Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: Asellith on October 19, 2009, 08:46:06 AM

Title: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: Asellith on October 19, 2009, 08:46:06 AM
So I have an opportunity developing. I have a local hobby store owner interested in getting into carrying robotics stuff. So we talked about starting a robotics club. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this or know of a resource to help get one started? I was planning to maybe announce the club and put some fliers up after my current bot is completed then I can do a demonstration and talk about the build as a start to the club. Any resources for this kind of thing would be great.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: MangoBot on October 19, 2009, 04:40:45 PM
you could go to electronics stores like BestBuy and radioshack that are around your area and ask if you can hang up fliers. Then maybe a lot of people would see it.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: airman00 on October 19, 2009, 05:22:16 PM
Meetup.com is also pretty helpful
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: galannthegreat on October 19, 2009, 05:25:54 PM
When you start getting members (or even now) start up a Facebook group, it'll help get the word around.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: Spoil9 on October 19, 2009, 06:16:02 PM
www.chibots.com (http://www.chibots.com) is the local robotics club I am a member of. They have a big comp twice a year and have monthly meetings. Dues are $20/yr.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: Admin on October 19, 2009, 08:25:30 PM
Figure out how to get word out among university students in your area. But be wary, most students are fickle as they haven't figured out the whole 'time management' thing and will disappear once classes get serious.

Focus your effort on finding 'core' members. Anyone who has built stuff in the past will likely to show up often and be more reliable. Everyone else are likely dabblers who may show up once a year.

Arrange a meetup no less than once a month, no more than twice a month. Have a plan for each meeting, like 'so and so will talk about computer vision', or build nights.

Seek out members by browsing past posts online - perhaps others in your area are looking.

And meetup.com really helped build up the DC robotics group.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: Asellith on October 20, 2009, 07:03:48 AM
Well the current plan is to wait till I get my newest project done so I can do a talk on how I built it for the opening meeting. I have never been to a robotics club meeting before so I have no clue what people do at them. To tell the truth I don't mind organizing it but if for the first several months I have to come up with presentations and give them every month that's going to get old.

Here is what I has thinking and let me know what you all think. First meeting would be a primer to find some 'core' members like admin mentioned. I'd give my robots presentation and then plan the next months meeting if we get a good turn out. If a big turn out then I'd try to do another presentation or get someone to do one if a small turn out then I have something else planned. I'd like to have some small training courses to bring in people who lack basic skills and get them up to speed. Things like a soldering course (not taught by me I am a bad example) or maybe a build day centered around the $50 robot to get people started down that path.

It will not be for a few months before I can get this rolling but I just remembered that the local university has a robotics competition team and I have meet the guy who runs it. I'll need to give that guy a call. They have built some impressive UAVs and even won some comps with them.
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: mshorter on October 26, 2009, 11:02:40 PM
where are you looking to start one?
Title: Re: Starting a Local Robotics Club
Post by: Asellith on October 27, 2009, 06:23:29 AM
Pensacola, FL