Blizzard XIII (2012)
In my senior year of robotics, I was appointed as the president of the team by my fellow teammates and mentors. This role entailed managing the progress of all the sub-teams and their side projects. I was also responsible for ensuring that the team's progress was effectively communicated within the team and to the mentors. Additionally, I played a significant role in the design and manufacturing of the robot.
This year, the body of the robot was constructed entirely from sheet metal, which allowed us to outsource a substantial portion of the manufacturing process. Our laser cutting sponsor, Sablemetals, delivered the parts much faster than our usual production timeline. To further reduce weight in the assembly, we opted for rivets instead of bolts, preventing any issues related to loosening bolts in the frame. For the shooter mechanism, I chose to implement a wooden fixed hood turret to minimize moving parts and simplify the turret's complexity. To adjust the shot's distance, we varied the ball's velocity by controlling the motor speed. This control was achieved through a PID feedback loop, enabling the flywheel to reach the desired speed rapidly.
Blizzard XII (2011)
The challenge in this particular year's competition involved picking up and raising inflatable tubes to a height of about 6 feet above the ground. For bonus points, the robot had to deploy a mini robot that competed against other mini robots. The most demanding aspect of the competition was accurately deploying the mini-bot, which required an additional control system: pneumatics. I was responsible for designing and maintaining the pneumatic systems on the robot.
The onboard pneumatics allowed us to implement a pneumatically actuated shifting gearbox, enabling the robot to switch between 7 Ft/s and 14 Ft/s. This flexibility allowed the robot to maneuver effectively in both low and high gears, providing a competitive edge, especially during the mini-bot deployment phase. The overall robot design was based on the fundamental concepts of some of the robots I had previously built in VEX competitions. The robot featured an A-frame structure with a claw designed to instantly grip any tube upon contact. Touch sensors were used to trigger and stop the intake action of the robot. The rollers on the claw had a surface speed of 20 Ft/s, much faster than the robot's driving speed, ensuring efficient tube pickup even at full speed. During the design process, we created two robots. The first served as a prototype for practice purposes while the final robot was being prepared for competition. The second robot incorporated all the necessary changes and improvements identified during the testing of the first prototype.
Blizzard XI (2010)
In this year's competition, the goal was to have robots play soccer. Given the challenges of creating robots that could effectively run and kick a soccer ball at a high school level, the rules were modified to accommodate the limitations. This specific robot was equipped with mecanum wheels to enhance its maneuverability. The additional axis of freedom provided by these wheels justified the trade-off of lower grip and the need for more frequent replacement compared to standard rough top rubber treads.
The green and red rollers were crucial components of the ball control mechanism, designed to securely grip a small section of the ball to prevent it from rolling away. Behind the Bosch, we incorporated a spring-loaded Bosch kicker capable of exerting 200 lbs of force. This kicker was operated through a dog gearbox, leveraging the anti-drive back technology found in DeWalt drills. Throughout this year, I gained valuable insights into the importance of selecting the right materials for specific robot components. Due to a lack of understanding of stress factors, we ended up using excessive amounts of box tubing for the robot's frame, resulting in unnecessary weight that pushed the robot over the 120 lb weight limit stipulated by the rules. I also learned the significance of assessing the lifespan of each part and planning for necessary maintenance. While working in the pits, I observed that the front rollers often required replacement and cleaning. Additionally, the wheels we used needed to be changed before every regional event, which proved to be both costly and time-consuming. This year, our team once again qualified for the world championships by earning the most prestigious award in the regional competition, the Chairman's Award. This award recognized our team's outstanding efforts in creating a significant presence within our community, raising awareness and interest in the field of science and technology.
Blizzard X (2009)
In my first year in the FIRST Robotics Competition, I was truly captivated by the scale and size of the robots and the grandeur of the competition. It was during this time that I could envision robots performing real-life tasks and assisting humans, moving beyond being mere toys designed for battles. As a rookie, I rapidly acquired skills in manufacturing raw materials to meet specifications and gained a fundamental understanding of robotic design. The senior members of my team served as mentors, allowing me to learn quickly and contribute to the robot's design. In that year, my responsibilities included overseeing the manufacturing and maintenance of the robot's drivetrain.
The objective of that year's competition was to have our robot score basketball-sized balls into goals attached to the opposing team's robots. This posed a strategic challenge, as focusing solely on offense made it easier for the opposing team to score. To further complicate matters, the competition field was designed to replicate lunar regolith, simulating the low friction experienced on the moon's surface. Many teams attempted to address this issue by implementing traction control systems on their robots. However, our team took a different approach and discovered that we could enhance traction by alternately applying static and rolling friction through pulsing the power supplied to the wheels.