Stronghold Meeting - 16-Jan-2016
Competition Season Meeting
| Meeting Date | Meeting Time | Location | Attendees |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCHS Brandywine |
CAD & Design
-Final chassis dimensions were set as 34in by 26in. Bumpers remain at 5in above the ground. However, the wheel vs. tread discussion remains, and a hard deadline of one week from today was set. If a decision isn't made by then, we will officially be behind schedule and risk running behind all season.
-The intake has been discussed in a fair amount of detail. We have determined that, based on previous games, an over-the-bumper intake would be effective at ball collection while protecting the rest of the robot. The speed of the intake should be fast to match our "touch-it, own-it" requirement. The placement of the intake would be on the back of the robot, opposite of the shooting direction, and span as much of the robot width as possible.
-The shooter was also discussed, with three options on the table:
- Wheeled shooter
- Catapult
- Linear punch (similar to 118 from the 2014 game)
Our preference is to have the shooter rotate to aim, instead of relying on the robot alone to aim, but is not set yet.
In addition, we used SolidWorks to calculate the trajectory needed to launch a boulder into the high goal from different locations on the field. We were also able to assist the programmers by providing them with the accuracy needed to successfully auto-align the shooter.
Mechanical
-It took all meeting, but the AM14U2 kitbot has been modified to meet the Design & CAD team's specs. It was able to cross some defenses, but the drive chains kept popping off of the sprockets. This is due to two reasons:
- Slight chain misalignment
- Chassis rigidity
To improve, we will be adding two more wheels to the drivetrain, fix any misalignment, and stiffen the chassis with some crossbeams.
Programming
- We started by testing the program written yesterday to turn towards a piece of retro-reflective tape.
- - After working out some bugs, we were able to get the robot to turn by moving the tape. It was very exciting!
- - Next, we tried correcting for distance using center Y. Using the same system as we used for correcting the turn, we were able to get this working as well.
- - Finally, we combined the two, so the robot would turn and move forward based on the tape. We were able to have the robot follow a piece of tape around the warehouse. It worked quite well.
- We also worked on organizing the drive code in the new 2016 project.
- -All unnecessary files were removed, especially those regarding swerve.
- -We then modified the DriveControl abstract class to take the correct joystick inputs.
- -We were able to keep the same architecture for the drive code, which means our design is very robust. It can even withstand a brand new drive train.
- -We added classes for tank and arcade drive. They can not be tested today, because we do not have a tank robot yet.
- -We also modified the gyro correction to work with arcade.
Field Elements
-The rough terrain is completed, as well as another platform. Ramparts are next on the agenda.
| Recorded by: | Date: | Journal Editor: | Date: |
|---|---|---|---|
