Sangre verde, that’s what every colegial has running through their veins; especially this group of 16 students that will be representing the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez at Cleveland, Ohio this May.
CROME, College Robotics for Mechanical Engineer, you may have seen or heard about them lately. CROME is a student association that has the mission to provide every student that is interested, a hands-on experience in the field of engineering. They promote robotics because it’s a fun way to learn while you don’t even know you are doing it. It will help you develop various skills that every engineer needs like project management, designing, electronics and circuitry, and hard-core manufacturing.
This semester CROME is working on three projects, which are: Sea Perch, a submarine, Tarzan Bot (Yes, our mascot is being manufactured into a robot!) and Battle Bots, fighting robots. Don’t be fooled by the robotic nature of this association, since preparing for the National Robotics League Competition takes the same practice and dedication to get ready as if it was any other sports team representing UPRM at las Justas.
These sixteen students only met four months ago, but have quickly become a family. In just short months they had the task to design, manufacture, wire and put together a three Battle Bots from zero. They have been challenged in every way possible; from having to raise all the money to buying metals, batteries, motors, and every little thing you can imagine a robot needs to alter into weighing only 15 pounds and still be able to destroy every robot that comes its way.
The entire CROME association has been working together to send this project to Cleveland, Ohio from May 16 to the 18 in hope that they will bring home the gold. They have been raising money through food sales (including nutella shakes, hotdogs, nachos and burritos), by selling stickers and t-shirts, and by going around door-to-door asking for sponsorship from different companies and business owners.
They have spent many sleepless nights at the mechanical engineering workshop and they are asking for our support. So if you wish to support CROME and their different projects you can go on Wednesdays to the mechanical engineering building and get stuffed with great food for less the five dollars, contact them through their Facebook page CROME UPRM or write to their president Omar Gonzalez via email omar.gonzalez12@upr.edu
Photos taken from CROME’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crome-UPRM/159540047514830