Cyber Blue 234 robot weights calculator

[David Kelly]

The students from Cyber Blue 234 have come up with a weights calculator for teams to use this season. Although the calculator is far from the goal that we would like to have it at, its a great start for this season. With this calculator, you will be able to easily track the weight of your robot before it is even put together. This calculator will only be able to track more parts with your help! If you have a part that you would like to see put onto the calculator, please send all the necessary info to weights@cyberblue234.com If you are able to take a picture of the item, that would also be great for when this database plans to be a website based version next year. You may download the calculator here (http://www.cyberblue234.com/cyberblue234weightdatabase.xls)


Please send all questions and queries to weights@cyberblue234.com as they will be able to answer any questions, and not me.


Give it a try!! :]

[Matt Attallah]

The students from Cyber Blue 234 have come up with a weights calculator for teams to use this season. Although the calculator is far from the goal that we would like to have it at, its a great start for this season. With this calculator, you will be able to easily track the weight of your robot before it is even put together. This calculator will only be able to track more parts with your help! If you have a part that you would like to see put onto the calculator, please send all the necessary info to weights@cyberblue234.com If you are able to take a picture of the item, that would also be great for when this database plans to be a website based version next year. You may download the calculator here (http://www.cyberblue234.com/cyberblue234weightdatabase.xls)


Please send all questions and queries to weights@cyberblue234.com as they will be able to answer any questions, and not me.


Give it a try!! :]
DUDE! Nice contribution from the team! I'm sure that instead of people deciding to drill holes (AKA - Swiss Cheeseing it) they will be able to keep track of their weight during the build - instead of after! :)



Surgeon General Warning - "Swiss Cheesing" has been noted to cause losses, structural failure, and even total robot failure. Please refrain from drilling holes into your robot to help keep weight down.


:p

[Scott Shaw 237]

Great contribution guys. Hope team 237 uses it so we dont have to swiss cheese the robot like every other yer.

[KyleGilbert45]

Cool Program/Collection. I can see this being very helpful to many teams.

I guess you can still just drill holes in your battery and then there was the air tank for the pneumatcis we used to get too. ;)

[Aignam]

Surgeon General Warning - "Swiss Cheesing" has been noted to cause losses, structural failure, and even total robot failure. Please refrain from drilling holes into your robot to help keep weight down.
A robot without lightening holes? Say it ain't so... :ahh:

Nice calculator, though. Good idea.

[JAH]

Thanks. We hope to someday get around to making it an add in on our team website. If anyone has anything that they use and think other teams might even consider using, if you could, please weigh it(in pounds) and the appropriate unit(per inch, per square inch, etc.) and email it to weights@cyberblue234.com and it'll be put on the database and updated so that it is a better utility for everyone. Thanks! :]

[Katie Reynolds]

Very cool, guys! This will be so useful for anyone trying to put together a BOM for their team, too. I've been putting the robot BOM together for 93 since 2001 and could've used something like this awhile ago! :D

[Bduggan04]

I've used a spreadsheet like this for several years. It is also helpful to have a weight budget for sub assemblies and track them separately. I would suggest posting a unprotected version so that new components can be changed or added pending the contents of the kit. Also, tracking assemblies of custom parts is very useful.

[IronSlayTallica]

That's awesome. I love you guys. My team is thrilled to pieces and can't wait to start using it. I'm so giving you a hug if I see you at Nat's.

[Gadget470]

CyberBlue: could you please post the 'protection' password? There are other pieces that are not on that list that teams might use. Such as different types of extruded aluminum. Bosch, 80/20, and IPS don't weigh the same, and a method 470 uses (what we call "cored IPS") to lighten IPS also isn't listed.

[Chris Fultz]

The team is meeting Sunday evening and we will discuss either posting the password or posting a non-protected sheet.

Our intent was to protect the file and then we would add data as others informed us of new materials or errors. That way, we were always sure of the integrity of what was on the site.

Thanks to everyone for the positive words.

We will be working Sunday afternoon to weight any new materials in the 2004 kit and will get an update on line as wuickly as we can.

Please be sure to post any errors or new materials to the email indicated in te original post.

[Chris Fultz]

We are going to keep the file as password protected for now.
Here is the plan for the database:

A new revision will be posted by the end of the day Friday (16 January)
and it will become the 2004 baseline file.

This new file will contain all of the new parts in the 2004 kit.

This new file will contain a section for CyberBlue to add new items in the future.

This new file will contain a user definable section where you can add your own unique materials. These additions will show in the overall weight calculation in the database.

If any corrections are made to an existing weight, it will be maintained in the same file location.

If a new item is added, it will be added in a 'reserved / additions' section at the bottom of the database.

These revision procedures will allow a user to 'cut and paste' data from the 2004 baseline into a 2004 revision and have the data in the right location.

Summary: New Baseline database to be posted by 16 January 2004.

Section I: 2004 Kit and other used materials
Section II: Reservable for new additions
Section III: User Definable

Please send new items to weights@cyberblue234.com.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Matt,
When I was in high school (a long long time ago in a galaxy far away...) I worked for an auto parts store that had an actual tester for these devices that charged them up to full charge. We sold Delco parts and this part was from the Delco Remy line. After testing we would throw them to each other as a joke. Just one of the things that contributed to the callouses on my hands.

[Matt Fultz]

We are sorry for the delay of the Weights Databse v 2.1. We wanted to make sure that all new kit parts were weighed, minus the parts the we were missing from FIRST. The new version contains 2 locked sections holding parts the people submit to be posted on the new database, as well as an unlocked section where individual teams may add their own parts and weights to their downloaded databases.

This version will be posted very shortly, I promise. Please continue to email weights@cyberblue234.com with parts and weights (and short descriptions if possible) that you would like to be put on the new database.

PLEASE NOTE: With the new version, parts would placed in their respective categories, so amounts are NOT "pasteable" from v1 to version 2.1. However, with all v.2's, amounts will be pasteable from one update to the next. The new parts that weights@cyberblue234.com recieves will be added at the end of the last locked category, so only those amounts will need added.

Thank you for your patience,

Weights Team
weights@cyberblue234.com

[David Kelly]

We are sorry for the delay of the Weights Calculator v 2.1. We wanted to make sure that all new kit parts were weighed, minus the parts the we were missing from FIRST. The new version contains 2 locked sections holding parts the people submit to be posted on the new database, as well as an unlocked section where individual teams may add their own parts and weights to their downloaded databases.

This version will be posted very shortly, I promise. Please continue to email weights@cyberblue234.com with parts and weights (and short descriptions if possible) that you would like to be put on the new database.

PLEASE NOTE: With the new version, parts would placed in their respective categories, so amounts are NOT "pasteable" from v1 to version 2.1. However, with all v.2's, amounts will be pasteable from one update to the next. The new parts that weights@cyberblue234.com recieves will be added at the end of the last locked category, so only those amounts will need added.

Thank you for your patience,

Weights Team
weights@cyberblue234.com



The new weights calculator is now uploaded onto Cyber Blue 234's server. You can access it here (www.cyberblue234.com/cyberblue234weightdatabase.xls)

:]

[Chris Fultz]

Here are some feature of the latest update:

There are three sections:

1. Section for everything CyberBlue has weighed.
This section is locked except for quantity that you add.

2. Section for new items that you and others send to us to add.
This secrion is locked except for quantity that you add.

3. Section for you to add your own items. Calculation is there,
but you add description, weight per, quantity.

The weight is total ed in 3 cells
1. From the CyberBlue generated sections
2. From the user defined section
3. Total of #1 & #2 above.

As we add new items, we WILL NOT increase the location or values of any of the items in Section 1. This way, if we release an update, you will be able to cut and paste your existing data into the new file and the cells will align.

If we make a correction, we will fix the error cell and add a note to indicate what was changed.

I would recommend you put in a freeze at row 6. That will keep the column identifiers visible as you scroll down the file. We will add this feature in on the next update.

Please advise of any items we need to add for other teams to use and any error you find.

[Matt Adams]

I tried to send a number of obvious corrections to the email address supplied a couple of days ago, and evidently in this newest update changes were not made. To ensure that teams have accurate information, I've listed a few things that need revision. I would still consider this calculator to be in it's testing stages... I think that this is a great start to what could be a wonderful tool for teams, but the amount of responsibility for something like this is VERY large. I'm sure that 234 is doing it's best to keep all of the information as accurate as possible.

Corrections needed:

All of the 1/16 and 1/8 aluminum angle they list have no dimensions for the leg lengths... which makes these unusable.

1/4" bolts... 1.5 inch weighs almost 3 times as much as a 1.00 inch bolt? It's only 1/3 longer...

Lexan... how can 3/16 inch lexan weigh 33% of 1/8 inch?

In addition, there's a number of weights that only have a single significant digit to them, such as the drill motor and its transmission. It would be nice to have this weight more accurate than to the nearest pound.

Overall, good job.. but since there are significant errors in some of the components, I'm worried about what I can use with 100% confidence...

Check and double check, and then repost. I'm VERY excited to see the final product!

Matt

[Robo-Knights]

The students from Cyber Blue 234 have come up with a weights calculator for teams to use this season. Although the calculator is far from the goal that we would like to have it at, its a great start for this season. With this calculator, you will be able to easily track the weight of your robot before it is even put together. This calculator will only be able to track more parts with your help! If you have a part that you would like to see put onto the calculator, please send all the necessary info to weights@cyberblue234.com If you are able to take a picture of the item, that would also be great for when this database plans to be a website based version next year. You may download the calculator here (http://www.cyberblue234.com/cyberblue234weightdatabase.xls)


Please send all questions and queries to weights@cyberblue234.com as they will be able to answer any questions, and not me.


Give it a try!! :]


Thanks for this great contribution.

[JAH]

Thanks for all of the good comments. We should be coming out with another update soon so keep checking! Thanks!

Weights Team

[djcapelis]

I really don't see the point in holding the cells locked and protected...

Can't you just copy and paste that data out anyways? I mean... if you can use the spreadsheet you shouldn't have a hard time taking all the useful stuff and copying it into something you can write too... so it seems the protection is quite useless.

So why protect your document for no appearent reason and make it harder for teams to use it? I mean, don't get me wrong, I think it's a great thing you're doing here, but your urge to control the information seems odd to say the least.

[Collin Fultz]

the reasons for locking the cells have been posted earlier in this discussion. if you have a problem with it, take the time to weigh everything yourself. for those willing to accept that the cells are locked and (wether they agree with the locking or not) continue to use the weight calculator, we wish you the best of luck with this year's robot!

[djcapelis]

the reasons for locking the cells have been posted earlier in this discussion. if you have a problem with it, take the time to weigh everything yourself. for those willing to accept that the cells are locked and (wether they agree with the locking or not) continue to use the weight calculator, we wish you the best of luck with this year's robot!


Don't flip out, I'm just wondering as to your reasoning really... why would you need to "protect the integrety" of the spreedsheet? I mean, the official copy would obviously be posted by your team. It's seems a bit odd to post something but not allow people to modify it for their own uses or help you correct it.

I appreciate the work your team is doing, I'm just questioning why you're securing the content. If I didn't appreciate your work I would have posted the unprotected copy that I just created.

[JAH]

It's seems a bit odd to post something but not allow people to modify it for their own uses or help you correct it.


There is a user defined section allowing you to input whatever you'd like and have it calculated into the total amount so you can make it for your own uses. If need be, add more rows and extend the code however far you need. If there are any corrections needed, please email them to weights@cyberblue234.com so that everyone who downloads a copy can have the corrections, not just your team. Thanks!

-Weights Team

[Matt Fultz]

"Cyber Blue 234" is written everywhere on the weight calculator. It is property and a product of Cyber Blue team 234. That is why we lock all cells that we feel don't need changing, as to protect our name and our team in a product that we have made.

We leave space for personal team adding, and we are willing to make all changes addressed.

Matt Adams-
I personally apologize for the delay of your changes. These have been made in the recent update, and it will be posted very soon. Thank you for bringing those, and more in the future, to our attention.

Thanks to all who have helped on the correction of database, and please keep the corrections coming.

Thank you

[JAH]

Update posted! Check out the newest version of the database. We've gone back and fixed the errors that we have received and added a few more things of our own. Let us know what you think! weights@cyberblue234.com

Thanks!
-Weights Team

See signature for link!

[JAH]

Another update posted. We were told that there was some trouble in opening the latest version of the database on computers running Windows 2000, ME, 97, etc. That should be fixed and there are a few new items that we input. If anyone really has any items they are putting on theirs, email them to us so we can put them on the master. weights@cyberblue234.com

Check signature for link!

-Weights Team

[Joe Ross]

Another update posted. We were told that there was some trouble in opening the latest version of the database on computers running Windows 2000, ME, 97, etc. That should be fixed and there are a few new items that we input. If anyone really has any items they are putting on theirs, email them to us so we can put them on the master. weights@cyberblue234.com


I can't open the latest version on windows 2000 with Excel 2000. I hadn't tried any of the other ones, so I don't know if this is a new problem or not.

[JAH]

I've reuploaded the file again. It is being saved as a Microsoft Excel 97-2002 & 5.0/95 Workbook. That should work. If it isn't, I'm not exactly sure why this isn't working so please let me know if you have any idea on how to fix the problem. Thanks.

-Weights Team

[Joe Ross]

I've reuploaded the file again. It is being saved as a Microsoft Excel 97-2002 & 5.0/95 Workbook. That should work. If it isn't, I'm not exactly sure why this isn't working so please let me know if you have any idea on how to fix the problem.


Still won't open for me. However, I was able to open it in gnumeric on linux, so it must be triggering some type of odd bug in excel or windows.