As we kick off the 2023 FRC season, it is shaping up to be an energized year. The students are pumped and caffeinated, the mentors ready to “hear out the students” for their crazy ideas; ideas that we can smile at and say let's give it a go. 

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This year a friend shared with me a story about our team raising the MoKraken. It went a little like this.

Deep beneath the streets of Honolulu, are lava tubes that have laid undisturbed for centuries….until now.  

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The students from Kalani High School's robotics team, Magma #3008, in an attempt to build better, faster, stronger robots, obtained a rare metal that was able to change shape and adapt to any situation. Called Ga 3. As the team began experimenting with the rare metal, it proved unstable and melted at the slightest touch, (unlike their mad Mentor, Mr. Silver). In their frustration and attempt to control it, the metal broke containment and began streaming down through the porous lava rock, to the bottom of the Kamanawalay lava tube.

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It was here that the ancient, legendary creature lay slumbering. Awakened by the smell of scorching Earth, it stretched up a tentacle to investigate, feeling and tasting it. The monster then became ravenous to consume all of this material. Little did the creature know that the metal began to react to the creature's physiology. Entering its bloodstream, it traveled and corrupted the DNA merging with its own essences as if it were itself a sentient being. The creature writhed and howled with pain in its transformation. 

The students working late as they do every night during the 6-week build season, heard and indeed felt something awful far below the ground. The students turned to their mentors. The mentor knew this was not an earthquake to be feared but an opportunity to investigate. So they dug through the piles of electronics and half-finished prototypes to rig up a video robot to send down into the dark crevices of the lava tubes; in hopes of discovering the nature of what was happening below their feet. What they discovered made them shudder, half cephalopod and half something akin to a robot. It seemed wild and uncontrollable. If only they could harness the enormous power of this creature to ease its pain and use it as an ambassador for STEM.

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Pulling from their Polynesian studies and their current studies of Rapanu’i (Easter Island) they fashioned a giant Moai. 3D printing it in their mobile maker lab, they graphed it onto the creature’s body. Once the program was downloaded, the creature’s hideous sounds began to ease, the tension in its arms let go and it seemed to be at peace. At first, its movements were erratic, however, the programmers were able to adjust the code providing more control and autonomy. With joyous cries, the team shouted out, “It's Alive!!” Thus the MoKraken was born. Able to reach out and quickly move cones and spheres to three levels, it was also able to help its alliance team balance on the teetering ramp! 

We will see how we shape up this year in FRC, traveling to Port Hueneme and Hawai’i regionals. I hope my team will stay inspired and good luck to all!