Static Electricity
 

Posted by David Kelso at 2/9/2001 7:18 PM EST


Coach on team #131, C.H.A.O.S.-, from Central High School and OSRAM SYLVANIA/ Fleet .



Team 131 is finally racing around the field. It has been pretty cold and dry in the northeast. If fact today, we were getting two inch SPARKS jumping from our robot to the metal edge as we passed over it while getting on the bridge...Any one else have this happen? We will start dragging a ground wire and see if that helps.

Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: Static Electricity
Posted by David Kelso on 2/9/2001 7:18 PM EST:



Because we put off our D5 (Drop Dead Design Direction
Day) this year...

and because our engineers have had some pretty major
fires to put out in their day jobs...

and because of a hundred hard design decisions we had
to make...

and because Chief Delphi 6 is the most elegant Chief
Delphi machine yet...

and because of a thousand small reasons,...

...our machine is nowhere NEAR running yet!

I HATE YOU GUYS WHO ARE ALREADY DONE!#!?!@!!! ;-)

Ah well, it'll have to be in the box on the 20th done
or not...

See you in New England...

Joe J.

Nope
 

Posted by Alan Partington at 2/10/2001 1:17 AM EST


Student from Crescent School.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



We are not running perfectly yet. We got another system to add on, and our robot still trurns in doughnuts becasue of the contol system. Of course this is our second year in robotics, and last year we did Candad First(yuk).

We are esentially a rookie team. What's YOUR excuse?

No.. We are slow too
 

Posted by Alan Partington at 2/10/2001 1:29 AM EST


Student from Crescent School.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



We are not Running fully either.
The Coyotboy MK II. Heavy, is still undergoing some final adjustments before she is finally finished. Of course, we are a little slow becasue we are a rookie team. What's you excuse?

Re: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
 

Posted by Michael "Special K" Krass at 2/10/2001 9:56 AM EST


Other on team #271, Mechanical Marauders, from Bay Shore High School and Verizon.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



Well, let's see. . .

The drive system was running around on the floor over on one side of the room. . . actually, crawling might be a better word. That's got to be fixed.

The arm is going up and down at a speed just fast enough to tip us over on the other side of the room.

The programming is done, we think. We can't find it, but it's done.

And, finally, I'm knee deep in yellow paint trying paint some bizarre looking robot thing on the side of our crate.

All in all, life is crazy, we're behind, and I'm not going to get any sleep for the next week because all of our students have important things like homework or social lives. Ugh.

~ Michael, graphic designer, mechanical engineer, artist, chef, gopher, computer technician, DJ, and full-time college student.

All I know....
 

Posted by Jessica Boucher at 2/10/2001 10:26 AM EST


Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.


In Reply to: Re: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Michael on 2/10/2001 9:56 AM EST:



...is that news from up top at Watertown says that we can't be in the high school the Sat, Sun & Monday before shipping AT ALL.

But...our robot runs ;)

-Jessica B, #237

We don't have much yet either
 

Posted by Shawn McMahon at 2/10/2001 2:28 PM EST


Student on team #263, Aftershock, from Sachem H.S. and Symbol, Citycorp., Apoge, CA ....


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



All of our systems are still being made. Our control box is almost done. The wiring for our robot is done, even though we don't have a chassis for it. (The wiring is a separate drop in plate, which the motors plug into) Our arm is nowhere near done and the entire drive system is laid out and build, just not on the actual frame. Hopefully by tomorrow the frame will be done and we can add our components to it. For my team we are approaching the 72 hr days. Last yr we stayed 3 days straight lived off of coffee, and slept on foam core upstairs :-)

"Quality, not quantity...or time"
 

Posted by Steve Prairie at 2/10/2001 8:02 PM EST


Student on team #173, RAGE, from Rockville High School and UTRC.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



RAGE isn't nearly "finished" yet. We're right on schedule though. Every year we spend alot of time thinking the design through before we start building (measure twice, cut once). We have most of the parts assembled completly now, but we have some that are still on paper. We'll be "finished" by the UTC scrimage on the 17th.

Maybe we're at an advantage to some by building a practice robot too.

See you in Hartford.

Re: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
 

Posted by Bob Drexel at 2/10/2001 9:09 PM EST


Engineer on team #358, Titans, from Hauppauge and Festo Corp..


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX POUND!!!!, where are we going to find six pounds to cut????

Re: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
 

Posted by Matt Leese at 2/10/2001 10:46 PM EST


Other on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Fiber Technologies & RIT.


In Reply to: Re: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Bob Drexel on 2/10/2001 9:09 PM EST:



Only 6 pounds? Last year on 7 it was the Saturday
before ship and we were TWENTY pounds over weight.
That was a chore to cut us down to size. And at
regionals we wanted to replace pop-rivets with sheet
metal screws but couldn't afford the weight loss (no
joke there, we weighed it with the sheet metal screws
and it was just slightly too much).

Matt

take a guess
 

Posted by Ken Leung at 2/11/2001 5:35 AM EST


Student on team #192, Gunn Robotics Team, from Henry M. Gunn Senior High School.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



Well, I don't want to tell everyone our status about the robot... So let's just say we are not consistent with the schedule.

Take a guess about our relationship with the schedule:

I haven't been sleeping for more than 3 to 4 hours whenever I come home for GRT.

I've been machining 12 hours straight for the last couple of days and barely have any dinner breaks.

On the AIM away message, it's always "at GRT..." and I can barely chat to people online anymore.

This week I am cutting two days of college classes so that I can come back earlier for the team.

And these few days, I am not aware of what's happening with the world, as well as inside my house.

Dusts are starting to appear on the homework I am supposed to do.

So... any clue?

running with a limp
 

Posted by Alan Federman at 2/11/2001 9:45 AM EST


Engineer on team #255, Odyssey, from Foothill HS, San Jose and NASA.


In Reply to: Is ChiefDelphi the ONLY team not running?
Posted by Joe Johnson on 2/9/2001 10:23 PM EST:



No Joe, you aint alone.

The 255 machine just started moving well on Saturday.
It can limbo. It's goal strecher bridge arm is a tad bit over powered - i.e. it probably could flip "Vlad the Impaler" on Battlebots. I am a tad bit worried about field damage penalties. Our big ball arm is
still being prototyped. Add to this is the team has now put on a 'students only touch the robot' rule in place because they felt team members were not getting enough hands-on..

See ya at the Nationals.

Re: Static Electricity
 

Posted by Thomas A. Frank at 2/13/2001 4:08 PM EST


Engineer on team #121, The Islanders/Rhode Warrior, from Middletown (RI) High School and Naval Undersea Warfare Center.


In Reply to: Static Electricity
Posted by David Kelso on 2/9/2001 7:18 PM EST:



All;

We've had very serious static problems in the past (although not this year, as our wheels are wood this time); I strongly recommend that you do drag a conductive wire to bleed off the charge.

While the InnovationFirst unit is very well protected (compared to the older units form years past), why risk damage to expensive devices?

Tom Frank

P.S. - two days after we posted those pictures of our prototype, we had the final drive parts on and operating. The software is now done, and everything works. It IS ugly as sin, but that can be attended to. For once we are ahead of the curve...let's hope it stays together!