Today, students started the day off by learning about the new project for the week: walking robots! For the past two weeks, students have been building robots that have been moving with motors and wheels, however, this week we were tasked to think mechanically and design a mechanism that would only use 180˚ servos in order to move the robot. While previous challenges focused more on the coding aspect of robots, this was a very mechanical design focused challenge, which was both exciting and hard for students. Then students learned about laser cutting and 3-D printing, two tools that will because useful for both this week, and next weeks, challenge. Finally, students ended the morning section of class with a guest lecture by students from Professor Curt's Engineering for Exploration program. Five students from colleges around the US, shared their experience doing research during summer at UCSD. They shared a little about their life story, and hosted a Q&A so we could learn more about them.

After lunch, students headed to the lab to get started on their walking robots. Most students spent the majority of class sketching and designing, as the design of the robot was the most important part of this challenge. Some students started wiring their robot, and building new chassis. It was a very productive day in the lab!

After classes, students had many fun nightly programs to partake in, including zine creating, volleyball, friendship bracelets, and a trip to Price Center! It was an exciting first day of the week for students!

Today, students had the whole day to work on their walking robots in the lab. With the competion being tomorrow, tensions were high, as students wanted to make sure their robots were working. Many students changed their designs, as they realized certain things weren't working. On the other hand, many groups were able to get their robot to work, with the fastest time to cross a ten foot path being around 30 seconds. These groups continued to improve on their designs, while other groups  worked on their original designs. It was a busy day in the lab, and the students got a lot done!

After 6 hours of working in the lab, students headed to the nightly activities, where they had the option of playing volleyball or badminton, cooking cultural dishes, having a tea party, or playing Family Fued. The RA's prepared stick on mustaches and bald caps so students playing family fued could get into the spirit of Steve Harvey and play to their best abilities! It was an extremely fun night!

Students started off the morning  with the final project pitches. Each pair was sent to a room with either Professor Gravish or Professor Schurgers. There, they would have to present their final project, receiving the feedback from the professor they went to.  They also worked on their digital portfolio, newsletter, and final project as they waited.

After lunch, students headed back to the lab to make their final changes on their walking robots. Some teams already tested their robots across the 10 foot long track, and they were able to successfully make it. However, it was a stressful afternoon for those who were trying to fix the errors of their robots. However, by the end of the afternoon, every single team was able to make their robot cross the finish line: something that has never happened before! Although the longest time to cross was 19 minutes, every team still did an amazing job creating a walking robot, one of the hardest challenges!

After a fun day in the lab, students headed to the nightly activities, where they could play assassin, Loteria, drink boba, or play volleyball. In assassin, students drew names, and had to tag the person they drew. The last person standing was a person from our cluster!