Week 1-2
The team and family gather in our robotics building on Saturday January 6 to watch the game reveal and kickoff build season! The following Monday we developed design ideas and presented them to the team for feedback. Week one was a bit hectic, we got a lot of snow and practice on Tuesday and Wednesday ending up being canceled. Week two was our first full week of build season and we began seeing a lot of progress. This week as a team we voted on a T-shirt design for the 2024 season. We also decided on a trapezoidal shape for our robot!
Controls
Media
Controls developed design ideas and began talking game strategy. The Electronics side on Controls also did some soldering. The programming side of controls, completed troubleshooting the swerve drive on Karrot. The April tags were processed and began being calibrated. They determined that the radio would need to be reimaged and that they would need to get the imaging tool on the computer to do so. They continued working on code literacy for C++. The Electronics side of controls finished soldering everything that they could, including soldering motors. They purchased encoders and spark max.
Media began working on the Meet the Team posts, updated the website, and began working on t-shirt designs. Media spent time choosing a font for our team. The t-shirt design options were finished and ready for our team to vote on. They worked on an intro for our build season youtube videos. Our team got a TikTok account this week and Media posted our first video. A tiny mic was found and they spent time looking for the missing equipment for it. The Meet the Team posts were finished and our five seniors have been posted this week. The video for Week 1 and 2 was finished and uploaded.
Design Manufacturing
Design developed robot ideas and began talking game strategy. Design began the week by prototyping and deciding what the intake would be. The Chassis in CAD was started and finished on Monday. They had a discussion about a climber, shooter, and trap design. They made a shooter mock up in CAD. The spark max cover was designed and redesigned.
In addition to developing robot design ideas, manufacturing began to create a field. Manufacturing began the week by completing the stage and mic for our field. The swerve drive was finished being built. The field was set up which gave them the opportunity to do some practice for human player.
Week 3
Week 1 and 2 were filled with alot of prototyping, discussion, and designing in preparation to build the robot. This week, we spent almost all of this week in our subgroups as we are almost ready to make and begin working on the actual robot!
Controls
Media
The Programming side of control spent the week working on the camera and april tags. They fixed the pose recognition and finished the pose recognition for an april tag. They had to order a new camera to be able to optimize the april tags. And they figured out how to measure latency for the camera. The Electronics side of Controls spent most of their week soldinger. In total, they soldered 15 spark maxes and 3 motors. Besides soldering, they finished the electronics board layout and organized the soldering station.
Media finished and posted the Meet the Team post for our 3 juniors. Team buttons were made and a new game-specific button was designed. A team poster for this year was designed. We made a template for our sponsor appreciation posts and began making posts our Silver and Gold level sponsors.
Design Manufacturing
Design started the week with a discussion about scoring and design. They also spent some time prototyping at the beginning of the week. On Tuesday they were able to begin testing the shooter. The spent the rest of the week working on the electronics tray, the shooter and swerve motors, and the final frame design. They ordered a carbon fiber climber and rev swerve drives.
Manufacturing switched the pieces on the speaker, made encoder brackets, and modified the amp. The new members on manufacturing were taught cnc. They moved and organized the wood. By the end of the week, manufacturing had all of the swerve modules assembled and cut angles for the frame.
Week 4
We had a very successful and accomplished week! Halfway into build season, our subgroups and team as a whole has been able to see visual representations of all of the hard work that has been put in. After having name suggestions on the board for weeks, we were finally able to vote on a name for our robot! One of the highlights of our week was finally getting our robot to move! Early this week Manufacturing finished the steel frame for the robot and we were able to get the frame assembled. Programming was able to get the 2024 code from Karrot transferred over to this year’s robot. And our robot can now move!
Controls
Media
The programming side of Controls got a wide camera and began exploring the parameters on it. They also worked on getting the radio reimaged in the later part of the week. The electronics side of Controls did some more soldering. The wiring on the prototype board was finished. They also have nearly finished the test electronic board on the robot.
Media began posting the Meet the Team posts for our sophomores on Instagram. They were also able to finish a business card for our team and a safety card. We also got a new sponsor!
Design Manufacturing
This week Design began to design the climber. The electronics tray and mounts got finished and the intake for our robot was fixed by design.
In addition to finishing the frame for our robot, manufacturing was able to assemble the climber in a box. And the bumpers for our robot began to be manufactured.
Week 5
Week five was spent working on individual tasks in subgroups as we got the robot and the aspects of the field ready to test the robot. Our team shop is up and ready for orders, the link was sent out to students, parents, and mentors. Multiple of the subgroups worked together this week to get the electronic board done and the intake made and working.
Controls
Media
The programming side of Controls started out the week by working on april tag configuration and successfully programming multiple Cameras. On the electronics side of Controls, they started out the week by planning out the electronics board with the goal of installing it the next day. Controls spent the next few days focusing on the electronics side, specifically the holes electronics board. But they did get some soldering done as well. Later in the week, the programming side of Controls updated path planner and checked the trapezoid path planner information. The electronics side of Controls, finished the electronics off the robot then drilled holes in the electronics board and assembled it.
Media started the week by updating the website and working on Meet the Team posts for our Freshman and newest sophomore. In the middle of the week, they got our Week 4 video on the tv in the school and researched grants. At the end of last week, they decided to make weekly newsletters, so they spent some time this week on the newsletters for weeks 1-4. Our business cards were printed this week, so Media got those cut-out and ready to give out at competition. By the end of the week they finished the week 1-4 Newsletter, finished and posted our Week 5 video, and completed the newsletter and blog post for week 5
Design Manufacturing
Design started off the week working on a variety of things: they adjusted the camera cpu box, remodeled the intake, and worked on the elevator. For the rest of the week, they worked hard to prototype new shooters, worked on the prints for the skirts, continued working on the intake, and continued to work on the elevator.
Manufacturing began the week by starting the trap and completing the brackets for the electronics board. They spent the rest of the week continuing to work on the trap, all of the parts for the intake, support brackets for the intake, they organized the wood upstairs, and made the drawers for the wood shelf. Manufacturing finished off the week by finishing making the parts for the intake.
Week 6
It seems like each week the subgroups get exponentially more progress made and week 6 was no exception. This week all four subgroups were busy doing their part to get everything ready as the end to build season rapidly approaches. In the very middle of this week, we were able to get our intake to work, and everyone was thrilled! So much progress has been made since week one and as the weeks got on, we can see all of our members becoming more dedicated and enthused about our robot and robotics.
Controls
Media
Controls started the week working on the programming side of controls with the goal to program led signal lights, they figured out that the led’s they have were not working and they need new ones that are addressable. Programming taught command based framework, and they got the robot code to run and the robot to move. For the rest of the week, the programming side of Controls verified the intake code, implemented the camera data into the position estimate, added two temporary cameras to test April Tag detection, and they got a new controller so they began working on programming that. Controls spent most of the week on programming, but the electronics side of Controls started the week by installing the new electronics board and intake motor control and soldering the custom circuit to get power to the camera adapters. Later in the week, electronics blew a fuse when testing processors for the cameras, so they worked to fix the fuse and they got the electronic cover ready.
Late last week, Media coded a sticky header for our website, however, that caused some problems with the website, so they spent all of Monday and some time Tuesday and Wednesday trying various methods of fixing it, including having programming come and take a look at it. Early in the week, they also made some posts to our instagram for our meet the team and sponsor appreciation. They also worked on making some instagram posts for the future. Midway into the week, our game specific button designs got printed, so Media spent some time cutting them out then making our game specific buttons. As our robot continues to get built and tested, Media spent time documenting the process. Later in the week, Media spent some more time working on the website. They turned the updated version of the website with the problems into a draft, so they could continue to mess with that and still have a working website. They also worked on the presentation of the website to make it look better. They ended the week by making and editing out Week 6 video and blog posts and working on instagram posts.
Design Manufacturing
Design began the week by working on the electronics board cover, pulleys for the intake, and the side-by-side shooter. Midweek Design started a continuous project of organizing all of their prints, and they printed charts. They improved the design for the side and top/bottom plates for the shooter. They worked on brackets for the linear actuator motor and new brackets for all four of the camera processors. Later in the week, they finalized the intake and they worked on designing the shooter and climber for our robot. When they had free time during our meetings, they continued to work on organizing their files and prints. They ended the week by working on the climber, they made updates to the camera processor box, and continued to work on designing the over-under shooter, which they are about 75% finished with.
Manufacturing began the week by working on the router and making mockups for the intake guides. They also spent time this week working continuing to work on the bumpers, which are closer to being done. They made adjustments to the bumpers and worked with getting fabric around the bumpers ready to be sewn. They also spent the beginning of the week working on the skirts and frame holes. And they were able to install the cover and skirts. Midweek, they helped work on the prints spreadsheet, they changed out the swerve wheels, and worked on the intake angle brackets. They ended the week by working on the dowels for the bearing blocks and tire treads. And they were able to get the intake belts welded.
Week 7
Controls
At the very end of last week, Programming finished updating the buttons for our new controller, including adding buttons for the pitch and shooting the shooter, and Electronics imaged and labeled three spark maxes for the shooter. Most of this week was spent on programming for Controls. They decided to learn/work with linear algebra to help code the robot. They began the week by adding quadratic input for the new controller, tracking down a bug for the connectivity, coded commands for testing the shooter, and coded a math utility which will determine the distance from the robot to the goal. Later in the week, Controls worked on the programming side to add basic commands during autonomous, they started and finished the oak d lite camera’s sensor in code, they laid out how to shoot while the robot is moving, and they had a discussion about advanced action methods.
Media
At the end of last week, the bumpers were ready to have the vinyl numbers put on them. The blue bumpers got their numbers done on Saturday, and the red bumpers got done on Monday, at the beginning of the week. At the beginning of this week, Media spent time editing the safety cards and the website, looking at robot reveals for ideas, and posted Meet the Team posts on Instagram. Mid-week, Media drew up a storyboard for our robot reveal video and spent some time troubleshooting the problems with the header on the website. Media spent almost all of the time left in the week working on problems with the website’s header, besides the end of the week when they made the video.
Design
Design started the week working on two designs: the camera processor and the lower pivot for the linear actuation. They spent a lot of time this week working on and finishing the design for the shooter. Mid-week, they worked on the linear actuator and feed roller. They ended the week by troubleshooting sheet metal learning, working on the design for the conveyance, and guards for note protection.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing began the week by fixing the intake 550 and inspecting the friction for the 550. Manufacturing worked on the bumpers this week: they stabled the bumpers and worked on manufacturing the bumper brackets. They also spent some time organizing prints. The holes for the bumper pins were drilled incorrectly, so Manufacturing fixed that. At the end of the week, the manufacturing team cleaned up the shop, collected parts for the over-under shooter that design has finished, finished the brackets for the bumpers, and they worked on the roller feed tubes and the hex axles for the shooter.
Week 8
Controls
At the beginning of Week 8, Controls solved bugs in the controllers, soldered new power splitters for the cameras, correcting the camera positions, and testing the intake. Mid-week, the programming side of controls adjusted some code while the electronics side of controls worked on the shooter and troubleshooted the motor controllers. Controls ended the week by working on the shooter and they bolted the raspberry pi and power splitter onto the electronics board.
Media
Media began the week by posting our final two Meet the Team posts to our instagram and they began working on an end-of-season “yearbook”. They continued working on the book throughout the week in addition to making a week 7 update for Instagram and TikTok as well as a thank-you post to Horns Auto Repair who did some maintenance work on our trailer. Media ended the week by making and posting our Week 8 video.
Design
Design spent the beginning of the week working on numerous projects: an intake note deflector, the print book, and shooter modifications. They adjusted the design of the shooter as needed throughout the week but most of their week was spent working on the print book, in which they got over 50 prints put in.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing’s week began by moving the warehouse storage to the attic and helping design with the print book. They continued the week by programming to make parts on a machine. They helped Controls with the shooter this week and worked on pieces of the climber. They are ending the week by finishing the bumpers.
RaileRobotics 