Nemesis hits the books with a successful library robot demonstration

On the morning of January 21st, members of Nemesis 2590 were up and ready to showcase their award-winning robot, Iris. Held at the local Robbinsville library and open to elementary and middle schoolers, the demonstration was meant to show the community what Nemesis is all about. After a brief explanation of our team and what we do, students were able to have hands-on interactions with Iris.

Firstly, lead members of Nemesis gave a presentation to the students and their parents. They described what FIRST is, how the FIRST Robotics Competition works, and different ways students could get involved in FIRST. Brief introductions were given about the FIRST Lego League, and a quarter-final match, with Nemesis 2590 playing, from the FRC Championship of 2022 was aired for the students. Described as “a chaotic mix of the NBA and BattleBots”, students were glued to their seats by the sight of six 120 pound robots racing around the arena. The match got students ready and excited to learn about Iris and see how the systems of the robot function.

After the presentation was finished, students were able to witness Iris’s use of its Limelight, a tool which can find the reflexive tape on a hoop in order for the robot to be able to aim itself, first hand. They were given a necklace with a strip of reflective tape on it, and the robot used its Limelight to track the tape on the students as they walked around the robot. Students were able to see the green light shined on them, and the precision of the Limelight’s tracking ability.

After demonstrating the Limelight, the turret was showcased to the students. Some students stood in front of the robot, and a ball was shot from Iris’s turret for the students to catch. This was the same turret and auto locking system used during the 2022 competition season, but the power was turned down so that the ball was catchable for students. While this was happening, other students were able to drive the robot and experience how the control system for Iris works.

Finally, students were given a chance to take a look at Iris, while being guided through the various systems by Nemesis team members. They were walked through the intake, cycling, and shooting systems on the robot, so that they could have a rudimentary understanding of how the different aspects of Iris works. This wrapped up the hands-on interaction for the students, and they were able to go home with an increased understanding of FIRST, with many now preparing to be on FLL teams for the next season.