Team Members
Andy Steels

Andy was responsible for forming Team Hydra and has bought or builr each of the robots we own.
Andy generally deals with the body work of the robots and the pneumatics systems. There have been a good few successes but a few failures as well.
Andy prefers the idea of continuos development and always wants to try something new no matter how off the wall or radical. This means that the robots get developed between each event.
Andy has also been sacked from dealing with the electronics in the robots as he has a tendancy to blow up any part which has any value whatsoever.
Andy’s favourite comment: “I think you’re over complicating this”……………..(goes and gets big hammer)
Paul Harriman
Paul is our electronics man. Whether it’s wiring up the robots, building a control module or repairing the speed controllers (normally the ones Andy’s just set on fire), Paul’s normally up to the task. Paul is an essential part of the team and is often responsible for bringing many of the development ideas into reality. Pauls work on the new linear actuator on Cylon and the repairs after the fire at Nottingham have kept the robot going when it would otherwise have been retired.
Pauls regular trips to the USA see him being used as a mule to carry a lot of equipment from our various suppliers out there.
Paul’s favourite comment: “Shall we just think about this before hitting it with a big hammer?”
Luke Steels
Luke is our team captain and is the driver of Hydra and Cylon.Colin Harriman
Colin is our newest driver and has been driving BOOM! for about six months now (since we built him).
Team Hydra have bought SMIDSY which will be up and running during 2009 so this year will see Colin take a step up to playing with the big boys.
Sandra Steels
Sandra is Team Hydra’s logistics manager. She’s the one that books the hotels, makes the lunches, makes the tea, makes sure that we have stickers to hand out at each event and generally makes sure that the rest of us can concentrate on the robots to make sure they work.
John Steels
Most of johns work is carried out in our workshop. Having done his engineering apprenticeship (many, many years ago), he is a great asset when it comes to making gearboxes and making special components for the robots.