FTC 7314 Engineering Notebook 2014-11-08

Competition Season Meeting

Meeting Date	Meeting Time	Location	Attendees
Saturday, November 8, 2014	2pm-5pm	TCHS Brandywine	Nick, CJ, Justin, Braden, Akhila, Laura, Eric

Tasks	Reflections
Programming	Since Akhila's computer was not generating code at Ramp Riot, it was decided that the best idea would be to get to the root of the problem. To do this, mentor Julie and Akhila created an entirely new project and software configuration. The schematic was wired again, and the teleop code generated this time! They decided to configure the autonomous code as well, and that worked as well! Along the way, Akhila learned different aspects of learning to code with LabVIEW. The computer was also used to drive the robot, but the code had to be regenerated due to connection problems with the NXT. Unfortunately, the code would not generate. Until they find a real solution to the problem, the conclusion was made that the computer has a one-generation-per-day policy.
Test Driving	CJ and Eric worked on test driving the robot to figure out a way to bring down the kick stand and test the wheels after adjusting the motor. The robot had trouble connecting and the bluetooth was a bit slow when reacting to what they did on the controller. The kick stand could not be brought down but, a top priorty for the next meeting is finding a way to bring down the kick stand quickly and consistently. Eric, while on the snack break, learned how to set up the drive station for when the team practices driving.
Building Bapper	Laura, Nick, and some mentors discussed the plan for creating a shooter mechanism for the Dec 6th qualifier. They decided to move forward with the bapper, or whacker, design. They started to cut out pieces of acrylic for the official bapper. The design would include 2 one way bearings, and 1 one way bearing. After cutting the acrylic to size, and cutting a hole in the middle with a forstner drill bit, we started to press the bearings into place. Immediately after starting to press the bearings, the acrylic snapped in half. We learned our lesson: never use acrylic. It is way too brittle for a robot. By the end of the meeting, we had a bapper with the bearings in place.

Recorded by:	Date:	Journal Editor: Akhila	Date: 11/29/14

Action and idea Journal

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  CAD rendering showing goal capture

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  CAD rendering showing goal capture from aft

Recorded by:	Date:	Journal Editor:	Date:

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