Our FRC Robot - 2012 Build Season

Week One: January 7-14

We started off this week with Kick-Off on Saturday. All the teams in the area converged on Auburn High School to learn about this season's game. This year's game Rebound Rumble is a modified basketball type game. The day after Kick-Off we set straight into our rapid-prototyping process. We started with strategizing and discussions on how the game can be played including a walkthrough on our basic practice field. The next step was preliminary design. We broke up into small groups and came up with rough designs of what we believed would win the game. From these designs we were able to make a final decision about what we want the robot to do and how we want to do it. After this the design team set to work designing each critical component of the robot using CAD (Computer Aided Design). The programming team has set to work on developing code for the robot and Systems Integration has started in on creating a new scouting plan. The marketing team is still working to update and maintain the team website, in addition to getting started on this season's graphics for t-shirts, buttons, brochures and banners. Things are getting off to a good start all around the team.

	We were excited to learn that Stephen Colbert is now a supporter of FIRST! Photo courtesy of colbertnewshub.com.		Brainstorming strategy for Rebound Rumble.

 

Week Two: January 15-22

We hit a big roadblock this week with the arrival of a snowstorm. We were able to go to school on Tuesday after having MLK day off, but after-school activities were cancelled including our team meeting. In the next few days we experienced 4-6 inches of snow and ice in addition to downed transformers and widespread power outages. We were fortunately still able to get some design work done by working "at home." We also were able to design this year's skunk. We are looking forward to getting back into our normal meeting schedule to get more design and build work done.

	Snow cancelled our meetings for week two, but we were still able to have some skunky fun.		Back to work after the snow passed. Mentor helping with programming.

 

Week Three: January 23-30

We’re getting back into build mode after a week off due to snow. The robot design was finalized and the CAD team is working on the final CAD model for the robot. We were able to have our first water jet session as OMAX. We used three water jet machines to cut all of the parts that we needed, and it took over five hours. Now the chassis is cut, so all weekend the build team has been working hard to have it put together and ready to go for the forthcoming robot parts. Marketing is still working on the website so that everything is up to date and accurate, and there are even a few button designs in progress. The practice field build team is making progress on the field components, the bridges and hoops are near completion. The programming team has made great progress in programming the Kinect controls. The robot is now able to respond to specific motions with the Kinect.

	We waterjet parts at Omax after school.		Students pop rivet the robot base in the shop.

 

Week Four: January 31-February 5

This week was a week of progress. We were able to make another trip to OMAX to cut some more pieces that are necessary for our robot. The programmers have made outstanding progress perfecting the code for the Kinect, as well as finalizing a program for the drive base. The marketing team is continuously updating the website, and is making excellent progress on the button and t-shirt designs, along with the pit set-up. As for the build team, our practice and competition robots are coming along very well, and we now have the drive bases complete and the conveyor assembly is coming together on the practice bot. The build team also placed the pnuematic cylinders on the practice robot and assembled the valve.

	Mentor helping students build the robot base.		Student working on the shooter mechanism

 

Week Five: February 6-11

Coming up on the end of build season, deadlines are getting scarily close. The website is just about ready for submission; just a few more details need to be fixed. Systems is still working on the Business Plan and editing the notebook. Everyone is rather busy trying to make sure everything will come together for competition. The field is getting closer to completion. The hoops for one side are up and the sides are coming together. The bridges are done, they just need the middle bump. Programming has been working hard on getting the camera to work. It is really looking like a robot now, and the shooter is working very well. We expect to have the robot done soon so that we can take part in our open field and get some practice in.

	Mentor helping students hook up pnuematics.		Students putting belts on the lift mechanism.

Week 6: February 12-18

We are now at the end of build season and everything is coming together. We pulled several late nights in the shop making sure the robot would be finished in time for our open field. Several teams stopped by to participate in the open field that weekend, so we have already had a chance to see how some of our old and new friends will play this year. We were able to get our robot out on the field by the end of the weekend to practice shooting, driving, and going over the bump and bridge. The entire team came down to cheer on the robot as it took the field for the first time. We were able to find some bugs that would need to be worked out for competition and we can fix those in the next few days. We held our robot unveiling and ice cream social on Monday evening to celebrate the end of build season and the "completion" of our robot. In the next few days we will be able to practice more driving with our practice robot so that we will be ready for competition!

	Students and coach do a final check on the robot before we send it out to the practice field.		Students and friends gather to celebrate the unveiling of the robot.

 

 

For more updates on our building process see
The Behind the Smell Blog