WEEK 4 UPDATE

Manipulator:
          This week the team put their hatch panel manipulator to the test. They found that the hinge they chose to use was not strong enough to handle the 40 pounds of force our piston was outputting. It would bend after a few articulations. So, we swapped the hinge out for a stainless steel one, and that works great. We combined this with full metal parts to build our final design. We also decided that we could modify our aluminum flipper to allow it to pick up hatch panels off the ground, a potentially valuable skill. After about 5 minutes on the grinder, we had a perfectly shaped, very hot aluminum flipper. After it cooled we put it on the final design, and are in the process of testing this. Once the other subsystems are complete, this can be attached to the final robot, and used in competition.

Bumpers:
         Over the past week we have completed the base parts for the bumper, which includes three main components for holding it in place. These parts are designed for minimal weight gain, and maximum support for the frame, allowing more crucial parts to be added onto the robot without putting us over the weight limit. Our bumpers are designed to withstand punishment, while giving us the support needed without compromising our mobility. Now that the bumpers are designed , and the parts have been fabricated, we are ready to begin assembly this week.

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Elevator:
          At the beginning of the week, we finished the fabrication of some
of the smaller parts of our elevator. Upon completing these smaller parts, we began to assemble the outer part of our elevator. First, we added rollers to the inside of the outer stage. Then, we added brackets, supports, and mounts where needed. We then proceeded to mount what we had of the elevator to the chassis. Our next step is to fabricate the remaining pieces and continue building the elevator.
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