Week three for our team was very successful. Our Design Team used CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to finish designing parts for our final robot. The Programming Team started to hone their driving skills using our 2017 robot, while the Build Team worked on finishing the prototype for the feeder and shooter. The Lift Team started prototyping their lift design after two weeks of trying to find a design that would fit on our low bot. Lastly, the Business Team finalized this year’s team apparel, and are preparing for Sponsor Night.
The Design Team
The Design Team made huge strides in progress. They made many parts of the robots on CAD. After talking with other team leaders and some mentors, a subdivision of the Design Team, the Lift Team decided to design the lift as a two-stage elevator. Having the lift set up as a two-stage elevator allows for the overall robot design to be more compact, which assists in the robot’s ability to climb higher and fit within the build parameters of FIRST Robotics.
The Design Team, responsible for putting the robot together through CAD, worked in collaboration with the Feeder Team. With this collaboration, the Design Team decided to use belts instead of roller wheels in order to pick up power cells in the competition. The advantage of using belts instead of roller wheels is that belts are easier to replace, they move the balls to the feeder faster, and they are far less likely to jam.
The Build Team
The Build Team has made up their minds on the specifics of our robot. The Feeder Team decided to put both the feeder and the shooter on one plate. This further compacted our robot, making it more effective overall. The Feeder Team then reverted back to one of the more original designs of the robot. This older design was taller and could hold the maximum capacity of five balls all by itself. The reason as to why this design was originally put aside was the issue that it took too long to move the balls from the feeder into the shooter. This was compensated for by making the feeder and shooter closer, and by replacing the feeder belts with chain. The chains were chosen over the belts because they did not slip and fall off like the belts often did. Additionally, more minor but still important mechanisms were adjusted.
The Programming Team
The Programming Team has developed a code that allows the robot to identify and align with targets at competitions. Additionally, they developed a code that would allow them to easily maneuver the robot, as well as a set of codes that lets the robot do all of this autonomously. The Programming Team also updated their Falcon 500 codes which are the codes needed for the robot’s motors and motor controller. Until this year’s robot is finished, the programming team will continue to clean-up their code and get more comfortable with their coding software using the 2017 robot. The Programming Team will soon be able to start coding this year’s robot.
The Business Team
The Business Team has finalized the team shirt design, is creating the team’s second newsletter, and is taking many photos to document the team’s progress. In addition, they are continuing to prepare for Sponsor Night, on January 31. Our team is extremely excited to see all of our sponsors and parents and show them all of our progress this season.