Team 1054, Buckingham Virginia:
We just finished our electrical, drivetrain, and most of our frame, so we have a very basic and small, robot.
team 1676
This week has been a lot of brainstorming and designing. We have set up our shop and put in orders for materials. By the wed of next week I hope to have a finished and perfectly working drivetrain and chassis. The manipulator design discussion is about halfway done and we plan to start building manipulators by mid next week. Our programming team has been searching for useful already developed code to use and gathering and setting up new computers we obtained from the school.
This is the first year we haven’t been winging it and its been working out really well.
Lots of brainstorming done
We have the design of our arm/claw, and a nearly completed CAD version
The defense/endgame team still has a few kinks to work out in their ramp design, but it’s basically done.
We started building the chassis out of the KOP and last year’s robot today
We have designed and begun construction of our lifting system.
We have constructed our frame and drive train and should be driving within ten minutes. We have several ideas for the end game but have not finialized them.
Our 6 wheel drive system is complete. We should be done with our “lift” mechanism in a few short days. We are beginning to build our “arm” to score ringers.
We anticipate being able to score 45 out of the 60 if it was up to our team out of the 3 in our alliance, in addition to being able to score on any level on the spider. The back however, will be very difficult to see.
Team 611:
We’ve basically finalized a design for our robot this year. We’re finished drawings of our chassis and transmissions and are working on the others. We’re going to start chassis construction and ordering necessary parts on Monday.
We have prototypes of the robot lifter, arm and grabber. Most of the brainstorming is done. After this weekend, the drive train should be built. We have the basic code and tracking working. Electrical has been working on sensor mounting.
This is REALLY good for us. I’m so happy with the progress.
1745
game plan:
we have figured out what we want to do and what we dont want to do
Mechanical:
we have finished building the kit frame and assembling the kit transitions.
were currently working on modifying the kit bot to make accommodations for what we have dubbed the “two-fer drive”
we have also come up with the detals for most of the mechanical systems, and have a good idea on the rest.
Electrical/programing
we have finished building the camera and are waiting on the mech team to finish the chassis enough for us to install the bulk of the electronics.
most of our auto modes are decided upon and psudo code is written for half of them.
the UI is not started yet(still waiting on the 140$ for the chicklet)
chairmans
the chairmans award team is done with their first draft and is re writing it, I also hear they are getting close to some one out side of the group to proof read it before re writing it again. . . were very surprised at the speed those guys are working at.
all and all I would say thats a good week, still alot of work left but it will get done
the video speaks for team 2200
We have crossed a tremendous step in our work after classes today.
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2574703903782519296
- Bochek
Team 1714 finished designing last night. Our chassis team finished the basic frame, drive team should be finished with transmitions tomorrow, and special functions has mocked up multiple designs and selected one last night.
we also start exams in 3 days 
Glad to hear of the great progress! And to the rookie teams out there, if you need anything, 393 will help you as much as we possibly can!
~as for our progress~
We have decided on a chassis design and will be gathering materials tomorrow with hopes of beginning construction Monday. Our arm (forklift) is in the design stages as of now, but tomorrow should see some serious progress and we should be starting construction mid-next week.
Wiring and Programming have been hard at work, the wiring guys are setting up the circuit board and the programming guys tell me we’ll be able to start driver selection as soon as we have a chassis and satisfactory drivetrain.
This is the best starting season we’ve had since I joined. I hope that this pace keeps up. If it does, we’ll really be able to get things tuned before the first competition, which would be a first for us. (I know this hope is almost completely futile, but if I don’t hope for it it definitely won’t happen )
We’ve agreed on the basic design, and the individual teams are working on designing their parts. Who’da thunk a ramp would be so hard?!?!?!?!
Our first design meeting took place, and now we are schedualed to have a design picked out by monday at 6pm.
I gave most of the programmers someting to play with… and we are goign to get it set up so we can hook sensors up to a functional RC controller by mid next week… And we are gonna asymble the pan-tilt mount tomorrow (I estimated 2 hours max for assymbleing that…)
Rookes + 15-18 credit hours of college cources = hard to get people in the same room @ the same time!
To Bochek, and the rest of team 2200. I’m impressed that you’ve accomplished so much in so little time. Congratulations! Now that you have a working drivetrain, I highly suggest that you find a carpeted floor to test your robot on. The new grippier kitbot wheels do a great job at giving you forward traction. I think you’ll find that they also do a great job of preventing your robot to turn. You may find that you need to go to 4wd to reduce your turning radius and to overcome some front end friction. Also, be sure to add some weight to your drive chassis. Doubling the weight will also double your difficulties.
Otherwise, the bot looks great. Can’t wait to see how quickly you’re progressing on everything else!
BEN
Thank you! its been lots of work! 7 am every morning for 2 hours, lunch every day and usually 3 hours after school.
Our manipulator is designed.
We have the parts to do a 4wd setup on order. Hopefully they will be in soon.
- Bochek
I agree, thanks a lot. Today we will build our half-rack set up .
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.
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.
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!
well Team 2106 has started out fairly well for our rookie year. as of Thurday we have
- a basic idea of what we are going to be doing
- a baisic idea of what we WOn’t be doing.
- The frame finished
- Mock up of 3 arm designs (thank God for legos!)
week two i hope to have the basic bot driving. crosses fingers