Nasus–a.ka. The Robot–goes on strike, now works at Walmart

The members of FIRST Robotics Team 1073 are great at what they do, and that is building robots for the challenges presented to them by FIRST. However, their latest bot, Nasus knows that he is destined for greatness. Team 1073 now finds themselves without a robot… but Walmart has a new employee.

The Robotics team of Hollis Brookline entered their mechanical shop on March 29, the day after they returned from their most grueling competition yet, to find a letter of resignation from their robot, Nasus, saying that, “I need to find a place where I am appreciated.”

On the trip home from their latest competition, the team passed a Walmart Superstore. No one took the time to notice it, but the ‘Help Wanted’ sign illuminated in the window made its mark on Nasus.

Nasus has been pushed through eleven weeks of poking, prodding, fixing, changing and competing. However, he doesn’t feel that he earns enough acknowledgement for what he does. “Everyone else gets the attention,” Nasus says, “Mechanical, Software, Electrical… even Business and Competition Strategy is noticed more than me! Sometimes I feels like I’m just a hunk of metal.”

Nasus was designed to lift and stack totes, and he does so beautifully. “The guys at Walmart here all admire how quickly I can stack the boxes in the storeroom,” he says, “And I can reach the highest shelves in the store better than anyone else.”

“Nasus’ addition to our staff members has been unimaginable,” says Wally Marlind, head manager of Walmart, “Hiring him was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Robotics Team 1073 has since created petitions to bring Nasus back to the team. Their Business subgroup has been scouring hiring policies to try to find an issue in the hiring of robots or other mechanically operated systems. However, it has all been legal thus far.

“I don’t intend on returning,” says Nasus, “I’m starting to feel like one of the guys. They all appreciate what I do, and my boss says that I might get a promotion soon!”

For now, Team 1073 has turned to the FIRST Lego League students to build another robot in time for District Championships starting on April 9.