TEAM 4909 - BIONICS

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1/29/2022

WEEK 3 UPDATE

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Team Operations:
          Throughout build season, Team Operations has been working on rebranding the team by changing our logo to accurately represent 4909’s image. The team has continued to create and release safety quizzes each week. Read more about our safety program in our website’s safety section. Members have also been working on our submission for the Woodie Flowers Award. The Woodie Flowers award recognizes an FRC mentor who demonstrates “gracious professionalism” and inspires students in the principles of engineering. Team Operations has also begun to prepare for the competition season. This includes writing our team business plan, safety plan, and more. In addition, the group has been planning outreach events and fundraisers, so be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks!
Software:
          This week, the software team focused on testing the shooter prototype. After configuring the falcon motor, members tuned the shooter’s PID values. Students devised a formula for calculating the required speed to effectively launch cargo. The group also successfully set up limelight, which allows the robot to independently aim without assistance from the driver. Limelight was used to adjust the shooter's speed and drive, and calculate the distance between the hub and the robot. In addition to shooter prototype testing, software members marked out a quadrant of the field to continue testing the robot’s autonomous code. The goal is to finish building the robot by mid-week 5 so the software team can begin autonomous testing and make any adjustments before drive practice starts.

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Shooter:
          The shooter group has made a lot of progress with their CAD and started manufacturing parts this week. The beginning of the week heavily focused on making progress in CAD. Members designed the pneumatic system for the two-position flip-up hood, and added a motor and pulley for the indexer wheel. The group determined the best way to mount the shooter onto the robot by making custom gussets and creating a mount for the light. Students worked with the software group to add sensors such as a color and beam break sensor. At this point, the shooter design is complete, so members have started manufacturing parts like box beams, hex shafts, and support beams. The intake and climber subsystems have been integrated into the shooter CAD, and students are finalizing their designs today with design reviews. 

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Intake:
          This week, the intake group finalized the geometry needed for the four bars used to deploy and retract the intake to fit inside the robot. Members then integrated the intake assembly onto the final robot CAD. The group looked at different options for gas shocks, and after testing a few out, ultimately decided which one best fit the group’s needs. After color-coding the shafts and other parts of the intake, the group attached multiple components including a neo 550, compliant wheels, and belts. Before installing some of the components like the belt, the team had to design and add on spacers. Members calculated the gear ratio for the neo and decided the placement of the mechanum wheels so that they center the cargo as it comes in contact with the robot. At the end of the week, the group discussed where to place the piston on the intake so it can extend and retract.

Climber:
            The climber group spent this week redesigning the hooks the robot will use to climb the hangar. On Monday, members split into three groups; two worked on static hook designs, and one worked on a dynamic hook design. After discovering their designs did not work halfway through the week, the static hook groups decided to brainstorm alternatives. The static hook is now complete in CAD, and members have been fixing some bugs in the dynamic hook CAD. The team plans to hold a design review for the climber subsystem next week.

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1/28/2022

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

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Name: Tanmay Sonawane

Title: Mechanical Team Member

Years on Team: 3 years

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am a member of the intake group.”

Impact FIRST has had: “Robotics has been a great after-school activity. I got to know about robotics through Mr. Flanagan and I feel that I made a good decision by joining the team. I have learned the importance of teamwork and how various engineering tools are used. It is still astonishing to me how high school students, with the help of a few mentors, can build such a complex robot.”

Favorite 4909 memory: “Working on Control Panel Manipulator in 2021 season.”

Plans After High School: “I am planning on going to college, most likely UMass Lowell.”

Ideal Job: “Data Scientist, but it can change.”

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1/23/2022

WEEK 2 UPDATE

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Intake:
     This week, members have been modifying our original intake prototype to increase its speed and efficiency of picking up cargo. Many tests were conducted to ensure these improvements produced the expected results. For safety reasons, the robot’s intake must be kept within the robot’s frame parameters while not in use. To meet this requirement, the group brainstormed methods to retract the mechanism. The group is currently in the CAD phase, and will continue to work on their design going into Week 3.
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Shooter:
​      The shooter group collaborated with the intake and climber groups this week to determine how their subsystems would best operate together. Members determined the most efficient way to position each subsystem on the robot by calculating the amount of space each mechanism would take up. After finalizing the shooter’s location on the robot, the group started creating a basic design in CAD before moving on to a more complex design which will integrate parts such as the battery and motors. Students will continue work on the CAD in the coming week.
Climber:
      This week, the climber group focused mainly on the design and placement of the hooks the robot will use to climb the hangar. It is crucial that the hooks maintain a tight grip on the rungs to prevent the robot from falling, while still being able to easily release to traverse the hangar. Members decided the best solution was to build a static hook that could bend, and discussed potential geometries for the mechanism. Additionally, students built a one-stage elevator that will attach to the chassis. Members then split into two groups. One group researched pneumatics systems while the other group modeled the hook in CAD. By the end of the week, students finished the main elevator system and finalized the static hook design.
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Software: 
      Members of the software team programmed a motor for the intake prototype this week. Their objective was to rotate the engine using the Logitech controller. Students successfully linked the RoboRio 2.0 (the computer that runs the code) to a laptop, allowing the controller to function properly. The group is currently working on pathfinding and writing code for the robot during the autonomous period of the game.

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1/21/2022

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

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​Name: Caleb Kinscheck

Title: Build Lead - 2022 Shooter Subsystem

Years on Team: 1.5 years

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I am the build lead for the shooter group. I’ve been working on CAD and machining and am responsible for helping assemble the shooter subsystem.”

Impact FIRST has had: “I’ve been involved with FIRST on and off for a bit. I did FIRST Lego League when I was younger, which is when I was first introduced to building and engineering. Now that I'm in high school doing FRC, I've been able to feed that desire to build great things which is something FIRST has given me the opportunity to do. 


Favorite 4909 memory: “Working with Matt (2021 Robot Lead) on the diff-swerve last year”

Plans After High School: “I plan to go college for an engineering degree. I’m trying to go for biomedical engineering or mechanical engineering. I'm not quite sure what exactly I want to pursue yet, but I’m going to try out both and see what works for me.”

Ideal Job: “I think it would be really cool to build a robot that can do surgery or design something that can help people who are blind.”

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1/15/2022

WEEK 1 UPDATE

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      Our ninth annual build season has kicked off! Team 4909 started off the week together as a team going over the RAPID REACT game and making a “need/want/nice to have” chart. The developed strategy was then used as the groundwork for our robot’s preliminary design. With this structure, members then split off into groups to design this year’s subsystems: intake, shooter, and climber. 
Intake: 
      The intake group’s responsibility is to design a mechanism that can capture cargo (9.5” diameter tennis balls) as efficiently and quickly as possible while holding the maximum number of cargo. Members spent this week developing a prototype for the intake subsystem. The group began by brainstorming ideas and drawing rough sketches of them on the whiteboard. Each idea was assessed and two were chosen to be prototyped and tested for efficiency. Afterwards, the group focused on modeling the first concept. Much time was spent in the CAD phase to ensure that holes would not have to be drilled for adjustment after the design was completed. Members have moved on to the prototyping stage and will continue to work over the course of Week 2. 
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Shooter:
​      The shooter group began the week with a brainstorming session to devise ideas for shooter designs. Members focused on formulating a way to launch cargo from the robot to the “Upper Hub”, which is 8’8'' tall. Students came up with a number of ideas, ranging from a catapult to an adjustable hood turret with a flywheel. They weighed these ideas off of the “need/want/nice to have” chart which ranks the importance of the goals that the subsystem needs to accomplish. It was concluded that a flywheel shooter was best for launching cargo from the necessary distances. This is advantageous because the team has a lot of experience building them. Over the next couple of days, the group built a prototype of the chosen design. This allowed them to test where the shooter could be positioned on the robot and whether an adjustable angle for the exit of the cargo was needed. Members are currently modifying the prototype, testing it, and collecting all the data needed to increase accuracy.
Climber: 
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This week, the climber group analyzed the geometry and efficiency of potential designs, then chose one to work with based on the robot’s requirements. The purpose of this subsystem is to allow the robot to successfully pass through a set of rungs in the hangar (climbing structure). First, members created their own concepts for a climber that would be able to reach the highest rung. The group reviewed all the designs, created a pros and cons list, and ranked them on several criteria. Based on that, the group was able to pick and modify a design and begin developing it with CAD. Afterwards, they discussed hook actuation, or stimuli that help the robot move from rung to rung. Students also looked at various climbers from past FRC robots and learned how they work to help refine their ideas and to maximize functionality of the subsystem. Next week, the group will continue to modify their current design.
Software: 
      The software team is tasked with programming the robot after each of the mechanical subsystems are designed and built. At the start of the week, the group outlined code for the subsystems and discussed all the requirements needed for each to function. This introduced members to the fundamentals of robot programming. The code to test the shooter prototype was then written, which enabled the group to implement closed-loop control and test a range of speeds from various distances. Additionally, members continued work on our swerve robot, further developing its autonomous code. Members also worked on improving our driving code, ensuring that all sensors were calibrated and everything was operating smoothly.
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Safety:
​      The team has been sending out weekly safety quizzes that all members must complete during build season to maintain a safe shop environment and ensure that all members are familiar with 4909 safety guidelines. Soon, these quizzes will be available for everyone to access in the safety section of our website.

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1/11/2022

2022 Season Kickoff

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      This past Saturday, Team 4909 held our 2022 FIRST® Robotics Competition season kickoff! This marked the beginning of build season, a 6-week period where teams design and build their robots from start to finish. Saturday morning, our entire team of 38 students, as well as several mentors, gathered in the school’s auditorium to watch the kickoff live stream. During the stream, FIRST released a short animation explaining the basics of this year’s game; RAPID REACT℠ presented by the Boeing Company. RAPID REACT requires robots to intake cargo (oversized tennis balls) and shoot them into a two-tiered goal (called the hub). Robots may also traverse a multi-level set of rungs to score points. After watching the stream, our team analyzed components of RAPID REACT by reading through the game manual. Once we developed a good understanding of how the game works, we started discussing different cycles and scoring strategies. Below are links to the game animation video and additional game details. Stay tuned for more information and a game analysis toward the end of this week! ​​
Game and Season Info
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1/7/2022

2021-22 PRESEASON

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      Last year was an extremely substantial year for Team 4909! Despite severe hurdles posed by the pandemic, we performed exceptionally throughout the season and continued to improve our over-encompassing skills. Because there were no in-person competitions, the team was able to devote more time to improving our 2020 season robot, “Mantis”. Members developed an entirely student-made swerve drive despite not being able to meet in-person as often as we would during a typical FRC season. This year, we are excited to be meeting fully in-person again! The team has recruited many new members ranging from 8th graders to seniors. We had 12 returning members and gained approximately 20 new ones, for a combined total of 32 students!
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      ​Team 4909 is currently training our rookie members for the upcoming season, "RAPID REACT", which kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, January 8th. To help prepare for the season, the team participated in two off-season events last fall; Battle of the Bay in Alton, NH and RiverRage 24 in Manchester, NH. The team made it all the way to the finals at Battle of the Bay and placed third at RiverRage 24! Although we did not win either of these competitions, everyone who attended had a fantastic time and our new members were able to experience the thrill of being at a FIRST event.
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      ​Team Operations is currently working on rebranding our team, submitting for the Woodie Flowers Award, this upcoming season’s business plan, organizing outreach events and fundraisers, and more.  

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      During the pre-season, we focused on training rookie members and refined our skills and knowledge to prepare for build season. The mechanical team made improvements to our 2019 t-shirt launcher for the school's annual Thanksgiving Game Pep Rally. It was a great way to provide new members with valuable hands-on experience and expose them to our shop environment prior to the start of the build season. The t-shirt cannon was very popular among the students at Pep Rally and was a fun addition to the event. 

​We are incredibly excited for kickoff this Saturday, which will officially mark the start of build season and beyond! 
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  • ​Kickoff Schedule:
  • Arrive at 10:00 AM
  • Lunch at 11:00 AM
  • Pre-Stream at 11:30 AM
  • Game Reveal from 12:00 PM to (estimated) 1:00 PM
  • Read the Game Manual together as a team
  • Break into groups to discuss scoring strategies, different cycles, etc.
  • Ends at 5:00 PM

Build Season Schedule:
  • Monday: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Wednesday: No Meeting
  • Thursday: Flex Meeting 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Friday: 2:30 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Saturday: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
  • Sunday: No Meeting
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​Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more updates, information on the team's accomplishments, and ways to support us!

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  • Home
  • About
    • FRC >
      • 2023 - CHARGED UP
      • 2022 - RAPID REACT
      • 2021 - INFINITE RECHARGE (Virtual)
      • 2020 - INFINITE RECHARGE
      • 2019 - Destination: Deep Space
      • 2018 - Power Up
      • 2017 - STEAMworks
      • 2016 - Stronghold
      • 2015 - Recycle Rush
      • 2014 - Aerial Assist
    • Team Origins
    • Outreach
    • Sponsors
    • Safety Program
    • Robot Evolution
    • Team Leadership
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Photo Gallery
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • Bionics Docs
  • N.E.R.D.