We’re three weeks into build season, and our team is firing on all cylinders! We’ve made massive strides across all areas, and the momentum is only picking up as we continue to refine and innovate.Drive Team: The Drive Team has been hard at work, perfecting fast and reliable cycle times (the time required to pick up a game piece and score it). They've been focusing on efficient strategies for scoring on the reef and clearing algae, making sure every move is efiicient. Their practice sessions are paying off as they’re already hitting consistent times and building synergy  Software: The Software Team has been fine-tuning the elevator set-points (points at which elevator stops for different levels of the Reef) for Level 4 scoring, ensuring smooth operation even in the most challenging scenarios. They have also developed a vision system that combines camera input with wheel rotations to estimate the robot’s position on the field. This estimation allows for auto-alignment with the reef, putting us in the perfect position for scoring during the autonomous portion of the match Mechanical: The Mechanical Team has been working on our robot’s second version, enhancing its design and performance. They have also been assembling another elevator system for the robot’s first version to ensure we have a backup for further testing and practice  Operations: The Operations Team has made excellent progress in updating the Business Plan, ensuring we’re ready for any question posed to us by judges. They have enhanced website components to make sure our online presence stands out. The team is also in the process of designing and working toward getting some Team 4909 merchendise ready for the season! It’s been an incredible start to the season, and with each week, we’re getting closer to putting everything together for an epic competition run. Onward to Week 4!
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We have just finished the first two weeks of the build season, and our team is making significant progress.
Mechanical:During Week 1, the mechanical team used CAD to design a prototype system for scoring coral on reefs. They also designed and built an elevator mechanism. The team continued to design and troubleshoot with other prototypes during Week 2 to improve on our initial design. With our current version, we can score on all levels of the reef! By week two, after more testing, the team also successfully mounted the elevator onto our robot's chassis. Looking forward to Week 3, the mechanical team is shifting its focus to developing a system for scoring algae. Operations:
Additionally, Operations has secured two new sponsors, Mathnasium and Polymer Shapes! Software:The software team has successfully programmed a drivetrain for the robot chassis, ensuring smooth and efficient movement. They enhanced the system by integrating additional motors for the robot’s prototype testing. Currently, their efforts are focused on autonomous operations, working to activate the robot's vision system by implementing April tags, a crucial piece for the robot to identify and interact with its environment. By leveraging these visual markers, the robot can achieve great accuracy in navigation and object recognition, allowing us to score in the autonomous period. In just the first two weeks, we have made incredible progress and are eagerly looking forward to the rest of the season.
  On Saturday, January 4th, we kicked off the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition season at Billerica Memorial High School. We watched this year’s game reveal: REEFSCAPE presented by Haas. In REEFSCAPE presented by Haas, robots score points by completing different tasks using game pieces known as “CORAL” (PVC Pipe), “ALGAE” (a rubber kickball), and a barge (a station that spans middle of the field horizontally, contaninig the hanging station with a scoring net on top). Here's how it works:
At the end of the match, robots can grab onto one of three hanging cages (at a low or high height) or park under the barge. The team with the most points wins! After watching FIRST’s stream of the game reveal, the team read through the game manual together to fully grasp the extent of the game and develop an action plan from what we learned. Below is the game animation. Click HERE to access the unencrypted game manual! After a highly successful 2023 season and with enthusiastic new team members, Team 4909 is excited to take on the challenges of the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition as we “REEFSCPAPE” our way into the new year! 2024 Preseason Overview: This fall, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on growing and training our newest members, providing them with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to contribute meaningfully to our team during the 2024 build season. Here’s a recap of what we’ve accomplished so far: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Training: In the preseason, our team dedicated a significant amount of time to CAD training, focusing on both the fundamentals and more advanced design concepts. New members were introduced to the basics of 3D modeling, learning how to design parts with constraints and navigate 3D space on a 2D screen. Meanwhile, veteran members took on more advanced projects, partnering up to create subsystems for previous FRC games. The goal was not only to learn the software but to go through the entire design process from scratch. By the end of the course, many of our team members became proficient in CAD, making them ready to take on more complex design challenges during the build season  Team Operations and Outreach Training: Our "Team Ops" group had a busy and productive preseason, heavily involved in fundraising and outreach efforts. This included hosting the New England Robotics Derby (N.E.R.D.) in October, where we brought together teams from across the region for a day of celebration, learning, and competition. We also ran a "12 Days of Christmas Raffle," with team members selling tickets at O’Connor Hardware in Billerica, MA, and to their families and friends. This fundraiser, along with others, helped raise the necessary funds to support our activities for the year.  Outreach has also been a big focus, with our team actively participating in community events. We participated in the Yankee Doodle 2024, Billerica’s annual homecoming event, where we marched in the parade and hosted an open house. We also participated in the Billerica Memorial High School Pep Rally, showcasing our team spirit during "Spirit Week" and firing our t-shirt cannon into the crowd at the rally itself. Another exciting outreach event was our Hour of Code, where we hosted an interactive coding session for elementary and middle school students. Participants learned basic programming skills and got to see a robot demonstration. We also hosted STEM Night at the Billerica Public Library, where the team demonstrated our robot, discussed its various components, and had a science fair where students could explore a variety of fun experiments like elephant toothpaste and making self inflating balloons!
Software Training: Our software team spent the preseason introducing rookie members to coding through Java on Codecademy. After building a foundation of basic programming skills, they began working on controlling the robot and programming it to perform specific functions. One key project was helping to code the T-shirt cannon, allowing us to improve its precision and functionality. The experience provided our new members with valuable hands-on practice using firmware and any software with distinct functions (APIs). Looking Ahead to 2025 – Reefscape!As we prepare for the 2024 season, we are energized by the opportunity to tackle the new game, “Reefscape”. Our training efforts have equipped us with the skills we need to dive into this exciting challenge, and we are excited to see how our team will grow, collaborate, and innovate during the competition.
We’ve worked hard in the preseason to bring in new members, train them, and provide opportunities for them to immediately apply what they’ve learned. Whether through community outreach, building our T-shirt cannon, or hosting events like N.E.R.D., Team 4909 is ready to take on the new year with energy, enthusiasm, and a commitment to excellence. Bring on Reefscape 2025! |
