the spacecookies robotics team blog: Season 2007-2008

Build Notes - Jan 28th

PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL telling me whether you are going to Championships or not. It is in Atlanta, Georiga and is 4/17/2008 - 4/19/2008. We'll probably be flying out the 16 (or maybe the 15). We need to buy plane tickets as soon as possible.

DRIVER TRY OUTS are going to be Monday and Tuesday of next week. If you can't make either of these days, but want to try out, please let me know ASAP. You can come in at any time to practice (well, within reason). This is for the driver only. Operator/robocoach/whatever will be decided later. I would like the tryout to be with the 2008 chassis, but if it is not finished by that date, we'll probably use the 2007 chassis. Watch this space for more updates. :)

Today
1) Worked on spacers for transmissions
2) Took off the claw on the 2007 robot so that we could continue driving (this, however, didn't actually happen because A) the programming for the pneumatics is wonky, and B) the chain was not on the sprocket).
3) Drilled the electronics board
4) Had some driver practice

The Future
Driver Try-outs: Feb 3, 4
Putting together chassis: whenever parts come in ... hopefully finished by the end of this weekend.
Electronics: I'm tempted to finish taking apart our joystick so that we can have a it-doesn't-matter-if-it's-right-or-left joystick. :)

Build Notes - Jan 27th

I think I'm a few days behind ... here's how things are going:

We're a bit behind based on the schedule we gave ourselves. What's seeting us back is the lack of materials and the lack of a claw design. We can continue working as soon as the materials get in. I hope the claw will get done this week.

Who's on first.
1) Transmissions are mostly back together. Gaby was working on the spacers when I left.
2) Battery box designed and waiting for 1/8" sheet metal.
3) Finally got around to ordering more electronics
4) Elevator pieces done (we should check this over)
5) Got the IR sensor to work.

What's on next.
1) Working on electronics board (I'll get the board tomorrow. We can start cutting and drilling.)
2) Get a working chassis (by Thursday or whenever all the parts come in)
3) Work on bumpers (by Sunday -- we need materials for this -- pool noodles, cloth ... I'm not sure what else)
4) Cut the claw pieces so it can be sent wherever it needs to be sent ... assuming it needs to be sent somewhere.
5) Put everything together (on the weekend!)
6) Website-o!?
7) Survive.

Just as a side note, if all is happy, the welding for the elevator, battery box, and claw will happen on Friday.

--Katherine

Build Notes - Jan 24th

STARTING ON THE WEEKEND AT 10AM THIS WEEK. Be there ... or be triangle. :D Remember, you can drop in at any time and leave at any time.

Week three is almost coming to a close (scary)! And good luck to anyone who's still doing finals.

What was done today
0) Nine girls came in. :) That makes me happy.
1) Worked on transmissions
2) Worked on hubs (?)
3) More elevator cutting (I think we just need to angle the supports, but don't quote me on that)
4) Worked on the banner for the website (and completely reworking it to be within GS regulations)
5) Started prototyping another type of claw
6) Cut shafts
Of course, I only know for certain the things I worked on ... so I hope my half-hear-half-tell covered everything else that happened today. But the bottom line is, we're moving forward! (Well ... mostly)

What's getting done next
Mechanical: Getting a rolling chassis!
Mechanical: Cutting parts of the elevator for welding!
Mechanical: Designing the claw!
Electronics: Get plastic (from Tap, probably), and metal (1/8"); design/cut battery box and compressor plate

News
Um ... the claw on the 2007 robot ... fell off (a few days ago, actually). The little wooden block that held it up split in two. I hope we don't have to do any demos soon. :) Basically, that means we aren't going to be able to drive that robot around (unless someone fixes it. Could be you!). This is easily fixed by putting on another little wooden block on. Ideally, though, we could get a somewhat more mechanically sound metal bracket on.

Build Notes - Jan 23rd

If you're interested in claw mechanisms -- Shannon is coming in tomorrow to help with it.

If you're interested in machining -- COME IN! We've got lots to machine.

THIS WEEKEND WE START AT 10AM.

What we did today (and the past few days)
1) Our transmission came in!
2) Shafts came in!
3) Took apart gear boxes --> lighten
4) Hubs for wheels
5) Had a team meeting (notes attached)

What we want to get done (everything is on a rolling schedule (unfortunately))
Mechanical (1/24): Elevator (one person) [FIRST PRIORITY]
Mechanical (1/24-25): Hubs (Gaby, Christine)
Mechanical (1/24-25): Gearboxes (Ming-Ming)
Mechanical (1/24-25): Wheel shafts (one person)
Mechanical (1/25): Rolling Chassis DONE
Mechanical (until done): CLAW DESIGN!! (Lilian, Krystine, Shannon)
Electronics (in the future after the rolling chassis is done): Cut a battery box and compressor plate
Electronics (in the future after the rolling chassis is done): Get a piece of plastic and put the electronics on

Blog!
Life goes like this. College applications are done -- life is easy. Finals are done -- life is easy. Seventh period final -- there's more time! Robotics season has started -- life is stressed, there's no time, but there's more fun. Life also goes like this: WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO?

-- Katherine

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

Start 6:47
Finish 7:12
Present - Katherine, Gabby, Christine, Sila, Lillian, Elizabeth, Ming Ming, Callie, Krystine....Guest-Tiffany (from GS council)

Tiffany - liaison to team from Girl Scouts, here to get the basic idea
UC Davis - NOT GOING (b/c it costs more to go and we're already going to championships)
GMS - entrepeneur night, Callie and Meghna recruiting, possibly getting money =)
Website - does exist, blue color scheme
Tomorrow - Shannon is coming in 4-8, intrested in mech. come-in
We should try to stay on schedule, while also making sure our robot is well-built
Shafts are finished, need to finish weel hubs tomorrow - Possible moving chasis tomorrow

Progress report
    Lillian - have chassis design, waiting for parts, waiting on claw CAD-ing, want to see cads, see krystine
    Katherine -
        programming with new code
        drivers have started practiced (and testing)
        electronics - have/need two speed controllers, OI possibly for 2006 model, for practice, possbible RC
    Driving - possibly use Bell's?
    Hybrid Mode - make our own remote control

Schedule
Top Priority*  - elevator & angles(1)
Thurdsay - Hubs (gaby), Gearboxes (Ming Ming), Claw, wheel shafts (1 person)
Friday  - rolling chassis
This Weekend - Start at 10 AM!

Build Notes (short) - Jan 20th

Monday time will still be 4pm to 8pm even though some of us have it off.

And a short less formal update: We have the chassis and the elevator mostly CADed. We are still working on the claw prototype / CAD. The electronics have mostly been laid. It will be finalized when we figure out how to motorize the elevator.

--Katherine

Build Notes - Jan 15th

What Happened on Saturday
1) Got together an order to make a remote for the hybrid mode
2) Possibly designed claws and elevators? (I wasn't here for that)

So what about Monday and Tuesday? I studied for finals. If you didn't, either you're lucky or procrastinating. If the first, :). If the second, :(.

What will be done next
Mechanical (everyone) (until Friday): Make a rolling chassis
Everyone in finals mode: STUDY STUDY STUDY! I mean, don't study. Fail those finals. Focus on robotics. And then when you're done, check the board for what to do next. :) Really, to all those with finals this week, good luck!

- Katherine

The rest of your life...(and today) - Jan 11

Monday and Tuesday (1/14 and 1/15) are off. There wasn't enough interest, and I must admit, I do want to study for my finals.

Start selling cookies! (Assuming, of course, that you haven't already started)

What we did
1) Schedule robot season until Feb 1. (attached)
2) Set up white boards upstairs with the schedule. One has the calendar and the other has a detailed list of what needs to be done the next few days
2) Prototyped claws (some more)
3) Marketing meeting - showed off the slide show, and got an update on the websites progress

What's for the weekend?
Mechanical (finish by 1/13): Machine chassis parts
Mechanical (finish by 1/13): Design elevator
Mechanical (finish by 1/13): Make Battery Box? (If we want it welded, we should send it to the welder at the same time the chassis is being welded.)
Mechanical: Design claw
Electronics (finish by 1/13): Make OI board

(The white board upstairs has an even more detailed schedule for the weekend. Check it to see what needs to be done.)

For those of you that just want a list of deadlines ... here it is!
Jan 13: Elevator designed
            Chassis ready for welder
Jan 15: Chassis Welded
Jan 18: Rolling chassis completed
Jan 20: Claw design done and reviewed
Jan 21: Transmission on robot
Jan 22: OI finished
Jan 23: Electronics laid out
            Finish cutting pieces for elevator and claw
Jan 25: Elevator welded
Jan 28: Elevator working
            Claw working
Jan 29: Electronics finished
Feb 1: Finished Robot!

--Katherine

Build Notes - Jan 11

Notes 1/9/08 Robotics

What we want this year

2 Reliability

7 Ball Control

1 Fast

6 Accurate

4 Points

3 Getting the ball

5 Be able to build it

Lots of replacement/redundancy/overbuild

adjustability

modular/repairable

Thrower

B/c if we build a thrower then we will also build a thrower as well as a herder

It is easier to herd as a back up than it is to fail at herder

Arm seems to be more complicated, could jerk, but has much more freedom in where it can go. The arm can be built in about a day. Can maneuver the ball.

Elevator has a simpler motion therefore we have much more control. We can look at Bellermine's last year's robot for an example. Elevator is much simpler when it comes to programming.

Both options have reliability, can both get ball

The elevator is our choice.

Animation challenge…we have a month Not many people know how to use 3dx max.

Do we wanna focus our energy on the robot?

Vote on whether we are going to have an Animation Team or not.

Wendy could contact Pixar again if we want to.

 

 

Maybe if not many people are going to Tuesdays then we don’t need many parents to chaperone it's a waste of time for the adults.

There is a lot of lack of communication about when there are going to be girls at the lab or not.

Should we be worrying about this?

Yes, we need to, because the adults are really putting out our times.

Make a list of the jobs we need to be done and the deadlines, then we will have a much more successful season.

Need to make sure whether people are gonna be able to complete the jobs.

Need to create a CAD and prototype by next Saturday the 12^th

When do want to decide on our grabbing mechanism?

Maybe we shouldn't decide on anything on the dead days (Tueday and Thursday)

If girls don’t come by a certain time then the adults can leave Adults should only come to the Lab if they absolutely know that team members are gonna be there.

How about the girls who come later?

Anyone coming on a Tuesday or a Thursday should let Krystine know

Have a sign up sheet that tells when you can come and at what time.

Set a schedule of what you wanna get done and sign up people for what to do.

Then we have goal instead of just coming and figuring out what we need to know and when it has to be done, when we have the schedule in advance then it's easier an focused to see what we can do.

PROJECT PLAN IS KEY

Prototyping for the elevator team

Building a chassey team

Building a compressor team

Designing a claw team

 

The board has been cleaned so just fill in the numbers and you can take note when you'll be at the lab and when

Tomorrow

Build Prototype

Claw designs

Elevator designs

CAD

 

Gabriela, Callie, Christina, Katherine, Mingming, Lillian, Elizabeth

Build Notes - Jan 10

Cookie sales start tomorrow! Hit up everyone you know (and possibly even some people you don't know. But be safe ... yadda yadda yadda.)

E-mail me if you're coming Monday or Tuesday of next week. Unless you e-mail me, there's a high chance there won't be a meeting Monday or Tuesday.

What was done today
1) Steering wheel works!
2) Prototyped some claw designs.
3) Cut the metal needed to build the chassis frame and the bearing blocks.

What will be done next
Mechanical (tomorrow): Continue prototyping grabber designs
Mechanical (tomorrow): Begin fleshing out elevator lift
Programming / Drive (tomorrow - 1/13): Program the steering wheel and test it on the 2007 robot
Mechanical (by end of 1/13): Have a CAD drawing (at least preliminary)

-- Katherine

Next weeks schedule, Animation and Davis

Next week is finals week for many, many people. The lab will be open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for sure. If you are free to come in Monday or Tuesday, you must reply to this e-mail. If there is not enough interest, I will contact those people who said that they can come, and let them know the lab is closed.

If you are interested in animation, you must e-mail me. Keep in mind, you have about a month to learn and animate. If your primary goal for this year is to get robot-building experience, this probably isn't something you want to pursue. However, if the interest holds after long grueling months of building robots, we'll find a mentor and start playing with animation then.

Davis Regional: Diane recently sent out an e-mail earlier today, but to recap, do we want to go? We are going to Silicon Valley Regional (3/13-15) and the Championships (4/17-19). The Davis Regional would be the weekend right after SVR (3/20-22). Please check your calendars and respond with whether or not you can / want to go. Keep in mind, you could just choose to go to one or two of the events even if the team decides to go to three.

What was done today
1) We had a team meeting ...
2) We decided we're going to build an elevator lift robot.
(Is that really two different items? Well ... no.)

What will be done next
Mechanical (tomorrow): Begin prototyping grabber designs
Mechanical (tomorrow): Begin fleshing out elevator lift
Mechanical (tomorrow): Begin cutting metal for the chassis
Programming / Electronics (tomorrow): Dissect the steering wheel and put it back together again (lots of soldering practice.)
Mechanical (by end of 1/13): Have a CAD drawing (at least preliminary)
Mechanical / Electrical / You (by end of 1/13): Build a "prototype" robot out of the Kop that we can program and drive. (This seems less and less likely, but it's getting replaced by a real chassis, so I'm quite happy.)

Please respond to this e-mail with what days you can make it to the lab next week (especially Monday or Tuesday), if you're interested in animation, and whether or not you would like to go to the Davis regional.

-- Katherine