Almost at the halfway mark!

The past two weeks have been extremely busy but successful. The programming team worked hard on programming the drive train to work with the joy stick so that the bot can go forward, backward, straight, and turn. They also started working on a very very very early version of the autonomous and programmed buttons to raise and lower the elevator and limit switches. The team members working on field elements built the scoring platform and designed the tilt shoot. Meanwhile, the mechanical team designed and is currently fabricating the lift mechanism. They continued advanced prototyping on both the intake arms and the mechanisms to pick up totes. They also assembled the mecanum drive train. We are currently conducting driving practices to pick drivers for this season. Finally, the CAD team completed the elevator design and modeled the drive train! CAD-tastic as usual, working on top secret stuff!!!!

(More pictures coming soon! Check out our instagram @atomicdragons3929)

Finale of Week 1 and the Commencement of the Week 2 Grind

The first week of build season has been a success! On Friday we wrapped up the week by holding a team meeting to discuss the pros and cons of building a short robot vs. a tall robot. Ultimately, we came to the decision that a tall robot would be strategically superior. We ended the meeting by setting goals for week 2. 

Today has been a productive day. Mechanical team finished up prototyping for the spinning roller wheel tote intake (shout out to Jesse Carpenter the mastermind!!) and began assembling the mecanum drive train that was shipped from Andymark. A separate sub mech team completed lots of calculations and drilling to make different field elements, specifically the scoring platform. The programming team troubleshooted the camera and prepared the electrical and programming control system to be deployed on the drive train, once the mechanical team is finished with assembly. Last but not least, Carolyn, Karen, and Jeff from the CAD team mastered CAD!!! They prototyped top secret things. Anthony Rolland, the Khan of CAD says, "I'm feelin' CAD-tastic and like I CAD do anything!"

Kickoff and the beginning of robots!

It's been a busy first few days! Four days ago, we attended kickoff with enthusiasm and open minds. Right after kickoff the whole team went to UPenn to discuss Recycle Rush. We spent time reviewing the rules and discussing game strategies. Then, the entire team voted on which robot functions are most crucial to having a successful season. Ever since kick off, everyone has been working hard on starting the build season off strong. The Electrical team has begun setting up the roboRIO and running sample codes to test for faultlessness. Meanwhile, the Mechanical team has begun setting up prototypes and modeling molds with cardboard and cutting them into metal.