How's everyone doing?

FIRST General Forum
#37

I severly suggest that you lay down the tools and pick up the pencil and paper (or AutoCAD). Last year, 675 proceeded to take the path you’re on right now. We had an overweight, under-supported robot that only performed it’s task to a mediocre level, with no autonomous mode. We shipped an unfinished robot to San Jose, and didn’t get any practice when we got there.

This year, due to some planning, we have a design and are in the process of making it a reality. However, due to the fact that our Team Leader (Mr. Greg Weaver) or one of the higher-ups (Blake or Robin) said we aren’t to divulge any information, and the fact that I’d much rather not say, that’s all you’re going to know for now.

Come March, our secrecy will all be obviated. Stay tuned.

Michael Baker, Team 675, Phantom Robotics, Chassis & Pneumatic assembly and design team, 2007 Season.

#38

We’re doing well.
Everybody like to lay comparison to the 1997 game but we’re leaning on the success was had in '05. Same drivetrain and a similiar arm. We’re considering a ramp. Week 2 will be a critial week for us.

#39

Progress! one week into design, we have a handle on how far away we are from being able to meet the weight spec.

And we also have an idea of some of the many ways there are going to be to mangle our half designed machine. This is so much fun!

#40

well Team 2106 has started out fairly well for our rookie year. as of Thurday we have

  1. a basic idea of what we are going to be doing
  2. a baisic idea of what we WOn’t be doing.
  3. The frame finished
  4. Mock up of 3 arm designs (thank God for legos!)

week two i hope to have the basic bot driving. crosses fingers

#41

Welcome to the FRC and the best of luck to you and your team!

#42

Our team got so much stuff done this week it was crazy. I think its our best first week since I’ve been on the team…

So far we have:

-A week one completed video
-Almost the entire field assembly in CADD
-Drive train about half way done
-Prototypes for arms and other various secrets :wink:
-Got the camera working
-Made a mock-up of our robot in VEX
-Got our 2005 robot up and running for practice/driver training
-Made a partial rack assembly
-Working on our website
-Ripping old video/photos from previous years

Keep up the good work, everyone! Good luck in the upcoming weeks!

#43

I’m not going to tell you exactly what I’ve been doing, but I can tell you it will be sweet and involves at least 3 sensors.

And it is working now but needs some tweaks.

Auton will be incredibly cool for us this year!

I have been programming with the base of last year’s competition bot. It appears I bricked the 2006 RC…uh oh…but the 07 one works. The chassis guys have the metal cut and are milling. I’m not saying anything else…

School, homework, robotics, homework, sleep, wash, rinse and repeat. I love my life.

JBot

#44

Friday: Ordered Aluminum and other stuff. Dialed in manipulator design.

Sat-Sun: Rest and think about something else but robotics for a change.

Monday: No school, but going to Drexel’s machine shop and talk with them, machine some parts, etc. Order some more stuff.

#45

from team 1259

we have had several designs we sorted through and came to a conclusion on one last tuesday
today during our meeting, our engineers completly destroyed the idea, along with the team’s moral. be sure to look for a post from austir shortly. he was one of the main people behind our master idea. since the engineers threw out our idea, we are just going to post it on here to show you all, hopefully somebody can get some good out of it.
best of luck to all!

#46

I smell edge sensing with either Infrared or Ultraviolet…

All I can tell you guys is that 675 will have some stuff done before the competitions. I know, horribly specific, but that’s all I can say :wink:

#47

Team 66 report:

-We have an idea on what we’re going to build… no… scrap that… we know what we’re going to build… :cool:
-Chairman’s Award Planning has been constantly in the works since the end of last season, just got to get it down to a single document and ready a presentation for competition
-Other than that, we have been doing quite alright. :wink:

#48

I see you are a rookie. One of the things you need to learn, and hopefully quickly, is that team mentors are not out to “destroy” anybody’s ideas and definitely not your moral. If a mentor is critiquing your ideas, that is what they are supposed to do. They have experience and knowledge. The reason they are with your team is because they want to teach you and lead you down a path of success. If they know something is not going to work, it is their responsibility to lead you away from those ideas. Do not take criticism personally, your team will not succeed if you do. Be greatful of the help your mentors provide, many teams do not have any mentors.

#49

Hopefully we are going to have a prototype chassis this weekend.

#50

Metal has came in for our chassis. We begin the mill work tomorrow.

Hopefully we will have a moving, competition-ready chassis by the end of this weekend if things go as planned. We’ll be working tooth and nail (this is also midterms week…), and probably pull a few all-nighters this weekend getting this thing built. It’s crucial that we start working on our manipulators by next week - giving us two weeks to get that done, and one week left for testing.

#51

Once we figure out how manufacture 1/8" thick negative index of refraction material sheets, we’ll be set with the first ever FRC stealth bot. :wink:

Okay, seriously, our wheels are coming and we’ve got the chassis nailed down, but everything else is on hold until final exam week is over… :frowning:

#52

do you meam your bot can hover in midair

#53

team 104

still deciding on robot design
have basic plan on what we want it to do
meeting today and tommorow at east
also saturday meeting all day at east too
might start building

#54

Team 157 Aztechs
w:] e have pretty much settled on how we are going to play the game. we started many designs, and are beginning to prototype.

#55

we had problems with design from our mentors and sponsers and stuff, but its finally nailed down now. Our frame is made (its a kitbot so no biggy) and tomorrow we meet to decide what metal we need for arm and hopefully get transmission done

#56

Well i havnt been in the past 3 days [Flu :frowning: ] but last time i was there we had our prototype tube lift/grabbing arms working, still deciding on a drivetrain however. I think im gonna call up EA and ask how the hovertanks from BF2142 work… :cool:

we’re also starting work on a sort of FIRST commercial, we are the only team in the province as far as i know, so we’re gonna try to get the local schools out of the local league into the real thing.