By Hao Sitong (20S06H), Chairperson, Albert Ariel Widiaatmaja (20S06J), Vice-Chairperson, Madeswaran Devnavin (20S02A), Secretary, and Samuel Foo (20S06G), Quartermaster
Does the idea of self-driving cars excite you? Are you intrigued by robots and artificial intelligence? If you do, look no further for the chance to pursue your passion. Club Automatica is your chance to build robots of your own, right here in RI (and yes, they’re 100% self-driving). If you have a passion for technology and innovation like us, Club Automatica is the place for you!
Club Automatica is the robotics club of RI and a home for people who share a passion for technology and solving problems. We participate in 2 competitions each year—RoboCup and the National Robotics Competition (NRC). Depending on the category each team chooses, we build robots and program them to either finish complex missions, compete with other robots in soccer, or put on a dance performance. In RoboCup Singapore 2019, we won a total of three awards: 1st and 3rd place for Rescue, and 2nd place for Soccer (pictured above).
Throughout this experience, you will learn engineering skills—how to design and build a stable, functioning robot. You will learn and apply knowledge of programming to program the robot to make decisions. You will also be constantly challenged to think of (or obsess over) ways to improve your robot to function more efficiently. But most of all, you will spend a significant amount of time with like-minded people and have loads of fun working/fooling around together.
Of course, the experience will not be smooth-sailing. You will likely despair when nothing seems to work and your robot takes on a personality of its own. But the sense of satisfaction when you finally solve these problems is worth the struggle. Through these moments, you will also create memories and forge bonds with your teammates that will last a long time.
CCA is held twice a week during competition season, once on Saturday afternoon and the other flexible according to the schedule of your team. However, do expect to have more impromptu meetings closer to the competition. If you have prior experience in robotics or programming, Club Automatica is the place to challenge your abilities and connect with like-minded people. If not, it is the place for you to learn and develop your skills, as long as you have a passion for robotics and can persist through the challenges you will face. Your seniors and an instructor will guide you along the way, and experience is not necessary.
If you are interested, feel free to chat with us during Open House, or sign up for our open session! See you there!
