2/14 - Tick-Tock

<< For some fun, check out our tote draggin' strategy >>

The countdown continues here at ORyon Labs (Rice University). We plan to shift to Strake Jesuit later today or tomorrow to hold driver practice on the 2015 FRC field (our Alliance just completed assembling the field elements). On Monday, some of our veteran members and drivers-in-training will skip school to spend a day at Strake on the field to tweak out final adjustments to the competition robot.

Programming

Programming continued to consult with mentors and our 2015 FRC Season drivers to maximize user efficiency and therein score the most points on the board. They also explored the option of assigning joystick buttons to totes, which is definitely useful in the non-autonomous scoring time.

Mechanical + CAD + Electrical

While a preliminary robot photo shoot occurred in the backdrop, sub-teams were busy filing / sanding and assembling individual components of our competition robot. Electrical finished the drive train undercarriage and assisted mechanical in creating the pneumatics system for Robot v2 (pictured below). CAD / Prototyping division, of course, walked them through the measurement process to ensure smooth compatibility on the actual robot.

Behind the Scenes

We weighed our competition robot as it was being assembled earlier today. What do you think - will we be able to remain within the 120 pound limit required by FRC by the time our robot is complete?

2/13 - Countdown

With less than 4 days to go, our competition robot is well on the way to completion - with sub-teams cooperating more than ever to get things worked out and assembled. Most members have stayed late at ORyon Labs (pictured above) every night for the past week. With "Bag Day" approaching, decorations are pouring in - painting continues and pictured below is our 2015 FRC Sponsors plate, to be mounted on the sides of our competition robot very soon. Stay tuned for the reveal on this blog, elsewhere on our website, and our YouTube channel. A special shout-out to our mentors who have spent countless evenings and weekends guiding and aiding us in every possible way. 

Media + CAD + Prototyping

The Media division, while simultaneously writing this blog, designed a Sponsors Side plate to be mounted very soon on our Robot v2 (final competition design). Additionally, CAD team focused on providing dimensions to mechanical and electrical sub-teams as they installed gussets, brackets, and undercarriage / power distribution board to the framework of said robot. 

Electrical

As previously mentioned, Electrical sub-team mounted their power distribution board to a clear, plastic base to form the undercarriage of our competition drive train. Unfortunately, due to the lack of transistors, they were unable to complete their secondary task of preparing a circuit for our RGB LEDs robot decor.

Mechanical

Mechanical sub-division continued assembly of the competition robot, with guidance from a couple of mentors and the CAD team (in terms of placement and measurements). They are currently done with assembling the basic framework for the manipulator / lift and are ready for Electrical sub-team in terms of the drive train.

Programming

Programming worked on the automated stacking system (using limit switches...) and improved the joystick layout based on driver input during driving practice. They also completed coding Cheesy Arcade mode on our robot. They have been cooperating with drivers training on Betelgeuse and Robot v1 to get the code ready for our competition robot, which is technically similar.

2/9 - Occupy ORyon

Squaaad! (Discobots pose for the 2015 CVHS Yearbook) 

Programming

Programming division focused on testing autonomous code for the competition robot, taking into account our new modifications. Since that robot is still under construction, the team got feedback from our drivers piloting the practice Robot (v1) and Betelgeuse.

Electrical + CAD

CAD sub-team directed the assembly of a slightly modified belly pan for mounting the electronics power distribution board upside down on our freshly painted competition robot, while electrical division followed their advice and did the manual assembly of said components. Thus, the drive train was fully wired and prepped (mechanical will work with electrical later this week to complete the activation of the manipulator).

Mechanical + Prototyping

Mechanical continued assembly of the metal framework for the lift (hasn't been attached to the competition robot as of yet), while prototyping marked and drilled holes for mounting the gussets (which took place later tonight).

2/6-7 - Time flies.

Team members stayed late Friday at Carnegie before shifting to RYON Labs (8 AM - 9PM) for one last time before the end of the FRC build season. Friday and Saturday, sub-teams finalized CAD designs and paint schemes while others assembled & painted the competition robot's parts with the utmost precision. Meetings are set to last till 8 PM every day for the upcoming week to perform lift and drive train tests on the competition robot (our goal for tonight is to finish assembling the framework for the final robot, at least). Driver practice will also continue with our Robot v1 and Betelgeuse, and hopefully, with the competition robot too :)

Programming + Mechanical + Electrical (now Assembly sub team)

Electrical sub-teams completed assembly of all the individual wiring for the competition robot and merged with mechanical and prototyping sub teams to work on assembling the framework for Robot v2. Electrical sub team will come back online afterwards when they need to wire up the lifts and drive trains. Programming is focusing on installing LiDAR, and has completed installing buttons (sensors for recognizing tote positions) and has also added driver skill encoders - now they're just coding it all in!

Prototyping + CAD

CAD sub team directed the assembly of individual competition robot parts (measured and marked out areas to cut / drill and detailed assembly procedures), simultaneously working alongside the other sub teams to get parts cranked out and painted and finally, assembled into the framework for the robot. *cross your fingers for the Reveal, coming soon :)*

2/2- Aaaaaand there's a time crunch?!

Just in case you've forgotten - only 15 days to go, Discobots, GO! Email went out today-

(click to expand)



Sheet metal has come in today for the competition robot, and we're cutting and drilling like crazy to get this painted quick! Look at all the busy busy work people are doing while we take pictures of them.





Also requires construction of a drying rack in order to hang all these pieces and paint all sides at once, as seen here:

There are also a couple minor changes between the practice and the competition robots, which requires some of our team to pump out some shiny new CAD's! The final competition design will include an elongation of the drive train (just by a few inches to remedy the horrible center of gravity on our v1 Robot) and a much more effective manipulator (we know what we're doing now :P)


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[CAD pictures to come soon]

1/31 - Optimal Performance

With only 18 days left before the end of the FRC Build season, it's time to step it up for the Discobots. We are running slightly behind with the build of Robot v1, partly because we have redesigned some fundamental elements for optimal, efficient performance. Thus, some sub teams have been divided and re-tasked to begin assembling basic components of Robot v2, our final competition robot design. DISCO DISCO DISCO ... BOTS!!!!

"You can feel the atmosphere in the room, as every day more and more parts arrive (we recently took delivery of huge pieces of uncut, sheet metal and a couple of 21-foot hollow steel bars) only to run out of 1/16 " nuts and bolts. Amid the parts frenzy, most members toil day-in and day-out to build, disassemble, and rebuild increasingly better robot components, while others meticulously plan out a 2015 FRC game board strategy. Mentors work alongside high schoolers, ranging from Debakey freshmen to Lamar juniors to Carnegie sophomores (and more, of course). It's just beautiful."

-Nolan Shah, Programming Overlord

We noticed that our rear right wheel was "slipping," or not making contact with the floor at times due in part to a heavily laden manipulator (3 totes). When we removed the extra payload, the problem persisted, although to a smaller degree. Thus, a group of members and mentors were re-tasked towards weighting / gearing the drive train for better traction. It is important to note that the wheels perform significantly better on carpet, as opposed to the tile floor as tested above, but we aren't taking any chances.

Programming Division

While most everybody else spent Saturday at Carnegie, programmers worked on Betelgeuse at our home away from home - RYON Labs, Rice University. They completed their work from last weekend of getting the limit switches to operate (give feedback to) the manipulator in autonomous, as well as incorporating the sonar light into a medium range ultrasonic sensor.

Driving practice also took place their from 8 AM - noon. Afterwards, our driver trainees resumed their work within their respective sub-teams.

Design (CAD) Division 

Max and his cohorts continued to tweak the practice robot's (Robot v1) drive train length to optimize manipulator maneuvering and center of gravity. They also incorporated gussets to make the aforementioned tasks easier to implement later on by the build teams.

Towards the end of the day, noticing that assembly of the manipulator's rotating arms was taking too long (we haven't even started on Robot v2 after all), they tried to create a tighter (more efficient) framework in said area.

Mechanical + Electrical Divisions

Electrical disbanded for the day to assist mechanical with assembly of the manipulator's new, adjustable front arms. Both sub-teams spent the day on that task alone, although some were re-tasked towards the drive train and even some basic components of Robot v2 (final competition robot). 

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[see pictures above]

1/30 - For the record...

For those of you disappointed in our lack of build logs in the past few days - there's good news on the horizon: Build logs will be resuming, with almost daily posts from here on out to the end of the 2015 FRC season.

{Mason's Timelapse Video Insert Here}

Today's log documents the awesome work we accomplished on our Robot v1, a.k.a. the Practice Bot.

Design / Prototyping Team

Here's a first look at Robot v1, with the manipulator being heavily modified to combat some things we noticed with Betelgeuse (unstable when carrying 3 totes) and the lift-catch mechanism (very hard to aim, latch on and remain latched).

Max was able to complete a fully detailed CAD module of our robot, including its manipulator and drive train. His sub team will now focus on optimizing performance of the entire robot. They are currently experimenting with tweaking the length of the chassis prior to the competition robot build, set to start here at Carnegie within the next few days.

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Please note that, due to server issues for the last 10 days or so, this Build Log may contain images from unpublished days to showcase the team effort throughout.


Electrical + Mechanical + Programming 

 


Perhaps the busiest team thus far, electrical sub team has been cooperating with mechanical & design teams to (a) design and implement an upside down electrical basin to house our competition robot's electronics grids (Talons, Vectors...) (b) install a sonar light on Betelgeuse and (c) complete drive train electronics wiring for the competition robot (v2). Pictured above are both Mechanical & Electronic sub teams. Programming has been focusing on adding limiting switches to Betelgeuse's manipulator lift, in cooperation with the aforementioned teams. They are also continuing their work on autonomous game brainstorming and coding.