Greg McKaskle - This Is How I Work

This week’s How I Work focuses on Greg McKaskle, a FIRST mentor of not only 2468 Team Appreciate, but also a FLL and a FLL Jr team. Greg began his involvement in FIRST through his work with LEGO which eventually led him into FRC where he has gained many years of experience mentoring 2468. Greg tells many interesting stories and advice about robotics in his article so be sure to read more to get some more insight on how he does what he does!

[Responses from October 11, 2016]

Name: Greg McKaskle

CD Username: Greg McKaskle

Current Gig/Job: Chief SW Architect-Education Focus, National Instruments

Alma Mater/Degree: Texas A&M, BS in Computer Science, EE minor

Current Team(s): 2468 - Team Appreciate, Club Oreo (FLL), Blue-Jay-Bots (FLL Jr)

Former Team(s):

Location: Austin, TX

Hobbies: SCUBA diving, wood working, raising kids

What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

I’ve always enjoyed technical diagrams and illustrations. Chilton manuals showing how a brake assembly goes together, a Popular Science article showing the subsystems of the space shuttle -- those were like a candy bar for my brain. My math and science teachers were also willing to feed me more material. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for more.

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?

National Instruments was just a few hundred people when I joined, so the president and other owners also performed interviews. It was very cool, because I could see that they were smart, energetic, and hard-working. I felt at home. We were writing software for Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX, all at the same time. There was a lot of work and a great group of smart people to do it with. I’ve always enjoyed talking to our customers, learning about their research or how they tested some product. Time flies when you’re having fun, and I’ve been at NI for over 25 years, providing tools that help to measure and control things in the real world.

I’ve held a number of roles over the years, but in 2004 I was given the opportunity to work on educational products with LEGO. It was a new challenge because you really need to be aware of who will use the product in what setting. You need to understand their goals and understand how to motivate them to take on a challenge. I was the technical lead, but I worked closely with designers and researchers. This naturally led to involvement in FIRST programs and eventually FRC. In my current role, I spend the majority of my time focusing on the design of the software that will allow the user to be more productive. I still review architecture and write code, but it isn’t my primary responsibility.

What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?

For the 2008 championship we needed a robot to demonstrate the cRIO control system. About a dozen people received project time to build NItro, a three-wheeled kiwi with an air cannon. I was only involved at a high level to make sure it came together. A few days before we were to ship, I reviewed the software to find that things weren’t well integrated. Everyone’s code was in their own project -- there was no flow, no coordinating panel, etc. I had a fishing/camping trip planned for the weekend, but signed up to do the integration and UI work. I picked up an inverter from Frys, packed the camping gear, kids, and laptop and went to the lake. The weekend went sorta like this -- wake up early, start campfire, write code, put water on to boil, write code, coffee, code, repeat a few times. Later in the day it was -- bait hook for kids, write code, clean fish, write code, fry fish, write code, … hand washing inserted as appropriate.

By Monday there was an editor for defining waypoints, a fancy display of controller inputs, wheel speeds, video feed, etc, just in time for the celebratory gathering where the robot showed its dog-n-pony tricks. Part of the celebration was a platter of breakfast tacos placed on a table near the wall. A new driver took the controls and immediately drove the robot into the table, dumping a large bowl of salsa into the robot. Chunks of tomato and onion were flying out of the custom CAN motor controllers, the cRIO looked like a fiesta bowl, and lots of engineers turned very pale.

The electronics were taken apart, some elements went into the sink, others went to the board wash machine. A few of us worked through the night, and 24 hours later, the robot was going again with much better safety, without driving lag, and was soon on a truck to Atlanta. No food near the robot.

What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?

I have been impressed with many of the 1986 robots. Cool team, cool designs, and they deliver the autonomous points.

What apps/software/tools can't you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)

I use Sketchup quite a bit -- for furniture design, landscaping, and basic 3D sketching. I use Keynote for slides and 2D work. I fell in love with Painter when it was by Fractal Design. It is not as robust these days, but I still love using it. And of course I write a ton of stuff in LabVIEW, Mac and Windows versions, and my go to dev tool is XCode.

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)

My primary computer is a MacBook Pro. It is pretty loaded and runs Windows on Parallels. I often have twenty apps open. I do lots of work away from my desk, but here is a photo of that.

What do you listen to while you work?

Long periods of listening to nothing, then I binge on stuff. Lately, Brown Sabbath, Reckless Kelly, and Sia.

What’s your schedule like during build season?

I think it is important to balance shop and family time. So sometimes my kids are at the shop on Saturday or for an afternoon. I probably spend between six and twenty hours on a given week. I stay in touch in between visits, reviewing code and answering questions via email, etc.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

Modesty. Next question please.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Our CEO, Dr T, is retiring this year, and to paraphrase him -- Know where you want to go, start from where you are.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I’m pretty fond of coffee I guess.

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see _ Joe Ross__ answer these same questions.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I’m not into the robots that much. I do FIRST because of the impact I believe it makes to future generations.

“Make it work” -- Tim Gunn

Katie Widen - This Is How I Work

In this week’s How I Work, we’re delving into the life of a Katie Widen a former student of 1675 who is also the Co-founder and former mentor of 3928. Katie is currently working as a Software Engineer at VEX Robotics while mentoring 1296 and training to be an FTA. Katie tells interesting stories about her time on her team and the different things she has learned through her many years in robotics. Read more to know more about Katie and her experiences to become the amazing mentor she is now!

[Responses from September 28, 2016]

Name: Katie Widen

CD Username: Katie_UPS

Current Gig/Job: Software Engineer at VEX Robotics

Alma Mater/Degree: Iowa State University - BS in Computer Engineering

Current Team(s): 1296 - Full Metal Jackets

Former Team(s): 1675 - The Ultimate Protection Squad (student), 3928 - Team Neutrino (mentor and co-founder)

Location: Greenville, TX

Hobbies: Rock climbing, sewing, ukulele, painting, and playing with my dog

What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

Unlike many kids who join FRC, I had no intentions of becoming an engineer: I was going to be a journalist or a psychologist. I joined 1675 (UPS) because my siblings did it and I wanted to animate/write but quickly was whisked into welding and building. When I was 15 I went to Boston with my mom and visited the MIT Museum of Science. I got to interact with these very delicate and precise kinetic sculptures that combined engineering and art. There and then, I decided I wanted to be an engineer. Because of all my work building and designing with 1675, I figured I would be a mechanical engineer. It wasn’t until college when I took a programming class on a whim that I determined I wanted to be a computer engineer.

 

By my sophomore year of college, I got hired as a Teaching Assistant and ran hands-on programming labs where students applied what they learned in lecture to write functioning code. I had to answer questions, reteach concepts, and started running review sessions for additional help. I loved that job so much I almost switched to teaching, but instead decided I wanted my engineering work to apply to education (a large part of how I ended up at VEX).

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?
I write firmware for VEX Robotics, which is to say I write code that enables student’s programs to turn motors and read sensors.

I had a friend working here who encouraged me to apply for an internship. I received an offer but declined it because I wanted to try working at one of the big programming companies. While that was an interesting experience, I wasn’t really interested of the type of work I was doing and the company’s values didn’t resonate with me.

I applied again to VEX because I wanted to work somewhere that was making products with social impact and for the educational sphere. I interned the summer before my last semester at Iowa State and created an automated tool for testing firmware updates. During my time there, I got an offer for a full time position that I later accepted. I’ve been a full time employee since February of 2016.

What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?
When Neutrinos (3928) was a rookie team:

First: Our team name was almost “i.” Not “Team i” or even a capitol “I,” just lowercase “i.” The next day we came back to the shop and all agreed that we should pick a different name.

Second: This was 2012 when part of the game involved balancing on a bridge with other robots and we were looking for the easiest way to balance with other teams. The Q&A said the plastic ball deflectors under the bridge counted as bridge, so we set out to build a 7 in’ tall robot that could fit between the ramp and plastic and also shoot high goals. This was incredibly difficult, but we went at it anyways.

During Week 5, the Q&A deemed our strategy illegal. The shooting part of the robot didn’t work that well anyways so we decided to do a major rebuild. Our students bagged a belly pan, bumpers, and some wheels and then completed Build Season Round II: Withholding Allowance Edition, where we completely rebuilt our ball grabbing and shooting mechanisms to be under 30 pounds before our regional (where we seeded 5th).

What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?
Simbotics (1114) 2008: This is probably one of the most popular answers to this question, but that robot was seriously incredible. I was a rookie that year and we played against Simbotics at our first regional. My team bit off more than we could chew and ended up with a drive base and a non-functioning telescoping elevator. In contrast, there was Simbot SS: a beautiful machine that played the game with ease at our week 1 regional. I was in awe of this dominating robot and saw the potential of what could be built. My team’s alliance somehow beat them in a qualification match but they went on to win the event and worlds that year.

I also have to give some love to Winnovation’s (1625) robots from 2008-2011. They liked to do a lot of crazy things (6-wheel swerve drive, anyone?) without a lot of technical mentors or excessive resources. My high school team was always fond of them: we loved that you could see holes in the wrong places (evidence of lots of student involvement) and how they proved you could succeed with the right attitude and hard work.

What apps/software/tools can't you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)
My short-term memory is pretty terrible, so I live off of to-do lists for work and home, and I really like Trello for this. I use the app, the web version... I even have some email filters set up so I can email myself items to add to cards. In a similar vein I use a lot of sticky notes, both virtual on my desktop and physical on my desk.

I also use google calendar pretty heavily to keep track of my time and prevent over scheduling. I used to block out what I was doing every hour in college/high school to get my homework and projects done on time, but now it’s just to make sure robotics doesn’t overlap with vet appointments and to remember when Battlebots is on.

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)
My work desk is very messy, as a side effect of the type of work I do. Because my job involves programming various microprocessors, I currently have 6 different boards on my desk and associated wires to power/program/debug.  I use three monitors, typically one with code, one with my communication (email, slack), and another one with whatever reference material I need. On top of all that, I have a power supply, oscilloscope, headphones, and a cup of tea.

For home, I like to sit on my couch with my feet up. I don’t do much productive work at home, unless it’s sewing - where I use a basic Singer sewing machine on whatever surface I can find (typically my kitchen table).

For robotics, 1296 has a really neat build space inside an industrial building. The whole shop used to be just for us (and the owners who worked out of some offices) but it very recently has been turned into a Makerspace, which will be an interesting dynamic for the team. The best part of the makerspace -for me- is that it partially enabled/encouraged our team to acquire an in-house welding set up.

You’ll most often find me in the welding booth during build season. Other welders know that safety and prep are the most important parts of welding, so most of the set-up revolves around that. I keep lots of wire brushes (clean surfaces make better welds) and a grinding wheel for electrodes (they need to be sharpened like pencils), and everyone in the booth with me is wearing protective gear (jackets, gloves) and welding masks so no one goes blind. I run a tight ship when welding is involved because the risk for injury is so high, and I train team welders to do the same. I can never remember which welders I’ve used: as long as it’s TIG and functioning, I don’t really care.

What do you listen to while you work?
Lately I’ve been really into the soundtrack from Guardians of the Galaxy, but typically I like to listen to a lot of electronic music, namely house, to get my energy up and keep my focused. If I’m in a more mellow mood I listen to a lot of instrumental/orchestral music. However, I’ve been known to listen to one song on repeat for hours if I really need to zone in which can be anything from pop (“Chandelier” by Sia) to house (“Hey Hey Hey” by Thomas Jack) to acapella (anything by Pentatonix), or even video game music (“Rainbow Road” from Mario Kart 64).

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?
I’m pretty good at noticing when someone gets a haircut. Not amazing, but pretty good.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

“Always ask questions.” The first time I vividly remember receiving this advice was at a performance review in an internship, where despite asking lots of questions, they thought I wasn’t asking enough. Since then, I realized asking questions has led me to a lot of opportunities and knowledge that I would’ve had otherwise (and helps with grades, you learn more when you ask questions).

I think it’s important to ask how and why about everything... and not just in an academic sense. I think people worry that asking questions/asking for help makes them look dumb, but it doesn’t - and struggling for no reason other than not wanting to look dumb is way worse. Additionally, I’ve noticed most people genuinely tend to enjoy answering questions and sharing their knowledge. This ties nicely with one of my favorite mottos: “If you’re the smartest person in the room then you’re in the wrong room.”

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I love watching teen dramas on Netflix. I’m in the middle of Switched at Birth and just started Secret Life of the American Teenager. I hear Pretty Little Liars is good, so I might add that to the list.  

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see Renee Becker - The Executive Director of IndianaFIRST answer these same questions.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I’m training to be an FTA - a process that has led me to a lot of different places and meeting a lot of different people. Big thanks so some folks in Indiana who helped start my journey and to Iowa FTC for giving me a place to grow and learn. The volunteer group in Texas has also been pretty awesome in welcoming me and providing opportunities, and my employer has been very supportive of this endeavor.

Outside of robotics (and everyone should have a life outside of robotics), I make a lot of quilts, climb indoor (and occasionally outdoor) rock walls, and tell a lot of dad jokes.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison

Jonathan Bryant - This Is How I Work

In this week’s How I Work, we are going to look a little bit into the life of a familiar face from FIRST HQ. You might remember him as the guy who says “Bring out the dead!” in the FRC Stronghold Game reveal: Jonathan Bryant. When Jonathan joined FRC, he instantly became mesmerized by the regional atmosphere and years later became a FRC Kit of Parts Engineer. In this article, you can find out more about the amazing stories and advice Jonathan has to offer!

[Responses from September 21, 2016]

Name: Jonathan Bryant (JB)

CD Username: JB

Current Gig/Job: FRC Kit of Parts Engineer

Alma Mater/Degree: Drexel University BS in Mechanical Engineering

Current Team(s): 238 (2016-present)

Former Team(s): 1403 (2008-2014)

Location: Manchester, NH

Hobbies: Food, video games, sports, robotics, and spending time on the water. 

What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

FIRST_® inspired me to do what I do. I know that sounds cheesy. My technology teacher, Mr. Leicht, convinced me to join the team during my junior year at high school. I will never forget the first time I walked into an official competition, it was the 2008 NJ regional and the game was Overdrive, it was like some kind of high. The buzz in the air, the scale of the competition, the elegance of the machines, I knew I was home. That was the defining moment when I said to myself, okay I want to keep doing this and I want to be an engineer. Without a mentor leading the way for me, I would not be an engineer, I would not be in my dream job working at FIRST, and I would not be trying to give the same experience to the students on the team I mentor.    

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?

I work for FIRST as the FIRST Robotics Competition Kit of Parts Engineer. Being the Kit of Parts engineer is a very interesting job and my roles and responsibilities are always changing, which I love. During the build season I work on team updates, q and a’s, and I also oversee the LRI and RI program here at FIRST. During the competition season I go out to events and FTA as well as LRI. During the off season I get to work on game design, manual development, and most importantly the kit of parts, which includes sourcing parts, logistics planning, testing items, and working with suppliers. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I get to hang out with amazing people while working. 

(apparently I really like making that face)

What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?

I love to tell the story of the buttons that 238 brought to Asheville this year. The whole team is standing outside in the cold waiting for the doors to open for the first day of the competition. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the most alert person in the wee hours of the morning. Eventually I notice that some of the students are giggling and looking at me. I start to think do I have something on my face? Am I wearing the wrong outfit? What does my hair look like? Eventually I notice a button that one of the students is wearing.

For those of you who don’t get the joke, I am the bring out your dead guy. https://youtu.be/3lBiwIt2Xh8?t=32m27s The entire team was wearing them, mentors, students, parents. It was kind of perfect. The team gave these buttons out at the event so they were everywhere. I would walk around and see my face everywhere it was very funny.

                                              What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?

Barrage (254-2014) – The detail that went into every aspect of that robot, along with the simplicity and effectiveness of it, was astounding. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and like all magnificent things, it was very simple. Plus, it was fun to bring some skeleton of it to HQ.

What apps/software/tools can't you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)

My cell phone. Everything I do is on my Nexus. Recently my phone stopped working for a day while I was traveling and I felt completely lost. I also use google applications extensively for home and robotics. In the robotics lab there is a locked cabinet, that the students do not have access to, with a complete multi tool set and a complete drill set that comes in handy during very stressful times. I really like to walk to and from work while listening to music and my QC35’s allows me to really wind up or shut down. The other tool that we use extensively in the robotics shop is post its. I am a very big fan of tracking progress via post-its. I feel that it really allows people to take ownership of projects while ensuring everything gets done. 

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)

All my workspaces are basically the same, computer with two big monitors and ample desk space so that I can clutter it up. I am obsessed with my Logitech mx master and have at least one at every workspace.

What do you listen to while you work?

Usually nothing, but when I do it is alternative rock (Blink-182, etc.)

What’s your schedule like during build season?

Work from 0900 to 1800, then robotics with the team from 1800 to 2200ish, Monday to Friday. Saturdays are typically 0900 to 1600 with the team and Sundays are typical down time until about week 4, when the team will meet for a few hours.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

I do not think I am better than anyone else at some everyday thing. There are almost 7.5 billion people on this planet, it would be absurd to think I am better at something then every one of those 7.5 billion people. Although who knows, maybe I am the best at hitting snooze on my alarm clock.

With that being said I think I excel at handling pressure, dealing with problems, and coordinating chaos.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

The only truly finite resource that we have is time, so ask yourself at the end of every day, did I use my time wisely?

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Cooking. The reason it is a guilty pleasure is because I spend way too much time and money on it. I will spend hours researching what I am going to cook, ensuring I have the best possible cooking apparatus, procuring the best possible ingredients, and prepping the meal, all for this short 30-minute experience. Basically every time I cook I try to make it the best meal I have ever had. 9 times out of 10 it is not the best but it is that 1 time that keeps me addicted.   

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see Adrienne Emerson 148  answer these same questions.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I am always available to answer questions, provide feedback, or work through problems with people.

You can contact Jonathan at jbryant@firstinspires.org

“You may delay, but time will not.” - Benjamin Franklin

Jim Zondag - This Is How I Work

It has been a long time since the last How I Work article has come out, so we're coming back with with Jim Zondag from FRC team 33, a veteran mentor who has been in FRC since 1998. In this interview, he talks about how his interest in STEM at a young age inspired him to pursue a career in engineering, which led him to join FRC. He joined the Killer Bees in their early years and has become an integral part of the team since. Read more about his amazing stories and advice from his many years in FRC, and learn how a veteran mentor works!

[Responses from August 28, 2015]

Name: Jim Zondag

CD Username: Jim Zondag

Current Gig/Job: Apps Development Manager – Chrysler Uconnect System

Alma Mater/Degree: Oakland University - Master of Science – Electrical Engineering - Calvin College – Bachelor of Science – Electrical Engineering

Current Team(s): FRC team 33 The Killer Bees

Former Team(s): None

Location: Auburn Hills, Mi

Hobbies: Robotics, Woodworking, Electronics, Programming, Reading and anything that involves Making or Learning; preferably both.

What inspired you to do what you do? Tell us a story.

I have always had a love of machines and how things work. I spent my youth fixing, building and rebuilding bikes, lawnmowers, stereos, motorcycles, farm equipment, cars, and anything else I could find with my brothers. When I was a young, I had a mentor. He had a lifetime of experience and from my young perspective, he had an almost inhuman ability to fix or build anything almost effortlessly. I found this to be very inspirational. He taught me many things about tools use, mechanics, internal combustion, electricity and many other subjects. He did this for no reason other than I asked, and he was always there to help. Because of his teaching, at a young age I found myself far ahead of many of my peers in my ability to build, fix and understand machines. This inspiration and confidence led me to become who I am today. I always figured that I would want to do the same favor for others someday if I had the chance. A few years after I became a professional, I found FIRST Robotics, and it was a natural fit for me. It has become a way of life for me.

What is your day job, and how’d you get there?

I have a really cool job. I am the Apps Development Manager for Chrysler Uconnect Systems. Basically, my group takes a lot of the cool stuff that you have on your smartphone, tablet or laptop, and we figure out how to integrate this into your car. Pandora Music, Google Search, Siri, you name it. This is very high tech, very fast-paced, and very challenging work. I have a great staff of young engineers who make all of this possible. We work with Google, Apple, Sprint, QNX, and lots of other technology companies every day on these projects. We make cool, awesome stuff like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d6gTQdxTnw#t=149,
or this 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VWZ4RVeCsc

I am a farm kid from Ontario, Canada. I have always loved cars, and I always wanted to design vehicles of some kind when I grew up. I worked hard and got good grades in high school. I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship from my church which allowed me to go to the U.S. for college, where I majored in Electrical Engineering. I landed a job at Chrysler in vehicle engineering shortly after graduation, which was pretty much a dream come true for me. I have spent my career in a variety of EE roles in vehicle design, mostly in embedded systems and software design. Electronics have evolved tremendously over these years and there are always new technologies to learn. My current job is fast, fun, and very technical.

What is your favorite story to tell about robotics?

I have many, here is an early one:

I joined our team in its 3^rd year of existence for the 1998 season. Our team was not very capable back then. We did not really design things; we just built things. This sort of worked, but was chaotic. I found this rather odd, but I was the new guy and initially I was just trying to figure this whole FIRST thing out. Somehow I ended up being the competition coach. Our machine did not perform very well, and the student drivers were frustrated by this. We made the most of what we had, but were clearly a second class team compared to a few others around us. We went to the CMP, did fairly well, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Later, we were watching the semifinals and Team 67 was playing. HOT had a very capable robot that year, and they drove it very well. I commented about some of the design features of their machine to one of my fellow mentors. He replied with, “Our team could never build a robot like that.” I was surprised by this and when I asked him why, he really had no good answer other than we were simply not that good, and probably never would be. I took as somewhat of a personal challenge. The following year, I revamped our entire design process, and led a large percentage of the robot build effort. We were an actual contender in 1999 and have improved our process every year since. The moral of this story: “Don’t let your perceptions limit your reality. Anything is possible if you make a plan and find a way to execute it. “

What's your favorite robot that you didn't help build?

There have been lots of great robots over the years, but I think 254 really set a new standard this year with Barrage. I had the privilege of getting to play with the Poofs in Elims at the CMP way back in 2001, and I was impressed by their machine already then. Every year since they build a machine that is capable, efficient, and beautiful. They set the benchmark for all of us, and in 2014, they certainly outdid even themselves. I particularly like the fact that this robot did not take advantage of any chokehold approach; it simply outperformed us all through excellent design and execution. Very impressive.

What apps/software/tools can't you live without? (Work/Robotics/Home)

I love cloud services; anything which allows high accessibility and is device agnostic. I love streaming music, my eBook library, Dropbox, Flickr, and I find Google Docs indispensable. I also use CAD extensively for many things, robotic and otherwise, and I think learning to design in 3D is one of the most empowering skills I have ever learned. I like Inventor and Solidworks, and I use them somewhat interchangeably.

I really don’t use social media much. I think it is an enormously powerful thing, but it is also the most distracting thing that mankind has ever created. I use all social media sparingly, even CD.

What's your workspace setup like? (Work/Robotics/Home)

I love workshops. I have many and I seem to build them wherever I go. I am not a great multi-tasker and I find that I can best focus my attention if I have environments dedicated to specific tasks. If I go into my shops, I work on the things I built them for until I leave. Even though I am a software guy, I have a lot of mechanical shop spaces. I have about 6 shops in my current life:

 I have a garage bay at my home which is a setup as a woodshop. I like to make things out of wood and I make stuff all the time there. I build cabinets, furniture, and lots of other items for my never ending home renovation projects.

I have a small electronics/metal shop in my basement. I make smaller, less messy items there. Lately I have been into desktop manufacturing, and I have a small 3 axis CNC mill that I built with my son this summer and we have been learning to use it.

I have a dedicated robotics machine shop at the Chrysler Tech Center. It is not real big, but it is perfect for us. We build all of the Killer Bees Robots here and we have all the machine tools we need to do what we do. We gradually upgrade our equipment as we find decommissioned machines throughout the complex. 

I have a dedicated robotics computer room at the Chrysler Tech Center. I had an unused copy/vending alcove converted into a private lab. We got about a dozen computers from corporate IT and set up a central server. We do all of our CAD, Website, programming, Graphics and media stuff in this space.

I have a really cool electronics area at work where my work team does our product development. We have test benches, simulators, lots and lots of test equipment, and over 100 smartphones and mobile devices. 

I have a small woodshop at my church. For the past 13 years, I have taught a weekly shop class for the 1^st through 5^th graders at my church. We make birdhouses, stepstools, pinewood derby cars, and all sorts of crafty things. I believe that everyone should learn to make things with their own hands, and starting young is the key to a lifetime of making.

What do you listen to while you work?

I prefer mostly stuff from the Hardrock/Heavy Metal category. Old, new, from Foghat to Five Finger Death Punch. Anything with a hard driving beat is good background music while I work or drive (and much of my real work is driving). Metalworking and Metallica just naturally go together. AC/DC and Android are also a great combo. 

What’s your schedule like during build season?

We put in a lot of time. I am kind of an obsessive person, and I am at almost every session. I am usually the first one there and the last to leave. I pretty much work on robotics every single day from Jan 1 – to May 1. My typical weekday I will put in 5-7 hours in the evening, and then we will do about 12 hours on most Saturdays. We never have official meetings on Sundays, but I started a tradition of “Software Sundays” years ago where I work on CAD, Programming, Analysis, Scouting, Program Management, whatever, at home. Others sometimes join me, and a lot of online sharing occurs. These sessions allow me to focus on design and details without having to manage a large group of kids. Once the robots are done at the end of Feb., we have scheduled practice daily for 2-3 hours until the CMP is over. On weekends when my team is not competing, I will MC or game announce at other District events and VEX events. It is kind of crazy, but I love it, and it has become a way of life.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

One of my strengths is managing chaos. I work best under pressure and I seem to be drawn to projects which have high degrees of complexity and high degrees of risk (Probably why I enjoy FIRST J). I like to take on programs which are a complete mess and figure out how to make them successful. I seem to be a sucker for punishment in this area, but I definitely have a strong sense of accomplishment as a result. I have created some very cool stuff in my life, worked on some really great teams, and on many award winning vehicle programs.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

“Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.” Never assume that people will know what you want if you don’t tell them. This applies to everyone, your boss, parents, professors, spouse, roommate, children, everyone. Too many people never ask for what they really want, and spend much of their life waiting for things that will never happen as a result.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Reading. I know this sounds lame, but I have a very busy life, and I am usually completely booked for almost every waking hour of every day. Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed, I just put everything on hold for an hour and read something off my reading list. It is sometimes refreshing to be deliberately non-productive and mentally reset. I am a big fan of short form science fiction, and my reading wish list is very long. 

Fill in the blank. I'd love to see   Brandon Holly (125)   answer these same questions.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I could not do most of what I do without the support of my wife, Lorianne. She is simply the best.

“There go my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.” – Gandhi