Saturday, February 13. 2010
The field is up! And we’re going to kick tonight!
How do you feel about truth in advertising? Hmmm, You’ll just have to wait and see!
It’s crunch time for the team so some of the students and mentors gave up their Friday “Date Night” to come to robotics. Work was done on the drive-train, kicker and ball guards. The welder brought in some parts and was so intrigued by the team that he came back today for a full tour! Time was taken to watch some of the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
Saturday breakfast was brought by student Tom G. In addition to bagels, there was breakfast pizza!
Moving right into lunch – we had short-order cook Sharon making grilled cheese and tuna melt sandwiches which were served with tomato cream soup, crudites, chips, with milk and oreos for dessert. It definitely hit the spot on a snowy winter day!
Today seemed to be Rolling Thunder Alumni Day! Dropping in to work with us or just to visit were: Josh G., Steve, Ashley, Graeme, Mark, Jess and brother Tony, Lexi, and Annie. Team Leader Larry says that we should have had our Alumni picnic today!
Jess gave haircuts today to anyone who was interested. I got one! What a convenient service!
Okay, enough of the non-robot stuff, here are the notes from the integration meeting today:
Programming – auto-mode is being debugged – high level is bugless, low level still needs work,using CAN bus, must update jaguars (electrical and programming together)
Electrical – mock board is disassembled, attaching components on official board with velcro, work with mechanical about weights and update the inventor model
Controls – circuit board is completed – to be tested today, complete joystick casing.
Mechanical 2 – working on beater bar – implemented in the inventor file – due for Monday/Tuesday. All the parts needed are in except for one weldment.
Mechanical 1 – superstructure completed / implemented in inventor, in process of implementing holes into rachet pawl, need to make side plates for winch and telescope collars.
Drive-train – completed remounting the ball guard. Needs to put on base plates and battery box to be secured.
Field – is building the field!
Yes! The cafeteria is filled with field! The floor is down, last year’s “regolith” is stacked to be the risers under the bumps, the carpet is down, the bumps and tunnels have been placed, the towers are up and one ball return is in place.
The electrical board is put together on the lexan panel and has been mounted on the robot to make sure it fits and then removed for programming and debugging.
Kicker parts kept arriving and were assembled, adjusted and put on the robot. There was a little more adjustment made on the ball guard.
Dinner! I can’t forget dinner! We had pizza – pepperoni and cheese and veggies and dip and cookie bars (blond brownies) thanks to Peter, Ben and Mentor Christian’s family. And then we had birthday cake for Mentor Jeff, who was celebrating his 11111th (or is it 11111st) birthday! We love binary!
By the end of the night, the ball return on the field had been tested, the control box was done and tested (all but two buttons worked as expected) and the kicker was fired. Yes it was. Not under full power yet, but enough to use the magnet to release the foot.
Truth in advertising! Would I steer you wrong?
