Week 1
Jan 9 2021:
Jan 11 2021:
We worked on removing old field markers & applying the new ones for the 2021 game Infinite Recharge @ Home. We used some of our leftover viewtainers as markers to walk through each of the courses with a couple of base options with various wheel types. We recorded as one of our team members pushed the robot base through the course. The digital documentation is going to be processed in the next few days.
Jan 12 2021:
Started to work on CAD model for the Base. Programming software was reviewed for software updates. The software did not need to be updated for this year due to the absence of the field management system. We continued testing potential drive train options. An old practice base with motors was reconfigured to simulate alternative wheel arrangements for the maneuverability courses. We also completed our wood mecanum base prototype after working through a few iterations of mounting difficulties. The results were recorded in excel sheets by tracking the timing of each run with each wheel configuration. We are going to process the data in the next day or so, to justify our drive base selection for this year.
Robot Criteria 2021.xlsxDriving Course.xlsxJan 14 2021:
Understanding the value of maneuverability we have begun to rebuild an old base from our 2017 machine Obsidian. The drivetrain utilized mecanum drive, and t-slot extrusion as the frame material, allowing for quick assembly. We then evaluated the available spacing with our mechanisms from last year to facilitate a discussion regarding our design challenge for this year. The controls layout, extended intake, and shooter position were placed in its approximate position and recorded for a reference for our CAD team.
The topic of swapping our shooter feeding system to resemble a carousel style as many teams did last year, or to continue to refine our design from last year. A list compiling the pros and cons for each system was created during the discussion to evaluate the effectiveness of each system. Upon a lengthy discussion the team concluded after voting that we would continue to refine our previous design for simplicity purposes.
We also checked in on the FIRST Q&A about game rules for Infinite Recharge @ Home. Two important questions that came up during our discussion were answered here: