Tuesday, February 16. 2010
Winter Break, Day 2!
We have access to the school from 12 noon to 12 midnight. Thanks to Mentors Jeff and Dave V. for giving up some of their work time to come in so that the students had access to the school.
In the evening we had the usual cadence of Integration Meeting, Dinner and Team Meeting.
What we ate for dinner! Karen’s family brought in dinner tonight. Mac-n-cheese – the really cheese style – and a rice, hamburger, corn casserole. We had carrot cupcakes for dessert. And cream puffs!
Integration Meeting notes – Parentor Val took them today.
Electrical – Added spike relay for second electromagnet (needs wiring). PWM cables are being made. Need to mount the board, wire, test, and reduce weight. From the Mechanical teams, need a mounting system on the robot. The Lexan piece for mounting the cRIO has been cut. Need to buy spare limit switches (from a local source).
Controls – Tested with Programming. Slider cracked and needs to be replaced. Controls need some touch-up and USB cables. Need a new cover for joysticks. Controls need to be labeled.
Programming – Currently debugging the code for the hanger, and the autonomous code. Finished debugging the kicker (need the finished robot to test it). Need to do more testing with Controls (the wheel and the slider).
Mechanical lift – Cut all pieces for the welder, need to put structure on after welder’s done (maybe tonight, more likely tomorrow). Put winch together. Need to finish milling plate, cut tubes, cut collars and wire. (Tubes may have arrived today – have to check the delivered packages!)
Mechanical kicker – Kicker’s on, hooked up to window motors. Beater bar parts are in, should be assembled tonight.
Drivetrain – Bumper covers and mounts are being worked on.
Field – Goals need to be fitted better. Field will be moved to the gym on Thursday.
Everyone – the robot needs to lose a lot of weight! Diet and exercise must begin immediately!
Team meeting: I came in at the end of the announcement, but here is what I caught:
The chairman’s essay is done! The whole team was reminded to take some time and read it and provide any last comments. We are also looking for students interested in presenting.
Tomorrow during the day – students who come during the day were reminded to have a task planned ahead of time and to check in with the mentor (who will be Bear) so he knows they are here. Major construction is being done in the school including the space directly across form the closet. So the team needs to be extra careful and stay where we belong! Mr. Marro, PHS Principal, came and spent some time with the team, touring the shops and cafeterial where the field is set up. Thanks, Mike H. for showing him around!
Tally of build season hours! Student Hours: 3032.5 Mentor Hours: 1918.5 Total: 4951
Checking in on activities – time was logged in today on the Rally Opening Video, and on the FIRST Essay(s). Tom P. roughed up the wires for the robot. The programmers are ready for the robot; they have debugged as much as they can without testing the code for real. Field set up continued; targets are being finished. the pattern for the fabric for the bumpers was made.
The rest of the team was very busy working on the…
Thunderbot Weight Loss Program (Shauna says that our weight loss program is holy!)
Three drilling stations were set up to make parts look like swiss cheese and the chips were flying! Other parts were being milled, shortened, cut out, or even totally remade out of thinner stock.
Today’s result: 6+ pounds removed so far
And the chips were flying!