TEAM 4909 - BIONICS
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Week 14 Update

4/17/2021

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Swerve: 
These past two weeks, the swerve group has been working mainly on testing. Now that the next iteration of the module manufactured and assembled, they have been working closely with Software to ensure the module works as designed from a mechanical standpoint. Unfortunately, a few issues came up. Belts tend to skip under load, and one of the pulleys has some play and is able to wobble on its V-Groove setup. Members are currently working on alleviating these problems, and are 3D printing replacement parts and new components to fit to the module. Additionally, the group is right back to the testing stand for final evaluation before moving on to manufacturing the other 3 modules.


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Control Panel: 
In the Control Panel group, members worked with the Intake/Indexer group to figure out how to merge the subsystems into one. While discussing, the groups looked at all the mounting options and found that the original design would cause problems integrating the Control Panel system with the Intake/Indexer system. The groups worked together to tweak the design and the new mount is finalized in CAD. Now it will be sent off to the final design review by the entire team. Members are looking into 3D printing new rollers and spacers as they don’t have a final build look to them with the extensions that were added in, a few meetings ago. 

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Intake/Indexer:
Over the course of the past two weeks, the Intake/Indexer group has made great progress. After continuing discussion with the shooter group, the systems are now integrated. Indexer has also been conversing with the Control Panel group about how to mount their system. After the design for the Indexer was finalized, clean-up work for the CAD was completed by adding wheels, pulleys, and isometric patterns to lighten the design. Members have also done the Bill of Materials for the system and are ordering parts for manufacturing.

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Software:
The Software team submitted all of our FRC At Home challenges and has set sights on a new goal: tuning the swerve module for a fully operational swerve drivetrain. The group has been working with a newly fabricated and assembled module that the mechanical group has recently finished, tuning it to pivot and drive at precise angles and velocities. Members used the previous skeleton code that was made for the swerve drivetrain and added additional code to compensate for working with the Falcon 500s (motors). The group is also working to maximize the speed with which the module can change direction. Much time was spent working on the PID values of the module and tuning them so that we can run and translate smoothly. Members have also started working to integrate FRC Dashboard into our systems. Additionally, the Software team has been working with the Mini-Bot to test out a new type of autonomous control that will allow us to easily follow complicated paths with our future robot!

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Shooter: 
With the design review now complete, the Shooter group has been modifying their CAD with final touches. The adjustable hood can now be made as further modifications will likely be applied to it, which leaves the ramp and base plates that hold everything together. Members also spent time learning how to use the Velox and how to cut out new shafts and churros for additional changes. 

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Team Operations: 
Team Ops has been hard at work to ensure that both of our upcoming fundraisers run successfully! Next Thursday, the team will be hosting a Blaze Pizza fundraiser at the Burlington location. We will be posting about this fundraiser throughout the week. Spread the word with any local friends to help us reach our fundraising goal. The team hopes to see lots of orders placed to support the team on 4/22 from 5-9 PM! Additionally, the team has also been spending time planning our Virtual BINGO Night Event! We have created social media posts over the last few weeks. Feel free to share these posts to help us reach a larger audience and gain publicity. The past few weeks we have gathered great prizes to give away to the winners of each round! Student team members have been working hard to make sure the event runs smoothly for all of our supporters. We hope to see you all on May 1st from 6-8PM for a fun night of BINGO! For more information about these fundraisers visit our Facebook Page (FRC Team 4909 - Bionics). 

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Week 12 Update

4/3/2021

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Shooter:
​          CAD is nearing completion, with only three main objectives remaining.
  1. Find a way to mount the shooter onto the chassis and indexer. The current plan is to try and run a beam under the indexer that touches the shooter plate.
  2. Find a way to mount a servo (motor), with a gear to the back of the shooter to allow the adjustable hood to change angles.
  3. Get rid of excess material if needed or possible.
Most of the parts must be machined using a CNC. Any parts that could be cut or 3D printed have been made. This consists of churros, hex shafts, the back rollers, the gear that attaches to the adjustable hood, and the bottom plate grips.
Near future plans consist of finishing CAD and machining all the remaining parts. After assembly, the parts will be mounted onto the chassis.
Software:
​          Since our last update, the software team has completed the Galactic Search Challenge. Our current time to complete the full Galactic Search course is 28.53 seconds, out of a possible 120 seconds (lower times are better). After completing the challenge, the software team has shifted their focus to adapting existing code for the swerve drive prototype to use on our upcoming differential swerve drivetrain. Members are also continuing to prepare and finalize our other FRC At Home Challenge submissions.
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​Swerve:
​          The Swerve group has been hard at work tweaking the swerve design. After the first version was built, a few key problems came to light. Members have been working to change up the design to use more robust components and make manufacturing an easier and quicker process. The group has only a couple more of these issues to tackle before they will be ready for motor tests. Fortunately, for most of these, solutions are in mind that members are working to implement. Members are hoping to be testing this module very soon, and then work out any remaining issues before moving on to manufacturing the other three identical modules to build a full drivetrain.
Intake/Indexer:
​          With the final CAD for the robot still in progress, the Intake/Indexer group has been quite busy making the final model of our system in CAD over the last two weeks. Although this may not be a challenge, given that members can take a lot of measurements from the prototype, the real challenge comes from integrating the system with other systems. Members have had discussions with the shooter group about how power cells will feed from the indexer to the shooter. In the coming meetings, the group intends to continue dialogue about integrating the intake/indexer system with the other systems.
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Team Operations:
​          This past week, Team Ops had been hard at work preparing for the FIRST Innovation Challenge judges interview. Members created a slideshow consisting of a two-minute business pitch and a three-minute presentation, to share our design with two FIRST Judges. Team Ops has also been planning an upcoming Virtual Bingo fundraiser which will take place on Saturday, May 1st. For more details about registration, see our previous blog post. Additionally, we are hosting a Blaze Pizza fundraiser which will be held on Thursday, April 22nd. The flyer for this event can be found on our socials and on the homepage of our website. We hope to see lots of orders placed to support us, and hope to see you all there!
​Control Panel:
​          This week, the Control Panel group worked on a final build of their prototype. After discussion with the Intake/Indexer group, the existing mount was changed to fit their needs. Additionally, the CAD model was changed to accurately represent the prototype. There was a problem with the belt slipping, so a grip tape was added to solve the problem and get more traction. The group also changed the upper assembly to have new 3D printed parts, and Lexan replaced wood to add a sturdier finish. Lastly, a 3-inch wide belt was added to complete the upper assembly. Plans for future progress are to finish the CAD and complete final assembly for the bottom mount.
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Virtual Robotics-Themed BINGO Night!

3/30/2021

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We will be hosting a Virtual Robotics-Themed BINGO Night on Saturday, May 1st from 6-8 PM. BINGO Cards can be purchased starting TODAY! Cards are $5 for 1, $8 for 2, $10 for 3, and $5 for each additional card. To participate first fill out the google form below, and then send your payment to the team. We will be accepting checks mailed to Billerica Memorial High School or cash and checks delivered to Mr. Drake in BMHS room D352. If you do not have a student at the high school, a student team member can bring it to Mr. Drake for you. Payment must be received by Monday 4/26 in order to participate! Once your payment is received we will follow up with an email to confirm your registration, provide you with your cards, and give you more details about the event! Players have the option of filling out their own card using the blank template and list of words provided by use or playing with a pre-filled in card generated by the team! All participants will have the chance to win a variety of prizes while having a great time from the comfort of their own home. If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to team4909@gmail.com. We hope to see you for a fun night of BINGO on May 1st!
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Week 10 Update

3/20/2021

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      The team has been busy at work these past few weeks leading up to the FIRST Infinite Recharge at Home Challenges. In addition to the subgroup summaries below, members have also continued safety training with the “Stop the Bleed” program.

Team Operations:
     Team Ops has worked on multiple tasks these past two weeks. Last Friday, the group continued to prepare for the Innovation Challenge semi-finals in anticipation of being chosen. This season’s team tee-shirts have been finalized, and team sponsors have also been updated on our website. Make sure to check out our new Sponsor page! This week, Team Operations has been coming up with fundraiser ideas. The team has decided that we will be holding a virtual robotics-themed Bingo Night for the community. Prizes will be awarded to winners, so keep an eye out for more information coming soon! Additionally, the team is holding a restaurant fundraiser working with Blaze Pizza on April 22nd from 5 PM to 9 PM at the Blaze Pizza location in Burlington, MA. 20% of sales are going to the team, and in order for us to raise money, a digital copy of the flyer from our website or social media must be shown, or a promo code must be used at checkout when the order is taken. We will continue to post about this fundraiser in the coming weeks, so mark your calendars and we can’t wait to see you all there! 

Control Panel:
    Over the course of the past week, the Control Panel group has finished up their prototype and tested both its pneumatics and functionality. After testing was concluded, the group decided that it would be a good idea to look for every possible flaw in both the Control Panel design and concept. Main flaws that had been found were the piston allocation and the height of where the pulleys were located. Changing these two pieces in CAD went smoothly and during Tuesday’s meeting, the group laser-cut the new brackets to test them before moving into final build ideas and materials. Once testing is finished the group will be focusing on finishing the CAD and beginning the first steps of the final build.


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Intake/Indexer:
      Over the course of the last two weeks, the intake/indexer group has made a lot of progress. First, the group got to work finishing up the indexer prototype. To finish, power from a motor had to be transferred to all the other spinning shafts, which members did with the poly cords and 3D printed pulleys.After the motor transmission was completed, the group concluded that the prototype works and is ready to start CAD for the actual version to go on the robot. At the same time, the group has begun to create a new intake prototype. Currently the prototype still needs some work but it should be ready for testing next week!
Swerve:
      The swerve group has been making a final push towards manufacturing and assembling the first iteration of the swerve module. Members machined the wheels on our CNC lathe, and stiffening plates on our CNC mill. The group also assembled a rough prototype of the differential mechanism that is largely 3D printed in order to make sure the components fit together. Appropriate design changes were made, and the swerve group began to manufacture the updated geometry. One of the team’s mentors piloted the machining of modifications to the bevel gears needed for the differential, and is now working on the rest of them since it was successful. The swerve group is now making a final push to finish the manufacturing process and assemble the first iteration of the module for software to begin testing.
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Software:
      As we wrap up Week 10 of Build Season, the software team has worked to finish up and polish the code for the Galactic Search challenge. In the coming meetings, the group will record the team’s robot doing so and enter into the FIRST Infinite Recharge at Home Skills Challenge. Additionally, software has also begun to take on the challenge of creating a new type of drivetrain, one that future team members can hopefully perfect over the next few years: Swerve Drive.

Shooter:
      The shooter prototype has been almost completed. At this point, the only things missing are the belts that will power the rollers on the adjustable hood. The rollers, as well as a few pulleys and gears, were made using the team’s 3D printers. Once everything, with the exception of the timing belts, were assembled, the motors were mounted on as well as all other hardware necessary to run the motors. The motors used were two Falcon 500s and one 775pro, FRC legal, motor. Currently, the shooter group is conducting various tests to see how far the ball can be launched. In parallel to this, members have begun designing and CADing the final system.




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Blaze Pizza Fundraiser

3/19/2021

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Come support Team 4909 at our Blaze Pizza Fundraiser in Billerica MA on April 22nd from 5:00-9:00 PM. The team is excited to work with Blaze Pizza again because they made contactless ordering easy with their app and website, and all these purchases count towards the fundraiser. The steps to enter the promo code into the app are found at the bottom of the flyer. If you are dining in, or ordering in person simply mention Team 4909 - Billerica Bionics or show the flyer to the employee assisting you. We hope to see lots of orders placed using our code or mentioning the team! Thank you for your support!

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Senior Spotlight

3/19/2021

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Name: Matthew Young

Title: Robot Lead

Years on Team: 4 

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am responsible for helping in the design and manufacturing processes of systems and system integration. I also work closely with the build leads to make sure everything gets done on time.” Matthew works to ensure deadlines are met and the team stays on task.

Impact FIRST has had: “Before joining the team I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career. Since joining, my path has become clear and I have decided to become an engineer.”

Favorite 4909 memory: “My favorite Team 4909 memory was finally winning a blue banner after 6 years of watching and working with the team.”

Plans After High School: “I will be going to college for mechanical engineering.”

Ideal Job: Mechanical engineer with a spacecraft or aircraft concentration.

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Senior Spotlight

3/8/2021

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Name:
Damian Trinidad 


Title: Mechanical Team Member

Years on Team: 4

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am a build lead on Team 4909. I lead a group of fellow students to design and manufacture intake and indexer subsystems.” Damian also deals with most motors that go on the robot as well as many related electrical components.

Impact FIRST has had: “I was a very quiet kid before getting into FIRST. It has allowed me to build social skills, and directly influenced my future plans.” 

Favorite 4909 memory: “My favorite memory was the 2019 World Championship. Spending a week with some of my favorite people was awesome. I also loved being able to compete on a world scale, with not only teams from New England but teams from all over the world.”

Plans After High School: “I plan on going to college for mechanical engineering.” 
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Ideal Job: Work at an engineering company to help get us to Mars.

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Week 8 Update

3/6/2021

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Team Operations:
         FIRST deadlines have been coming up, and Team Ops has been working diligently to submit for judged awards before they are due on March 4th. The last couple of weeks, they’ve been finishing up and fine-tuning the Innovation Challenge executive summary; this document was submitted this past Monday. Once the submission process was completed, the group immediately started preparing and reviewing the requirements for semi-finals in anticipation of a selection. Additionally, the group has been overlooking Team Operations responsibilities during a typical season so the rookie members would know what to expect once we are back to having in-person competitions again. Our financial group has started to work on a confidentiality statement, and to present the team finances overview to all 4909 members. Team Ops has been constantly updating and making new additions to our website. Make sure to check out our weekly senior spotlights below!


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Software:
​       Software’s main focus since the last update was implementing and testing a program for the Galactic Search challenge. In this challenge, teams must program their robot to autonomously decide between four possible locations of Power Cells, and then pick them up as fast as possible. To do this, the software team has been working extensively with PID control for driving and turning set distances and angles. The group also explored different ways to find the power cells, trying both the DepthAI Development Kit and the PixyCam. The software team is currently integrating the PID-based driving and camera-based sensing into a working autonomous program with extensive testing. Meanwhile, for other testing, development and training, the group focused on two main projects: First, Java training sessions were held to help get rookie members up to speed. Also, the team’s prototyping robot, Frankenstein, who’s lovingly referred to as “Frankie” was redesigned and built. This permitted more effective testing with the computer vision techniques that software hopes to apply.

Swerve:
​      These past two weeks, the Swerve group has been working on polishing the CAD files before beginning manufacturing. Belt tensioning was added to fix CNC hole tolerancing, and the assembly was adjusted to fit the components that have been made and purchased. Once the first iteration of the design was completed, the group was able to move on to manufacturing, where they cut out 3/16” thick aluminum plates that house the entire drive module. The CNC router was used for this, and the Swerve group then worked to deburr and clean up the parts. Now that these steps are complete, an assembly of the first iteration for testing is ready to begin, before heading back to design and manufacturing to fix up whatever issues may arise.

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Intake/Indexer:
​          Over the past two weeks, members have been busy at work manufacturing the prototype for the Intake/Indexer. After the rookie members were trained on how to properly use the Fusion 360 software for CAM, they were then taught how to move its files to the velox CNC machine. After learning how to safely and effectively operate the machine, pieces needed for the prototype were cut out. Next, the group moved onto cutting shafts for the prototype, and members reviewed how to cut and bond polycord. Now with all the parts, the manufacturing process is ready to begin. Although the prototype is not finished yet, the group plans on finishing it up and testing it this week. 

Shooter:
​              The shooter group dedicated this week to assembly. First, rookie members learned how to use the Velox CNC and Autodesk Fusion (3D CAD Software). Once the parts were cut out, the lexan backplate was cut down to size and bent into shape, as well as the churros (hexagonal-like rods). With all parts prepared, the first part of the assembly was ready to be made; the base. After completion of the base, the side plates of the adjustable hood were built with the Velox CNC. The axles have been cut, and a tensioner is currently being printed using a 3D printer. Next, holes were created using a lathe to allow shaft retention, which prevents it from slipping out once placed into the adjustable hood. Additionally, a custom made pin which perfectly fits into its designated holes, has been built to anchor the adjustable hood. This pin keeps the hood from moving while the prototype is active. The next steps are to 3D print rollers that will go onto the axles in the adjustable hood, attach motors, gears and belts, and to add in the kick wheel which will launch the ball with a consistent speed into the firing mechanism. This aspect is extremely important, as it allows members to gather data on the testing variables (those being wheel type and wheel rpm).

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Control Panel:
​        This eighth week of build season, team members have finished up the CAD model for the control panel.  The prototype included pulley struts which were “burned out” from thin plywood by our 2D laser cutter, these pulley struts were mounted to the motor and a drive belt.  Now, the group is ready to start integrating this model with software to make a plan on where the optical sensors will be placed on the robot.

Safety:
​            This week, a couple of team members have gone through the “Stop The Bleed” training program. This program is all about teaching citizens basic knowledge about how to treat people from bleeding to death. Led by Mrs. Tobey R.N,  4909 members were taught how to identify life threatening wounds, the steps of how to treat the patient until paramedics arrive, the importance of keeping yourself calm during the situation, and ways to prepare for the situation. Over the course of the next few weeks, the team hopes to spread awareness of this topic and get all members certified. The “Stop the Bleed” training program is important in robotics because if there is ever an emergency, members will be able to to assist and potentially save a life.
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Senior Spotlight

3/1/2021

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Name: Adriana Ortiz

Title: Safety and Mechanical Team Member

Years on Team: 2

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am a safety deputy this year. Additionally, this season I am focusing on the design and manufacturing of the intake and indexer subsystems on the robot.” 

Impact FIRST has had: “FIRST has strengthened my leadership skills. From working on the robot last year I saw firsthand how much teamwork goes into such a big project. I saw how you need to have a bond with everyone to succeed. Teamwork is key and having a relationship with who you work with helps a lot.”

Favorite 4909 memory: “Going to the Granite State District event and winning our first blue banner and the safety award last year”

Plans After High School: “I plan on attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) and becoming an Occupational Therapist.”
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Ideal Job: Occupational Therapist at Boston Children’s Hospital

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Senior Spotlight

2/23/2021

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Name:
Saketh Mynampati 


Title: Software Lead

Years on Team: 4

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am the software lead for Team 4909. I oversee all the software parts of the robot.” He coordinates with build leads and talks about what each subsystem needs to achieve.
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The Impact FIRST has had:
“FIRST has helped me determine that engineering is the path I want to pursue in the future, and building a real-world-scale robot each of the last 4 years was an exciting process every time. On Team 4909, the students primarily design and build the robot, which is definitely great real-world preparation. I was able to have a leadership position and communicate with the other team members to get opinions and their point of view on what they think is best for the robot, and I've really enjoyed the creative engineering process that I have been involved in while being a member of this team." 


Favorite 4909 memory: “Being at competitions; I loved the hectic pace of the competitions, the environment, and the fun memories that come with it.”

Plans After High School: “I plan to attend college and pursue a major in engineering; likely electrical or biomedical engineering. I also want to be a part of/run a STEM outreach program.” 

​Ideal Job: Something involving research and development

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