Chapter 103 Courage
Afternoon, XX laboratory.
Cold metal countertops, flashing oscilloscopes, humming 3D printers, and the smell of rosin and motor oil in the air.
The four of us gathered in front of the experimental table and officially began the "Goblin" robot's breakthrough journey.
In terms of hardware, the school laboratory has ready-made chassis, motors and some basic sensor modules, which saves a lot of trouble.
The real difficulty lies in the implementation of the mathematical model of motion, control algorithm and core code.
Looking at the complex differential equations, state-space expressions, and matrix transformations that Brother Gu wrote on the electronic whiteboard, my mind instantly turned into a mess.
The game scripts I made before are nothing compared to this hardcore robot underlying control!
I looked at Lin Yan for help, feeling that my CPU was about to overload and smoke.
Lin Yan gave me a reassuring look, then walked to the whiteboard and stood side by side with Senior Brother Gu.
Next, I saw what it meant to "fight between gods" and "turn decay into magic".
Senior Brother Gu is responsible for proposing core issues and ideas. His thinking is extremely rigorous, and every parameter and every constraint is considered meticulously.
Lin Yan was responsible for breaking down these profound theories and explaining them to Fang Qing and me in the most intuitive and down-to-earth way.
He used common phenomena in life as analogies, explained complex formulas in a graphical way, and even derived simplified models directly on the small whiteboard next to him.
"Imagine it like controlling a balancing car," Lin Yan pointed to the kinematic model. "A slight shift in the center of gravity requires the motor to quickly respond and apply torque to maintain balance. Our PID controller calculates the 'corrective force' the motor needs to output in real time based on the deviation between the current posture (angle, angular velocity) and the desired posture..."
"The state observer here is like equipping the robot with a pair of 'eyes' and 'inner ears', used to estimate states that it cannot see itself, such as actual speed and position offset..."
As I listened, my originally messy mind suddenly became clearer as if it was washed by a stream of clear spring water, and my thoughts gradually became clearer!
Those abstract symbols and formulas became traceable and natural under Lin Yan's in-depth and easy-to-understand explanation.
Fang Qing, who was standing next to him, nodded repeatedly as she listened, like a quail who had finally gotten the message.
Senior Brother Gu would occasionally add a few key points or point out the boundary conditions that needed special attention in Lin Yan’s simplified model.
The two players work together in perfect harmony, one focusing on depth and precision, the other on understanding and communication, and their efficiency is extremely high.
Before I knew it, the sky outside the window had already turned orange. When we finally finalized the core motion control algorithm framework, sensor fusion solution, and preliminary code module division, I couldn't believe it!
One afternoon! Just one afternoon! The rough outline of the experimental plan was finalized!
A huge sense of accomplishment and exhaustion came at the same time.
Almost subconsciously and naturally, I took the hand of Lin Yan next to me, interlocked our fingers, shook them, and said in a voice with a bit of excitement and dependence: "Done! I'm so hungry! Husband, let's go eat!" I completely forgot that there were two people next to me.
"Hey! Chen Rui!" Fang Qing's dissatisfied voice immediately rang out, "What do you mean by this? Are you planning to abandon the two of us and go off to enjoy a life of luxury for the two of you?"
I finally realized what was happening, feeling a little embarrassed, but more confident: "Miss Fang! Please stop teasing me! Lin Yan and I are just making good use of our time to replenish our energy for the battle tomorrow! Besides,"
I pointed at her and Senior Brother Gu mischievously, "Such a great opportunity, why don't you two just go and spend some time alone together, and cultivate... uh... team rapport!"
"Hey! What, what two-person world! What nonsense are you talking about!" Fang Qing's face turned red instantly, like a cat whose tail was stepped on, jumping up and down with anger.
I didn't give her a chance to refute further. I pulled Lin Yan, who was trying to hold back her laughter, and slipped away.
Fang Qing's exasperated voice came from behind: "Chen Rui! Just wait!"
I ran out of the laboratory building, and the warm afterglow of the setting sun fell on my body.
I looked back and through the glass door, I vaguely saw Fang Qing still standing there, seeming a little at a loss, with her head down and staring at her toes.
And Senior Brother Gu...he seemed to...take a step closer to her?
The golden light of the setting sun outlines the tall figure of Senior Brother Gu.
He stood quietly in front of Fang Qing without saying a word, but... very naturally, gently, but with unquestionable strength, he took Fang Qing's hand that was hanging by her side.
Fang Qing's body visibly stiffened, and she suddenly raised her head, her face showing shock and disbelief, as well as a barely perceptible hint of panic.
Senior Brother Gu did not dodge, but looked at her calmly and deeply, as if silently saying: Let's go.
Then, under the gaze of Fang Qing's eyes that were wide open and seemed to fall into a whirlpool, Senior Brother Gu took her hand, turned around, and walked step by step into the campus path dyed golden by the setting sun.
At the center of the vortex of courage, it seemed... someone finally took the initiative to step in.
Lin Yan and I looked at each other and smiled.
"It seems that someone doesn't need a light bulb anymore." Lin Yan held my hand tightly.
"Well," I leaned my head on his shoulder, "I hope they...all go well."
The setting sun stretched our shadows very long, and also gently enveloped the shadows of the couple in front of us who had just held hands.
In the next few days, I thoroughly experienced what it means to be a "scientific researcher".
Apart from the regular professional courses, the rest of my time is almost entirely spent in the laboratory.
I rely on takeout for meals and rely on willpower to sleep. I haven’t even logged into my favorite game for several days. The intensity is like dreaming back to the final sprint period of the postgraduate entrance examination.
But strangely, I didn't feel any pain. On the contrary, my days were extremely fulfilling and satisfying.
Watching the robot prototype that Fang Qing initially complained looked like a "goblin", it was assembled bit by bit through the efforts of the four of us (mainly Senior Brother Gu and Lin Yan, with Fang Qing and I helping out and creating the atmosphere). The circuit was connected, the wheels began to turn clumsily, and it could even respond to simple instructions... That sense of accomplishment is incomparable to completing a hundred game copies.
More importantly, it feels great to work with friends to stay up late, work hard, encourage each other, and overcome difficulties for the same goal.
Sometimes they argue fiercely over an algorithm parameter, and sometimes they high-five and cheer for a small success.
The laboratory is filled with the smell of coffee, instant noodles, solder rosin and... the struggle of youth (?).
While tightening the screws, I looked at Lin Yan who was concentrating on debugging the code next to me, and on the other side was Senior Brother Gu who was frowning and recording data, and... Fang Qing who was grinning at the circuit diagram.
I suddenly felt a little emotional.
Fang Qing and Senior Brother Gu are my closest friends since I came to this school, besides my roommates and Lin Yan, right?
It’s quite magical when you think about it.
For me in high school and even junior high school, making friends was never something to look forward to, and it could even be said to be something I needed to be wary of.
Being alone and hiding in your own shell is the safest state.
But since I went to college, everything seems to have changed.
Not only did he meet Lin Yan, but also the brothers in the dormitory who were sometimes silly but very nice, as well as Lao Si's girlfriend Xiao You, Lin Yan's overly lively brother Lin Heng, and even classmates who he had only met a few times but would greet him with a smile on his face on the street...
These people, unknowingly, like stars, have merged into my galaxy, making my life, which could have been dull, become lively and warm.
They have become an important and indispensable part of my life.
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