We?
The Combat Robotics Design Team from the Missouri University of Science and Technology was formed in 2018. Our team consists of undergraduate students who design, manufacture, and compete with combat robots of varying weights. Each year we participate in competitions where we put our bots to the test against other teams in the arena, and are judged on our documentation of the design process.
The Process
Each season, our team designs and builds a new robot for competition. It takes a whole team to pull it off. Generally, we have weekly general body meetings, with subteams scheduling their own meetings in between to meet their schedules and tasks. The fall semester is spent recruiting new members, brainstorming, designing the robot and its parts, and selecting hardware and controls. Taking an early start on a prototype in November, we hit the ground running in the shop, fabricating parts, soldering electronics, and testing – LOTS of testing. By the start of spring we’re testing and refining our prototype in preparation for a final robot, spare parts, and the much anticipated competition mid-spring. Our non-technical subteams work all school year long too, organizing fundraising events, taking photos and videos for promotional content, and recording the whole process of the robot, from start to finish.
The Subteams
We group our team into six subteams with specific focus areas: Members are encouraged to join multiple subteams, so you can pick which subteams you want to help out on, allowing you to flex your existing skills and pick up a thing or two by trying out a new areas. Here’s an overview of our subteams:
- Fundraising: Organizes events to raise money and negotiates with corporate sponsors. Led by Brandyss Sherman-Hall.
- Documentation: Records every detail of the team, from design to competition. Technical documentation accounts for a large portion of competition score. Led by Matthew Helbig.
- Outreach: Raises awareness for the design team on social media, on campus, and takes photos and videos to help the Documentation Team. This team also updates the team website. Led by Hannah Erst and Forrest Weeda.
- CAD: Transforms the concepts from brainstorming into a workable robot design that the Mechanical team can produce. Lead by Chris England.
- Mechanical: Builds (and fixes!) the entire robot, from body to weapon. Led by Joshua Rehwaldt.
- Controls: Handles the electrical components, wiring, and controls system for the robot. Led by Collin Brockman.
The Leadership
Our subteam leads make sure the different aspects of our team do their part to get us ready for competition, but it takes a skilled executive board to bring everything together and keep all the subteams synchronized. Get to know our Executives below.
- Chief Executive Officer: The CEO leads the entire team and executive board. This person runs communication with the SDELC and team members by presiding at team meetings. Current CEO: Levi Madden.
- Chief Financial Officer: The CFO handles the money, purchasing, and budgeting for the entire team, and the fundraising team reports to the CFO. Current CFO: George Noll.
- Chief Administrative Officer: The CAO acts as the head of our non-technical subteams (Outreach and Documentation), and helps run meetings. The CAO is also responsible for the business plan of our organization. Current CAO: Payton Stropes.
- Chief Technical Officer: The CTO keeps things clean in the shop and acts as our 5S coordinator. The technical subteams (CAD, Mechanical, and Controls) are led by the CTO. Current CTO: Tyler Wascom.
- Student Council Representative: The Stuco Rep speaks for the entire Combat Robotics Design Team at Student Council meetings. Current Stuco Rep: Brendan Duvall.
What are you waiting for?
Sign up to join our the Combat Robotics Design Team so we can get started breaking things! Join via the Design Center, or email us. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions or send us an email if you’ve got more.