At this point, we have a nearly complete design for the robot. The chassis has been CADded and the structural elements cut and milled. Many thanks to Riley, Jamie, and Elyjah for extra work this week to get that done. The climbing winch mechanism has also been designed and its main elements cut and milled. The same goes for the ball pickup mechanism and the dumping mechanism. There was a setback on the gear catcher when one of our sponsors informed us that their sheet metal fabrication capabilities didn’t include cutting shapes of the required complexity. A prototype shooter is still in development. The programmers have started working on a program to drive up to the gear post in autonomous. Nevertheless, there are many design details that need to be worked out, and the robot still needs to be built and tested. Some preliminary weight calculations suggest that we will probably be well under 120 lbs.
Our next team meeting will be on Saturday from 1 to 7. Here’s what we need to work on:
- The chassis sub-team will de-burr the remaining chassis parts and assemble the chassis in preparation for welding. This NEEDS to be finished before Monday.
- The prototype of the shooter will be finished and tested.
- The ball pick-up will be added to the prototype robot.
- Designs for attaching a camera and distance sensors will be finished in preparation for 3D printing.
- The details of the climber will be finished (winch drum design, ratchet wrench installation, and chain guard)
- Bumper design will be finished
- A way of attaching the main breaker and radio will be designed.
- The gear catcher will be manufactured.
- Electronics components will be prepped for installation on the competition robot (firmware updates, etc.)
The chassis sub-team has been doing lots of work this week. The other sub-teams will have their own busy times in the near future, so here’s what to plan for:
- The electronics and drivetrain will need to be installed on the chassis next week. More details to come as soon as we know when the parts will be here. These sub-teams may be asked to work on Tuesday or Thursday in order to get this done.
- The ball pick-up, winch, and dumper mechanisms will need to be installed next Saturday. If the shooter works, that will need to be installed as well. The gear catcher will be the last major system to be added.
