Hi, my name is Christian Gavalchin and I am a senior member of FIRST robotics team 2590, Nemesis. This will be my fourth and final year on the build team. I first learned of the team from my brother who was also on the team. The first time I came to a robotics competition was when my brother was a freshman in high school. I was completely blown away with what these high schoolers were doing, the machines that they were producing were of a caliber that I only expected from college students or even the workforce. It was from that point on that I knew FIRST Robotics was something that I wanted to be a part of.
As a fourth year member of the build team I accomplish tasks such as coming up with innovative new ideas to succeed in completing the year’s challenge while complying with numerous constraints (budgetary, design, and time). Then, as the prototyping phase comes to an end I assist in designing what will become the final product in a computer aided design program (Autodesk Inventor). And, once the CAD model is complete I lead the fabrication processes, writing CAM and operating out in-house CNC Mill, Router, and Lathe. As the six weeks come to an end, I follow these parts through the manufacturing process and implement them into the final product, a Robot.
I aspire to one day be a mechanical engineer and have enjoyed focusing my academic classes on helping me achieve that goal, in hopes to broaden my knowledge in the field; as well as apply what I have learned through robotics. Throughout my high school career I have had the opportunity to take almost all of the engineering courses offered at the school, giving me extensive knowledge of engineering principles and theory, while still being able to apply them with the equipment in the lab.
In the four years that I have been on the robotics team I have experienced things that I will never forget. I have had the opportunity to drive a myriad of the teams past robots at offseason events, winning my first event, Brunswick Eruption, in the fall of 2014. Based on my performance these offseason events I was selected to be the driver of the 2015 and 2016 robot. With my preformacnce as the robot driver I have had the opportunity to travel around the country, to Lehigh University for MAR championships, St. Louis, Missouri for the World Championship, as well as, Indianapolis, Indiana; West Palm Beach, Florida; and even Montreal, Quebec. With the experiences and oppurtunitys that this team has provided me, I can truly say that the robotics team is like a second family to me.
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