WEEK 2 UPDATE

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.

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.

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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