Carwash/Bake Sale
Because of Advance Auto Parts' amazing sponsorship, we were able to organize a carwash fundraiser at one of their locations, sell some baked goods, and allow our team members to gain knowledge from this learning experience. We gave our customers our brochures so they could learn about BEST Robotics and the coming competition. Cookies and a clean car anyone?
Krispy Kreme BOGO Cards
Thanks to Krispy Kreme's sponsorship, we were able to raise money by selling about 100 Krispy Kreme BOGO cards through Facebook, church, and co-op. This greatly helped our team with funds for materials, while also spreading around a little bit of sweetness to the community. Through the purchases of these cards, many people learned about BEST and are invited to come cheer for us on Game Day---thank you Krispy Kreme!
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Lucki
Tuscaloosa’s Ichiban Japanese Grill has a new team member, Lucki! Head Designer, Zoe Markin, and Senior Engineer, Eli Moss, team members of Warriors
Robotics, were able to sit down with restaurant owner Ms. Hui-Tung Chow to get all the information about this futuristic food service robot. Not only does Lucki deliver food, but he also greets customers, sings "Happy Birthday" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and he dances! That’s right, food delivery and entertainment! Ms. Chow informed us that Lucki can replace one server, which helps when restaurants are already short staffed. This allows her to make sushi while Lucki takes food and drinks to tables. Three tables to be exact. He has three trays allowing him to deliver to three tables at once. Lucki can be set to different speeds. He is currently set to one speed for delivery and a higher speed for returning to his station. This allows them to reload him faster but prevents him from spilling food and drinks when delivering. Watch out, that return speed is his fastest setting! You may be wondering about the cost of a food service robot. We learned that Ms. Chow is able to rent Lucki for only $800 per month. This includes warranty and maintenance. If there are technological problems the company can remote in to repair Lucki. If he somehow is damaged, which doesn’t seem likely, they come out to repair or replace Lucki. If you are looking to buy Lucki, we learned that it is between $5000 and $6000, but that doesn’t cover the maintenance or warranty. Besides, who wants to buy a robot when you can rent one? Especially in a world where technology is advancing daily. What could make Lucki even better? Ms. Chow suggested that Lucki come with a programmable remote control. This would allow employees to control Lucki from a distance. Currently you must press a button on Lucki’s head to send him to tables. Having a remote would save time and steps. The downside to Lucki? He can’t deliver to outside tables unless you have an automatic door allowing him to enter and exit. Customers must also beware of Lucki. He has two sensors enabling him to sense movement around him. The front sensor is under the bottom tray and senses movement and objects on the ground. The rear sensor is on the back of Lucki’s head, sensing movement around shoulder height. The problem? If a customer steps from the side out in front of Lucki too quickly, Lucki may run into the customer! Beware—Robot Crossing! |