The Battlebot Maker in Our Midst

Battlebots was a series about robots that rammed, crushed, sawed and smashed.  I'd heard of the series, which ran from 2000 to 2002.  Who knew that Professor Walter Martinez, who presides over the Robotics Society of Southern California  (RSSC), held his own place in these tournaments?

I learned this at the DIY Club meeting at the Sea Base.  The topic was Robotics, and We were thrilled to have Professor Martinez present.  Co-presenting was Bob Barboza of KidsTalkRadio.

Some hackers take apart RC toys and broken dolls with movements.  Walter works on a different scale.  He's taken apart lawn mowers and drills, saws and more for his robots.  It's his passion.  I found out that Walter, who hails from Honduras and is a non-native English speaker (although you wouldn't know it), learned through reading technical magazines written in English.  Not understanding much about what was said, he would write interesting things down in his notebook, so that he could figure it out later.  No access to computers to program, he would create conditional statements in his head.  Literally dreaming about programming.

And he's built and battled robots.

I saw a gleam in Walter's eyes as he talked about establishing a workshop wherever he lived.  On the roof of his home in Honduras (until his neighbors told his parents and he had to take it down), in his bedroom, in the living room (until his wife told him he needed to contain it to the garage), and now his garage.  Good memories made and in the making.

The key point about robotics at this meeting was that there are many ways to accomplish similar actions.  He demonstrated a prototype of a multi-platform education kit that he is designing.

We talked about what a youth Robotics and Electronics Club at the Sea Base could do and how we could prepare the club members for a targeted competition at the regular RSSC meeting.

And it was very, very good.

Next week, we will be making a timed circuit to power a moving display.  To register, find the form at Makersville. http://makersville.net/join-us-for-new-summer-diy-club-classes-and-camps-at-the-long-beach-sea-base/

You can find Walter at the monthly RSSC meetings at CSULB, on campus at his classes and at the concerts of his lovely wife who performs "riff laden rock and dark Americana" in The Pillar Saints (formerly M'Chel and Danny).  The Pillar Saints will be performing this Saturday  at House of Blues in Hollywood.