Difference between revisions of "Downingtown Area Robotics"
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We hold regular safety meetings to reinforce our safety policy. | We hold regular safety meetings to reinforce our safety policy. | ||
== Website Info == | == Website Info == | ||
| − | As of 1 May 2011 there were over 330 pages of content, 3500 pictures (with captions and 310 documents | + | As of 1 April 2012 there were over 385 pages of content, 4300 pictures (with captions) and 420 documents that described the robots. It's steady growth from May 2011 when there were over 330 pages of content, 3500 pictures (with captions and 310 documents. Our first annual snap shot was in April 2010 there were over 280 pages of content, 2500 pictures (with captions) and 280 documents. You can see how much the site has grown! |
| − | + | If you have problems finding a specific page, try the search box in the left hand menu. Just type a few words about what you are searching for, it works just like Google. | |
| − | We often get the question, ''Why a Wiki?'' and the answer is '''collaboration!''' All of the members of Downingtown Area Robotics can update the site. This allows each individual group (like the mechanical or programming teams) to keep information current. While other websites have sizzle, we think its more important to have lots of relevant content. For example all the details of our award winning [[4-Wheel_Pivot_Drive | Pivot Drive]] are online, from the first early prototypes to the most current drawings. | + | We often get the question, ''Why a Wiki?'' and the answer is '''collaboration!''' All of the members of Downingtown Area Robotics can update the site. This allows each individual group (like the mechanical or programming teams) to keep information current. While other websites have sizzle, we think its more important to have lots of relevant content. For example all the details of our award winning [[4-Wheel_Pivot_Drive | Pivot Drive]] are online, from the first early prototypes to the most current drawings. |
| + | |||
| + | Our team members use the pages to describe and track build information, strategy, ToDo items for build sessions, parts orders, etc. Many other teams have internal wiki's they use for the same purpose, ours is on the web so you can see the inner workings of our team. | ||
If you have other questions or comments please contact us at DEWBOTROBOT at yahoo dot com. | If you have other questions or comments please contact us at DEWBOTROBOT at yahoo dot com. | ||
Revision as of 19:57, 31 March 2012
| Team members: Please look at the Team Announcement page to find the latest on the schedule, events, etc. Remember to read about Current Events coming your way, and the News of what we've done!
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Who we are
Downingtown Area Robotics in Downingtown Pennsylvania, is a group of Students, Mentors and Sponsors, that knows it's important to get students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based careers. We do this through competition robotics. Our robots work in teams of two or three, working together as team on a common goal (not the robots that try to destroy each other.)
Driving the robots in Competitions is a small part of what we do. From the beginning we teach each roboteer valuable life skills like communications, planning, getting a group consensus, cooperation and negotiations. We also bring to life STEM skills in areas of electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, programming by planning, designing, building (and sometimes rebuilding), testing and driving our robots.
Contact us at DEWBOTROBOT at Yahoo dot com for more information.
Competitions
We build robots for three different competitions, FIRST Robotics Competition the VEX Robot Challenge and the FIRST Lego League.
- FIRST Robotics Competition robots are large (120 lb) and complex. A new robot is designed and built each year in 6 weeks using diverse materials and methods to meet the unique challenges of the year’s competition. A commercial industrial controller controls the robot. The team must brainstorm, prototype, design, procure materials, build, program and test the robot within a very limited time and financial horizon. Robots are fully designed in CAD prior to building. Mathematical models are created and used as design aids. A bill-of-materials is generated and utilized to manage procurement, cost and weight (the latter two are constrained) in real time. This is a real engineering project! Building methods utilize a range of power tools (mill, lathe, band saws, drill presses,...), MIG welding, polycarbonate vacuum forming and composite materials. New materials and methods are added each year. Students benefit from mentors' experience in a wide range of technical disciplines.
- Team 1640 competed at the Finger Lakes (RIT, Rochester NY 3-5 March-2011) and Philadelphia (Temple University, Philadelphia PA 7-9 Apr-2011) Regional Competitions, winning the latter as alliance captain. The team has received a number of awards highlighting their demonstrated engineering & innovation skills including the Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award at Chesapeak in 2009, the Xerox Creativity (Philadelphia) and (BR)2 Engineering Excellence Awards in 2010 and the Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award at Philadelphia in 2011. This year, for the first time, Team 1640 attended the FRC Championship at St. Louis on 27-30 April-2011.
- VEX Robots must fit into an 18" cube and do not have a weight limit. Parts may only be purchased from VEX, but they can be cut and shaped any way provided there are no sharp edges. Parts may only be bolted together, no assembly with glue or tape is allowed. There is a limit of ten motors and/or servos. The robot is powered by a single 7.2 volt battery.
- We have 15 teams that participate in the VEX Robot Challenge. In 2010 Team 80 - Pegasus along with Team 81 Longshot went to the VEX World Championships. Two of our mentors, Foster Schucker and Steve Rhoads were awarded Mentor of the Year.
- Our regular season is from September to May, but we do summer activities. Starting in fall of 2010 we compete under the name VEX-MEN (yes, a play on X-Men).
- FIRST Lego League are smaller robots that are made out of Lego parts. Teams build robots to perform autonomous missions. These missions may require the robot to do one or more steps. This is a very exiting robot competition allowing students to bring special skills to the competition table.
- The 2009/2010 FLL competition season is over, but watch this space, we are planning a spring session to do a different set of missions. See us at the May 3 Science Fair
Teams
There are a number of teams that make up Downingtown Area Robotics(FRC, VRC and FLL):
- FIRST Robotics Competition -- FRC Team 1640, Team Sab-BOT-age - Every year we build a new robot, they are all called DEWBOT (from Downingtown East and West roBOT) and are numbered. The 2011 robot is called DEWBOT VII. Start with the overview of DEWBOT VII to get an idea about this years game Logomotion and our robot.
- VEX Robot Challenge -- VRC Team 80 -- our "All girl team" for 2009-2010
- FIRST Lego League -- FIRST Lego League 2009 Teams 2028 & 7230
Meeting Information
Team Sab-BOT-age, the FRC team and the VRC teams meet year round. Below is the latest information on their meeting times and places.
FRC Team 2011 Season -- DEWBOT VII - Please look at the FRC 2011 Calendar to see all the work nights in the build season. Team members should also check the Team Announcement page for the latest updates. Click here for the DEWBOT VII Build Season daily activity!
VEX 2010-11 Season -- Wednesday 6:30-8:30 Downingtown Educational Center. Our 2010-11 season playing Round Up (info and schedule) has started.
- We have started an "All-Girl" VEX Team 80 - Pegasus, come join them
FIRST Lego League -- The season for our FIRST Lego League team is over. Watch for news of our spring missions.
Come to one of our team meetings or contact us: Dewbotrobot at Yahoo dot com
Other committee meetings
The Steering Committee meets on the last Friday of the month at 6:15PM With build season going on and there being a large number of the Steering Committee at the build sessions, there are no formal meeting until the last Friday in April. If you have an item for the Steering Team contact them at the build session.
People
Thank you very much to all of our sponsors!
We would like to express our appreciation to all of our Mentors that work with the roboteers on a day to day basis.
Each student that worked on a robot is listed with that robot. Across the years we have graduated some very impressive students, you may be or soon will be working for our Alumni.
And a final thank you to all the parents that help us out.
Engineering
We do a lot of engineering. There are a lot of details and information that go into making a robot right. For example if you are going to drill a hole for an 8-32 screw you use a #16 drill, but if you want to tap the hole (thread it) you use a #29 drill. Most of us can't remember all that, so we've created a series of pages that holds all that information.
Click here for Engineering references and links.
Safety
We are very safety oriented, we have a safety captain to monitor all aspects of our build process.
All of our middle school students are trained on hand tools before they are allowed to use them. They use hacksaws and files while wearing safety glasses. Middle schoolers are supervised by either a mentor or one of our senior FRC students while they cut and form metal parts.
All of our high school students are trained on the power tool before they use it. Safety eyeware is worn at all times in the shop. First year FRC roboteers may only use power tools under the supervision of a mentor or one of our senior FRC students.
We hold regular safety meetings to reinforce our safety policy.
Website Info
As of 1 April 2012 there were over 385 pages of content, 4300 pictures (with captions) and 420 documents that described the robots. It's steady growth from May 2011 when there were over 330 pages of content, 3500 pictures (with captions and 310 documents. Our first annual snap shot was in April 2010 there were over 280 pages of content, 2500 pictures (with captions) and 280 documents. You can see how much the site has grown!
If you have problems finding a specific page, try the search box in the left hand menu. Just type a few words about what you are searching for, it works just like Google.
We often get the question, Why a Wiki? and the answer is collaboration! All of the members of Downingtown Area Robotics can update the site. This allows each individual group (like the mechanical or programming teams) to keep information current. While other websites have sizzle, we think its more important to have lots of relevant content. For example all the details of our award winning Pivot Drive are online, from the first early prototypes to the most current drawings.
Our team members use the pages to describe and track build information, strategy, ToDo items for build sessions, parts orders, etc. Many other teams have internal wiki's they use for the same purpose, ours is on the web so you can see the inner workings of our team.
If you have other questions or comments please contact us at DEWBOTROBOT at yahoo dot com.
The Downingtown Area Robotics website is made with valid XHTML and CSS and complies with Section 508 accessibility guidelines. This site is powered by MediaWiki, the same software that powers Wikipedia.
