Limericks

The Day Before

A funny noise coming from in the drive train
We fervently hope it was not the rain
The Cal Games we head
At SVR we led
On Chief Delphi so many answers reign.

The 11th Hour

We've been fixing trim and driving through the night
If it's not on fire it's the programmer's plight
The last bug at dawn
We compile with a yawn
But our robot in auton mode is a sight!

Kickoff

All the incredible fun without the fear
That soon, in six weeks the Ship Date will be near
Excitement in the air
Each brainwave is fair
Finally, finally the Kickoff is here!

Organized Chaos

Deeper, deeper within The Closet we delve
Drive train parts, wrenches and pneumatics we shelve
Chaos truly reigns here
Dust we no longer fear
Now, where were the implements with which we weld?

Fourth-Week Fantasy

From red to green our electronics' lights blink
Six rugged wheels and their chains smoothly clink
Victor fans whir to life
Perfect auton ends all strife
What an unattainable dream, we all think.

The Almighty Ziptie

Holding together even the smallest wire
Saving our robot in circumstances dire
Fastens a battery
Radio and livery
This colorful black plastic will never tire.

Chaotic Organization

Swiftly hunting down a drill bit elusive
Poking through The Closet in bins reclusive
Some refuse to be found
And hide deep in the ground
Never to return to curses effusive.

Short-Circuit Magic

A blaze of light behind the welding screen
A cry of "Welding" and sparks flare up green
Flying shreds abound
Metal powder all around
A wire brush reveals the aluminum sheen.

Off-Season

Eight months a year the official off-season
Then four months of excitement beyond reason
Late hours we keep
The habit is no sleep
Exhilarating matches every region!

Outreach at Laurel

We set up at Laurel and plug in the cables
I'm driving as soon as our booth is stable
Unused to tank steer
The wrong way I steer
Swerve from a child and crash into a table.

Always Lost

Six-sided beauties of various size
Keeping a set in your pocket is wise
Although bolts are oil-drenched
The holy Allen wrench
Will the hex bolt always hold and prize

Accidental Inhalants

In a bin in The Closet lies toxic paint
Chop-saws slicing through PVC will the air taint
Fried wires spew magic smokes
Upon Sharpie fumes one chokes
If you're feeling loopy at least you won't faint.

Design Sessions or 766 Rule

Mecanum, tank or elevator ledge
Forklifts, claws or hoops with grips for an edge
Whether our robot jumps
Or just graciously bumps
It will always have that ten degree wedge.

Solidworks

Tested past limits of my ability
Sometimes exercises in futility
Though I've found every chink
And though I'm done I think
I've lost the button "Export to Reality."

Written on the way home with Nicole. I like her version better than mine, so that's her version here

A favorite assignment of Dave Lavery
Drawing current from our twelve-volt battery
Stuffed full of LEDs
Blinking like Christmas trees
Shine robots in electronic rivalry.

This was when I was going a little bolts from the electronics...how do I come up with this stuff?

Despite abundant tape electrical
Rages through wires power tyrannical
Since stripped are the wires
They burst into fires
And bolts goes the wirer maniacal.

Chain

Our drive train's link from energy to motion
In design it isn't given a notion
In matches tossed around
And just left on the ground
Hours of maintenance prove our devotion.

Pessimism

Never published. Self-explanatory here, I think

Today was a day spent much in stagnation
Leaving the work list to interpretation
No arguments were won
Nothing here much was done
Lack on initiative leads to consternation.

A Professional Job

Protects the battery and pot just the same
And neatly TIG welded today it came
At ninety degrees
We measure with ease
Finally it may all fit in the frame!

The 8th Hour

The first day of our annual Crunch Week
We've put parts on Chief Delphi for a peek
We have half a drive train
And some strangely sized chain
Just make it up on the spot to fix and tweak.

Robotics Summer

Just at you though school wound down this brings up strife
A swerve drive couch, or sort the Closet tools rife?
All summer long we'll build
Return even more skilled
Besides, what else would we do? Get a life?

The Closet Floor

Don't tell us what these particles are just
Don't let us know what's really in this crust
Because we'll simply smile
And clean a little while
Before we move it back to gather more dust.

Drive Carefully

As the '08 summer draws ever nearer
And slowly winds down competition fever
We head to Outreach

Our robot will teach
The local small children not to stray and veer.

Done!

As the '08 Build Season draws to a close
We've crated our worries, wonders and woes
Perfect balance found
At one-nineteen pounds
To Silicon Valley our robot now goes!

First Official Meeting of Team 766

The veterans celebrate the new recruits
Thanking lucky stars their efforts bore fruit
Showing them around
Giving them the rounds
Now trusting them with the team, faith absolute.

Finally Empty

For a year we waited for permission
Giving up we moved them out of position
Without the tools antique
Tidiness at its peak
The Closet impresses with its condition.

Dismembered Glory

At Davis the '05 won best of region
Sacrificed in '06 to try new vision
It established our rule
Represented our school
Now we try to fix our former champion.

Just Plain Chaos

People, piano strains and parts everywhere
Strange irrelevant excitement fills the air
The electronics checked
The '08 fully decked
Our entire team seems neither here nor there.