Build Season Update 2/6

With two weeks left in build season, there is still a lot of work to do.  By Wednesday, the frame of the competition bot will be welded, and we’ll have the electronics and drivetrain parts to attach to it.  Meanwhile, all the systems still need to be put together on the prototype bot.  Here’s what needs to happen:

  • The group that is working on the ball pick-up will need to bend the ABS parts and attach them.  This must happen!
  • Then the pick-up group will install the dumper mechanism, because it is similar to their mechanism.
  • The shooter group will tweak the release angle and see how to get more consistency to the shooting.
  • Part of the drivetrain/chassis group will put all of the drivetrain parts on the competition robot, except for the CIM motors (this will leave room for electronics to work).
  • The rest of the drivetrain/chassis group will finish constructing the upper frame of the prototype bot.
  • The electronics group will put connectors on all the new motor controllers.
  • After the drivetrain group installs their parts, the electronics group will attach the RoboRIO, PDP, VRM, and motor controllers, and wire everything.  Meanwhile,
  • If the electronics group is finished early enough, drivetrain will install their CIM motors.
  • Jarret and one or two helpers will need to bend the gear catcher (Dana will have it cut out) and install it on the prototype robot.

At this point in build season, you should plan on the possibility of robotics every day.   Not every group will need to be here every day.  For instance, Thursday and Friday of this week will need to be electronics and possibly drivetrain, since nothing else can get attached to the competition robot until those are done.  The winch and ball pick-up groups will be the next up, and should plan on working late on Saturday.  The shooter group will also have work to do in order to have a design attached to the robot in the next two weeks.  So please be flexible, and remember that the crazy will only last two weeks, then we’ll go back to Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

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