(During lockdown, Our team communicates mostly through Slack. Tales from the Slack are long posts from the mentors to team members. They sum up the last Virtual Meet Up, and provide a focus for progress for the upcoming week. For the purposes of the this blog, they provide a good update on the team's progress.) Thank you all for coming to first Virtual Meet Up of Stev3 Rogue Squadron!
Each of you have been assigned a Pi Wars Challenge:
Feed The Fish - EOIN
Tidy the Toys - WILLIAM
Garden Path - CHARLIE
Obstacle Course - BEN
Between now and next week, it's all brainstorming, problem solving, thinking, turning it over, flipping it on its head, drawing lots of pics, making lots of lists. Attack the problem from all sides. Come at it head on, then outwit the judges.There are probably 30 different ways to solve each of these problems. If you only think of one or two, you're not trying hard enough.
Read the challenge thoroughly. Make sure you understand what they are asking. Look for point values. Don't just think about the easiest or the highest value solution. Find all solutions.
Break the problem down into components. What are the simplest commands or gadgets needed to do what's being asked. Drive? Sense? Throw? Grab?
If you can test an idea, test it. Cardboard, lego, parts of other toys, gaffer tape. Some of you have something RC in your house that you don't use anymore. Or a nerf gun. Find out how it works. Take it apart (if it's not expensive and your folks say it's ok). Don't be afraid to mess with things.
Report and Share. Take photos, take video, draw pictures and upload them so we can all chip in and borrow from each other (and for the blog). Also, don't forget Slack has Facetime. Talk to each other. I've been trying to get William on slack for weeks and Eoin got him in 3 mins. Communicate!
Please keep this @channel active. Don't make me come in here and ask how you're doing and why it's so quiet. Like Ben's mum said - there's so little on these days, please get excited about what is on, even if it's virtual. We'll do our best. Catch you all back here next Thursday.
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