2015 Build Season Week 1

Brainstorming

After an exciting kickoff at Upper Darby High School, we began taking our first steps toward solidifying a robot design at a team brainstorming session.  First, we talked about the new game challenge, Recycle Rush, and reviewed the rules.  We clarified any confusion and answered questions about the game, while encouraging rookies to give input as well.  Afterwards, we headed to the school cafeteria where we staged a game simulation to help formulate strategy and design ideas.  The simulation consisted of recreating half the game field and having several students act as robots and human players.  As they played the game, other members observed and took notes, discussing strategy after each match.  Once the simulation was completed, we broke into groups to concoct rough design ideas for potential robots.  After each group presented their designs, a list of desired functions for our robot was created.  From there, we broke into our prototype groups and began working on the basic infrastructure of our robot.

Robot Design & Construction

After our initial brainstorm meeting, the design and mechanical subteams began working on their individual prototypes.   The framework of an elevator mechanism for tote stacking began taking shape this week, along with a possible conveyer system for linear motion after the totes are piled.  Another notable prototype created this week was a claw mechanism, use for actively acquiring totes and recycling containers.  The team also got started on the drivebase this week.  We are considering an omni h-drive for added side-to-side mobility in acquiring game pieces. This would be our first year considering a drive other than tank and we are very excited to see how it develops.

2015 Build Season

Media

The media team was also hard at work this first week; editing videos, taking heaps of footage, and training new rookies.  While the Ramp Riot Recap video was the main project, the media team continued to crank out its usual biweekly vlog.  As always, footage of shop work, interviews, and interesting happenings were included, along with the addition of a brand new animated vlog intro.  Rookies were also introduced to capturing footage and pictures, and organizing them for edited or uploaded.

Website

The team website is undergoing a great amount of change this season.  This revamp has been in the works for quite some time, but this year our website team is finally buckling down and cranking out awesome progress.  We’re updating our current format to the new WordPress CMS platform for a sleeker, more user-friendly look.  With such change comes the laborious task of manually transferring all the material from the old site the the new platform, a job that our website team has taken in stride.  They have also begun creating new media pages that link to our social media, utilizing new plug-ins so that photos from Flickr can be directly viewed on our site.  We hope to have the new site up and running by the end of build season.

2015 Build Season

Programming

Our programming team didn’t have much to do this week without a robot to program, but far be it from them to remain idle during build season; they tested our new roboRIO control system on our 2007 z-drive omni twin base robot to check that all the new electrical components we received in the kit were working properly.  We actually had a defective PDP Board and a new one was required.  Luckily we got it replaced by the vendor and now have a functioning control system.

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