Volunteering
Volunteering
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Biome Robotics always has a need for coaches and mentors with skills and experience in any of the following areas (in no particular order):
Mechanical: We need people who are good at building stuff with hand tools, fasteners, various adhesives, and zip ties. Lots and lots of zip ties. Our teams favor parts from this particular vendor, but we also use all kinds of different off-the-shelf and custom parts.
CAD: We use OnShape, but experience using any CAD software is easily transferable. If you have the ability to think and rapidly design virtually in three dimensions, we can use your help.
Fabrication: We can use anyone with experience making stuff using 3-axis CNC milling, lathes, 3D printing, CO2 lasers, or good old-fashioned saws, drills, hammers, and files. Makers welcome here!
Electronics: Wiring stuff together--including DC motors, servos, sensors, video cameras, and ECU/control modules is a huge part of what we do. Handy with heat-shrink tubing, soldering, and crimping connectors? Have a good understanding of how electricity works? Understand the difference between I2C, UART, and USB-C? Welcome to Nirvana.
Programming: Software brings our robots to life by controlling the motors and servos that make things like wheels and claws move; by simulating vision with data from cameras and sensors; and by using PID (Proportional, Integral, and Derivative) controllers to smooth robot motion. We develop our software using Android Studio for the IDE (Integrated Development Environment), GitHub for the source code repository, and Java for the programming language. Additionally, FIRST provides their own SDK that is used to implement the necessary software. If you have programming experience and this all sounds like a huge amount of fun (it is!), then please consider joining our team as a coach or mentor.
Project Management: Are you one of those unique individuals who enjoy making order out of chaos and are adept at getting people to do stuff without having any real authority? Great! Now take the professional teams you are used to working with and give them the attention span and self-discipline of 8th-graders. Still want to help? Then we desperately need you!
Marketing: If you look at this website and think, "Boy do those folks need some help with marketing!", you'd be exactly right. Specifically, if you have experience with web design, website maintenance, video production, curating social media channels, graphic design, or special event planning...let's talk.
Fundraising: There is a significant amount of upside for Biome Robotics to impact more students in the Triangle area, but it would require a significant amount of effective fundraising--which requires time, skill, and expertise. If you can help with that, we can use it!
If you have any of these skills and enjoy working with students, we'd encourage you to participate as a team mentor! Email us at volunteer@biome-robotics.org to start a conversation about how you can help.
Time Commitment
Time Commitment
All adult coaches and mentors are volunteers and have busy lives and careers. We recognize that and appreciate the fact that not every coach and mentor can be at every team meeting and event. However, there are two aspects of FTC that are important for all coaches and mentors to understand.
The first is that fundamentally, building relationships plays a huge role in the success of the team. Between the students themselves, of course, but also between coaches, mentors, and students. Like any educational endeavor, the more time is invested, the more productive that time becomes.
Second is that the entire FTC season builds on itself and is inherently iterative. So consistent interaction will be more effective and helpful than episodic since you'll have a much better sense of what the specific team needs are.
Youth Protection
Youth Protection
Biome Robotics is committed to supporting FIRST's mission to strive to create an environment in which all participants can grow, learn, and have fun with minimal risk of injury or harm. As a result, Biome Robotics adheres to the FIRST Youth Protection Program. All adult coaches and mentors are required to register with FIRST, submit to a background check, and complete the FIRST Youth Protection Training. In this way, we help ensure that all Biome Robotics team members have a safe and rewarding experience.
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