TEAM 4909 - BIONICS

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2/26/2022

WEEK 6 AND 7 UPDATE

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Students worked hard last week to prepare for Week 0, a scrimmage competition based on the RAPID REACT game. This event took place last Friday and gave the team the opportunity to test our subsystems on the field while competing against other teams for the first time this season. This week, members have been making improvements our robot in preparation for the Granite State District Competition on March 4th.
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Climber:
        Last week, the Climber group’s main goal was to finish the assembly of the two dynamic hooks for Week 0. Members manufactured the belt systems between the Inner and Outer stages of the climber bars. Upon completion, the components were attached to the robot. However, while attaching the hooks, members encountered many problems and discovered multiple design flaws in the system. After testing, students saw that the belt clamps were not functioning the way they had hoped, and could slip. In addition, there were issues with the pivot system, which was not allowing the hooks to spin. Because of these difficulties, the climber was not used at Week 0. This week, members have been fixing the climber system to ensure it will be fully functional for Granite State Districts.
Shooter:
​         Last week, members of the shooter group discovered that the shooter was not working the way they intended; each piece of cargo flew with a higher trajectory than planned, and shots made from farther away were inaccurate. To combat these issues, students added another flywheel opposite the first one. With this addition, the rotational velocity would be negligible and the ball would not spin as it traveled to the Hub. In the days leading up to Week 0, the members focused on mounting the new flywheel and began to fix the singulator, which connected the intake and shooter subsystems. At the Week 0 competition, students quickly realized that the limelight was not synchronized with the robot, allowing them to only make shots from the Fender (area by the lower exit of the hub). Before matches started, another issue arose - the cargo was touching the flywheel while being held by the robot. To compensate for this, the indexer wheel had to be run slightly backwards. Due to several other complications, the team was not able to make it very far in the competition, but the goal of Week 0 is to learn, and members have been making adjustments to the shooter subsystem all throughout this week. 
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Software:
        Last week, the software team tested code on the newly-assembled climber. The first test ran smoothly, however the apparatus broke before a higher-than-minimum climb could be attempted. A simple drive forward autonomous routine was written to score additional points. During Week 0, students worked on tuning the shooter so that cargo could be properly distributed and not launched before the flywheel reached speed. Members tuned the PID controller to ensure that the shooter's flywheel reached the desired velocity. Limelight vision tracking was tweaked to accurately align the shooter with the Hub. Extra driving modes were also included, allowing the driver to perform actions such as snapping to a precise angle, driving slower, and locking themselves in position to reduce the opponent’s defensive ability. Students also experimented with haptic feedback, which rumbled the driver’s controllers and provided them with valuable game data.
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Intake:
      Last week, the Intake subgroup tested the intake mechanism and made adjustments to it as necessary. Members set up the pneumatics to contract and retract from the robot. A contraption called the sock shaft was designed to better compress cargo, but the idea was scrapped after it proved to be ineffective. Fortunately, at Week 0, the intake worked as intended. This week, students have continued testing the apparatus to troubleshoot and improve its efficiency.

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2/25/2022

2022 ROBOT REVEAL NIGHT

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​Last Saturday marked the official end of the 2022 Build Season! Team 4909 is excited to show off our new robot to our sponsors, parents, and the rest of our supportive community. Every year, following our 6-week build season, the team hosts a Robot Reveal Night; a momentous event to celebrate our robot’s completion. During this event, guests are encouraged to meet the team, our mentors, and watch our robot in action. This is an exciting occasion for everyone, and it is a time for everyone to reflect on how much time, effort, and support it took to accomplish this goal. We also use Robot Reveal Night to express our gratitude to everyone who provided us with the resources needed to make this possible. We could not have developed our robot without all of your contributions, from financial assistance to helping fabricate robot parts and supplying meals on days when our students and mentors worked long hours. Team 4909 is truly appreciative of all the consistent support you have given us throughout the 2022 build season. For more information about Robot Reveal Night, please see the invitation below.

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2/12/2022

WEEK 5 UPDATE

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As Team 4909 enters the last week before the Week 0 competition, our mechanical team has been finishing up manufacturing and integrating subsystems. Software testing has begun, and we hope to start drive practice as soon as possible!
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Intake:
​           This week, the Intake group finished assembling the intake mechanism. Members integrated the subsystem to the robot to analyze problems it may be having with movement. Students began to brainstorm solutions to these issues and started executing them by making new parts such as spacers. As these parts were connected to the robot mainframe, members started to figure out the wiring and electric components of the robot. Over the course of next week, the group plans to continue testing and fixing bugs to enhance the intake’s efficiency and reliability. 
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Shooter:
​         After several weeks of designing, the shooter group finally began manufacturing parts this week! Last Saturday, after finishing designs for the lightning cut-outs for the two shooter plates, students started to cut and create the parts using the Velox Router. Unfortunately, just a few seconds into the process, the spindle broke, leaving members with two aluminum sheets, and nothing to cut them with. However, with just a few phone calls, the team was able to get in touch with another FRC team, Team 125, who was able to help the group out. Thanks Team 125! On Monday, members received the plates and mounted them on the main robot frame. Students continued manufacturing and mounting parts all week, several new parts everyday; limelight, indexer wheel, flywheel, hood plate, pneumatic cylinders, support shafts, falcons, versa planetaries, and several sheets of lexan. With preliminary manufacturing now completed, the group is waiting for the software team to test the subsystem and eliminate any flaws that may be present before Week 0.
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Software:
​            At the start of the week, the software team began wiring the robot. Most of the power wiring is completed, but there is some CAN wiring remaining that needs to be done. On Tuesday, members tested Falcon 500 motors on the drive train. Thursday was spent redoing the power wires and setting up various sensors for the robot. Students set up a color sensor that can detect the RGB values of an object, and implemented some code that allows the robot to determine the color of collected cargo. Members also worked with infrared sensors, which would allow them to know the location of cargo in the robot. On Friday, the group successfully set up multiple infrared sensors and worked on the drivetrain for the final robot. 
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Climber:
​           This week, the climber group started manufacturing the inner stage of the dynamic hooks after completing CAD designs on Monday. The product was not what the group intended, so it was ultimately scrapped. Students spent Tuesday manufacturing and attaching static hooks to the robot. On Thursday, the inner stage of the dynamic hooks were remade, and the outer stage was built. The group concluded the week by assembling and completing standoffs for the dynamic hook gearboxes. 
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2/12/2022

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

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Name: Alexander Ivanov

Title: Mechanical Team Member

Years on the Team: 4 years

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “For the past two years I have spent my time working on shooter systems. Last year, I was the build lead of the shooter system. Unfortunately, there weren't any formal competitions during the 2021 season so my design was never used for the game.”

Impact: “My interest in robotics has been around longer than I have known about FIRST, and at some point, it refined into the desire of wanting to work with prosthetics. I joined Team 4909 soon after and, out of curiosity, found out what 'Bionics' is. As fate would have it, Bionics was the exact field of study that I wanted to work in. Besides discovering the name of what I wanted to do, FIRST has granted me the opportunity to learn and practice vital skills in CAD design and manufacturing using manual and automated devices.”

Favorite 4909 memory: “We were in a competition, and in the pit, the elevator mechanism failed, causing the springs to release. What ensued was a 1x1 beam of aluminum launching into the ceiling with a lot of people to bear witness in the resulting hole in the ceiling. Terrifying at the time, but absolutely hilarious upon reflection to this day.”

Plans after High School: “Go to college, travel the world, enjoy life.”
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Ideal Job: “Prosthetist”

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2/5/2022

WEEK 4 UPDATE

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Software:
            At the start of the week, the software team split up into two separate groups. One group worked on attaching the shooter prototype to the drivetrain prototype. Members also improved the wiring and reduced slack on the wires to prevent them from getting caught in the wheels. The other group worked on the main drivetrain, where they set up a belly pan, CAN wiring, and CAN IDs for each of the falcon motors. On Tuesday, the shooter group worked on using a limelight sensor to align the front of the robot to a piece of reflective tape. The main drivetrain group worked on updating the REV and CTRE devices as well as adding power extensions. Students also improved the wiring from Monday so that it would not affect other subsystem placement. On Thursday, the limelight group tuned the values for the alignment system and fixed issues. Afterward, members implemented a PID so that the robot would not overshoot when tracking the target. The robot can now strafe around the target while still having the front of the robot aligned with the target. On Friday, students began to discuss the code for the climber subsystem.
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Intake:
​        To start off the week, the intake group completed their CAD design by finishing up any remaining tasks from the prior week. On Thursday, members began manufacturing parts, starting with standoffs and the bars for the four-bar linkage system for collecting cargo. Students are going to continue manufacturing parts and assembling them as they wrap up the week.


Climber:
​         This week, the climber subgroup finished almost all of the remaining CAD needed to design the dynamic hook, elevator, and static hook. Members started the week redesigning the dynamic hook and the elevator system and continued to make progress on the static hook. They split into two groups, one focusing on the static hook, and the other focusing on the dynamic hook. The dynamic hook group started to work on the belt system and bearing blocks. Meanwhile, the static hook group continued forming the geometry of the hook, as well as the point from which the hook would pivot. As the week progressed, students continued to make improvements to the CAD of both hooks. After completing the designs, the group held a subsystem design review. Afterward, members created a to-do list with remaining tasks to improve the hooks, which were completed by the end of the week.
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Shooter:
      The shooter group began the week implementing modifications and final touches to the subsystem after completing a design review. Members improved the two-stage hood design and extended the walls that funnel the cargo. To help the intake subsystem, they redesigned a mount for better limelight positioning and finished lightening the side plates to reduce substantial weight. The group continued to manufacture parts, such as the pulley mounts, motor plates, and sensor mounting plates. Students also began the CAM design for the main two side plates, and will continue to work on it next week.

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2/4/2022

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

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Name: Siobhan Tolleson

Title: Mechanical Team Member

Years on the Team: 1 year

Areas of Focus and Responsibilities: “I do machining. It's the most interesting part of robotics that I could quickly pick up and enjoy doing.”

Impact FIRST has had: “Even though robotics takes up a lot of time in addition to my other after-school activities, it has provided me with a place to put my skills to good use.”

Favorite 4909 memory: “I really liked making a part completely by myself this year. Even though I asked a lot of questions while making it, I'm proud to say I did it entirely on my own.”

Plans After High School: “I plan to attend college to pursue some combination of mathematics and computer science.”

Ideal Job: “Something related to computer science and math. Possibly a programmer or mathematician.”

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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
  • Docs
  • N.E.R.D.