Difference between revisions of "DEWBOT IV Build"

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(Week Four - Transitions Continue (1/28-2/3))
(Last couple days - Practice, practice & a trip to visit MOE (2/17 & 2/18))
 
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Two weeks after the exodus, we remobilized the mini-Caravan to return the now-assembled DEWBOT IV to Downingtown East.
 
Two weeks after the exodus, we remobilized the mini-Caravan to return the now-assembled DEWBOT IV to Downingtown East.
  
===Week One - Brainstorm & Research (1/6-1/13) at DEHS===
+
===Week One - Brainstorm & Research (1/6-1/12) at DEHS===
 
* Brainstorm session on 1/6
 
* Brainstorm session on 1/6
 
* Inventoried the Kit of Parts
 
* Inventoried the Kit of Parts
Line 38: Line 38:
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week One Build Season Photo Gallery|Week One Photo Gallery]]
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week One Build Season Photo Gallery|Week One Photo Gallery]]
  
===Week Two - Complete prototyping, robot design & begin build (1/14-1/20) at DEHS===
+
===Week Two - Complete prototyping, robot design & begin build (1/13-1/19) at DEHS===
 
* Prototyped Trackball removal from the Overpass
 
* Prototyped Trackball removal from the Overpass
 
* Robot design underway in Inventor
 
* Robot design underway in Inventor
Line 46: Line 46:
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Two Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Two Photo Gallery]]
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Two Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Two Photo Gallery]]
  
===Week Three - Robot design, part fabrication & build (1/21-1/27) at DEHS===
+
===Week Three - Robot design, part fabrication & build (1/20-1/26) at DEHS===
 
* First Drawings out
 
* First Drawings out
 
* Electrical panel design
 
* Electrical panel design
Line 58: Line 58:
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Three Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Three Photo Gallery]]
 
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Three Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Three Photo Gallery]]
  
===Week Four - Transitions Continue (1/28-2/3)===
+
===Week Four - Transitions Continue (1/27-2/2)===
 
* All work is parallel design & build
 
* All work is parallel design & build
* '''Teachers' strike in Downingtown - we move out of DEHS'''
+
* '''Teachers' strike in Downingtown - we move out of DEHS''' (1/28)
 
* We work one night in Siri's garage
 
* We work one night in Siri's garage
 
* A local family very graciously provides the team with their stable for our Build work & we move a second time
 
* A local family very graciously provides the team with their stable for our Build work & we move a second time
 
* '''DISCOVERY:''' we are seriously overweight
 
* '''DISCOVERY:''' we are seriously overweight
 +
 +
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Four Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Four Photo Gallery]]
 +
 +
===Week Five - Build (2/3-2/9)===
 
* ''DEWBOT goes on a diet''
 
* ''DEWBOT goes on a diet''
 +
* Build largely completed in stable (''Many thanks for the use of this space - we would have never finished the robot had we been shut-down for two weeks!'')
 +
:* Mechanical
 +
:* Pneumatics
 +
:* Electrical
 +
 +
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Five Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Five Photo Gallery]]
 +
 +
===Week Six - Move back to DEHS - Finish Build - Test & Debug (2/10-2/16)===
 +
* '''Teachers' strike settled'''
 +
* Third build-season move back into DEHS on 2/10
 +
* Start testing systems on 2/10 after move
 +
* Build Finished
 +
:* Odds & ends
 +
:* Sensors
 +
:* Get all of the articulation working properly
 +
:* Build Bumpers
 +
* Start
 +
:* Testing
 +
:* Identifying & fixing bugs
 +
 +
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Six Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Six Photo Gallery]]
 +
 +
===Last couple days - Practice, practice & a trip to visit ''MOE'' (2/17 & 2/18)===
 +
* Visit to ''MOE''
 +
* Practice
 +
* Pack up Dewbot
  
;[[DEWBOT IV Week Four Build Season Photo Gallery|Week Four Photo Gallery]]
+
;[[DEWBOT IV Final Daze Build Season Photo Gallery|Final Daze Photo Gallery]]
  
 
----
 
----
[[Category:Events]][[Category:Robot]][[Category:DEWBOT IV]][[Category:DEWBOT IV Build]]
+
[[Category:Robot]][[Category:DEWBOT IV]][[Category:DEWBOT IV Build]]

Latest revision as of 10:56, 3 July 2009

Our build process is divided into the following five stages:

  • Brainstorming & Strategic Goal Setting
  • Prototyping and Tactic (Game-Play) Development
  • Designing
  • Building
  • Testing & Training


We prototyped the following features:

  • Trackball capture using Forks
  • Catapult from Forks
  • Drive-train arrangements
  • Fast Trackball removal from Overpass

Team 1640 faced a number of daunting challenges during the 2008 build season.

The most severe of these was the temporary loss of the Team’s founder, leader and head-Mentor, Paul Sabatino, following essential back surgery early in the season. Mr. Sabatino is recuperating and we are all looking forward to his return.


The team also had to deal with a Teacher’s strike, which forced us from our home at Downingtown East High School for a full two weeks during the build season. The night before the strike, we all assembled at the school and loaded Robot, parts, supplies and essential tools (including a drill press, belt sander and a band saw) into parents’ mini-vans to relocate our operations. Fortunately, a local family, the McFaddins, became aware of our plight and very graciously loaned us the use of their stable as a workshop for the duration of the strike.


The move took place after most (but far from all) of the cutting had been completed, but before any significant assembly.


Two weeks after the exodus, we remobilized the mini-Caravan to return the now-assembled DEWBOT IV to Downingtown East.

Week One - Brainstorm & Research (1/6-1/12) at DEHS

  • Brainstorm session on 1/6
  • Inventoried the Kit of Parts
  • Started prototyping & testing:
  • Drive-train on Vex-scale (rear-wheel drive w/ steering first considered)
  • Robot speed & acceleration using DEWBOT III
  • Trackball capture with Fork using DEWBOT III
  • An alternative Trackball cradle concept
  • The catapult, which went through a few iterations
Week One Photo Gallery

Week Two - Complete prototyping, robot design & begin build (1/13-1/19) at DEHS

  • Prototyped Trackball removal from the Overpass
  • Robot design underway in Inventor
  • Animation project also underway
  • Building gets underway
Week Two Photo Gallery

Week Three - Robot design, part fabrication & build (1/20-1/26) at DEHS

  • First Drawings out
  • Electrical panel design
  • Majority of part fabrication (metal cutting) done
  • Assembly started on
  • Electrical Panel
  • Chassis
  • Fork-Lift-Catapult
  • Paul Sabatino, Team Founder & Head Mentor departs for medical reasons
Week Three Photo Gallery

Week Four - Transitions Continue (1/27-2/2)

  • All work is parallel design & build
  • Teachers' strike in Downingtown - we move out of DEHS (1/28)
  • We work one night in Siri's garage
  • A local family very graciously provides the team with their stable for our Build work & we move a second time
  • DISCOVERY: we are seriously overweight
Week Four Photo Gallery

Week Five - Build (2/3-2/9)

  • DEWBOT goes on a diet
  • Build largely completed in stable (Many thanks for the use of this space - we would have never finished the robot had we been shut-down for two weeks!)
  • Mechanical
  • Pneumatics
  • Electrical
Week Five Photo Gallery

Week Six - Move back to DEHS - Finish Build - Test & Debug (2/10-2/16)

  • Teachers' strike settled
  • Third build-season move back into DEHS on 2/10
  • Start testing systems on 2/10 after move
  • Build Finished
  • Odds & ends
  • Sensors
  • Get all of the articulation working properly
  • Build Bumpers
  • Start
  • Testing
  • Identifying & fixing bugs
Week Six Photo Gallery

Last couple days - Practice, practice & a trip to visit MOE (2/17 & 2/18)

  • Visit to MOE
  • Practice
  • Pack up Dewbot
Final Daze Photo Gallery