At Clearpath Robotics, we learn something new every day, even if it’s old! We’re a high-tech company, with high-tech gadgets, and high-tech robots. That being said, as technology continues to advance, it can be easy to lose appreciation for the level of complexity in the things that make our lives easier.
The automatic transmission, for example, has become so commonplace in vehicles that many of the ‘gen Y’ generation has no idea how to operate a vehicle without one (at least in North America). Whether you use it frequently or not, driving a stick shift should be a skill in everyone’s arsenal. So, I took it upon myself to teach those ‘late adopters’ at Clearpath Robotics how to drive stick. We’re pretty good at driving autonomous vehicles, but driving stick is a whole other story…
Learning in luxury
Driver Training at Clearpath Robotics
We recently purchased a luxurious 1995 Toyota Tercel for testing purposes, and it’s the perfect platform for learning the “dying art” of stick shift: the clutch is stiff, the gears unforgiving, and we won’t be to too terribly upset if it breaks. Overall it was a successful endeavour; those who were interested came out to learn from scratch, or refine their current skills, and everyone was successful in learning the basics necessary to get out on the road. Despite the fact that gears were grinding and neck-jarring stalls were in abundance, the trusty Toyota held up wonderfully. And most importantly, fun was had by all.
There’s always room to learn
Many people are intimidated by the idea of driving stick, though it’s not nearly as challenging as most think (I say this as my European friends chuckle at me). In fact, it’s a very humbling experience having an added level of control over such complex machines; it makes you appreciate the technological luxuries we take for granted.
Here at Clearpath Robotics we enjoy improving our skill sets and learning about technologies, new and old. Whether it’s learning to drive stick, reading about emerging tech trends, or building awesome robots, we encourage everyone to get more in touch with the technology that impacts us daily.