Statistics on top 20 teams?

[akeisic]

Programming:
What language did they use?
C++

Did they do something in autonomous? If so, what worked?
1: Start far, kick 3 (no bounce)
2: Start far, kick 3 (with bounce)
3: Start far, kick 3 (no bounce), go over bump
4: Start far, kick 3 (with bounce), go over bump
5: Start mid, kick 2
6: Start mid, kick 2, back up, turn toward center
7: Start near, kick 1
8: Start near, plow into net
9: Start near, kick 1, back up, pause 5 sec, move forward, kick anything in path

In all modes we used current sensing to detect the ball and set the maximum distance. This was enormously helpful as we could easily adjust the starting position of the robot and distance from the ball without having to worry. We used mode 1 and 3 the most.

CAN or PWM control?
CAN. We had some trouble with the tan jaguars losing their identity, but fixed those with a patch. It definitely cleans up wiring, but you MUST ensure the wires are secure. If you lose 1, you lose them all! This is why we didn't move in the 2nd match of Newton finals. We're talking about using PWM for drive and CAN for auxiliary for next year.

Did you use the Classmate for programming your robot or student/school supplied computers?
The team recently purchased a dedicated programming laptop.

Robot Design:
What sensors were used?
Jaguar current sensing for the intake roller, encoders on left and right drive train, encoder for kicker winch system, 2 limit switches for kicker zero and kicker max.

Did you use the vision system?
Yes! - but not the way you would think. We mounted our camera below our bumper so we could see behind those pesky bumps. It was especially helpful in the far end of the field. It also helped us see directly below the drivers station.

What drive system?
6WD with a 0.100" lowered center wheel. The center wheel was driven directly and the front/back by a single loop of chain.

Wheels?
7" traction wheels - Thank you Northrop Grumman!

How many motors?
Drive: 4 CIMs
Intake: 1 CIM
Kicker winch: 2 FP
Pneumatics: 2 for 2 speed transmission, 1 for ratchet release

What material was used for the frame (Aluminum, steel, unobtanium)?
Welded aluminum. Mostly 1/16" wall, but 1/8" where we needed it.

How did they control the ball?
Pincher design with friction clutch and center back stop. We pulled balls away from many teams - including 1114 and 1902.

Energy storage for kicker (elastic, pneumatic, motor driven, etc.)?
flat elastic pulled back by winch and released by ratchet.

How did you cut your parts (water jet, LASER, mill, hand tools,etc.)?
Hand, band saw, mill, lathe, water jet, CNC mill

Did you hang?
No.

The Driver Station
Did you reprogram your dashboard code?
Not to my knowledge.

Did you use external controls beyond your joysticks?
We had a heads up LED display, but no external controls

Anything else?
Any techniques that you feel might be beneficial to others in the future?
Ensure you have a battery load tester. While we tested our batteries in the lab (plotting the full drain of the battery), having a battery load tester in the pits is crucial. We disposed of 3 batteries after the championship because they were beyond their life! We couldn't climb over the bump during the finals in LA because of bad batteries.