Difference between revisions of "Talk:DEWBOT VIII"

Latest revision as of 12:27, 12 January 2012

Robot Name

Team 1640 has called its robots "DEWBOT" from the team's beginning. We've built seven DEWBOTs: DEWBOT I (2005) through DEWBOT VII (2011). The question is raised to the team: Do we want to continue with the DEWBOT name in 2012?

DEWBOT stands for "Downingtown East & West roBOT". This name made perfect sense through mid-2011, but events since then have made the name obsolete. These are:

• The Downingtown Area School District has discontinued its support of the team;
• As a consequence, Team 1640 students are now drawn from a wider range of High Schools; and
• There is now a third High School in Downingtown, the Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy.

I understand the value of maintaining a consistent trademark, which DEWBOT certainly has been. I also think that DEWBOT remains a great robot name, despite the recent disconnect. But I feel it is also appropriate to open the field to other ideas as well. A Suggestion Box has been created for this purpose.

Quest for a Home

So, I'm thinking of changing the team name from Sab-BOT-age to Robo-Gypsies or NomadTech. More seriously, we continue to seek a more permanent home for the team. Some options:

Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy

Storage

We would have the entire room. All robotic storage in one place. The school will move their stored materials out.

We need to leave clear, unobstructed access to the Emergency Power MCC switches along the rear (southeast) wall of the room.

Room is approx 266 x 390 in = 720 ft² with one 16" x 16" column. Two 110 V dual outlets. Entryway (no door) is 36" wide; 83" tall. A layout drawing is available.

A provisional layout has been drafted, which does not include FRC Field or FLL equipment. If all the FRC machinery (except the Mill) will need to be stored here when not in use, the space will be tight.

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  Entryway looking in

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  From W corner (entryway) looking E

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  From S corner looking N

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  From E corner looking W

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  Fron N corner looking S

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  Emergency MCC switches (SE wall)

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  From center looking NW

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  Entryway looking out

Workshop

Engineering Lab. Approximately 1,023 ft² floor space with 70" x 84" double door access to the main hallway and 34" x 83" door to the Rapid Prototyping Lab. 108" ceilings. A layout drawing of the combined Workshop and Assembly space is available.

The interior space contains three 54" x 64" x 31.5" wood-top work tables, each equipped with two vices. The Northwest wall has exterior windows with 24" dp x 37" h wood-top cabinets with good 110V power access.

There are three 36" x 24" x 36.5" rolling cabinets, each with tools on top. The shop already contains a MIG welder (without any IG at this time), CNC router (with computer cabinet), bandsaw, drill press, table saw, belt sander, grinder, chop saw, two planers and a stainless steel cabinet whose utility I cannot identify. There's also a small lathe (still in the box). More tools are coming, I am told. Focus for cutting tools is wood work (with the welder being a bit of a misfit). Nothing has been used yet, but classes in this room will start next semester (students will make cutting boards, I am told).

208 V 3φ 50A power is available from a nearby panel. It would need to be run for the Mill. Disconnects and other hardware can be salvaged from the Boot Road Warehouse (which DASD still owns, by the way). The most logical place for the Mill is in the Southeast alcove, but this would place it in front of the room's white board and thereby interfere with lessons. A 2^nd potential location is along the wall near the electrical closet door (current bandsaw location).

So here is the problem. This room is already full (maybe more than full). The teacher I spoke with was neither hostile nor supportive, and has no interest in or time for robotics, but is (validly) concerned with the impact of our tools on her teaching space.

There is a sink and an eye-wash station in the Southeast alcove.

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  Southeast alcove showing eye-wash & sink

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  Southeast alcove

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  54" x 64" x 31.5" work table

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  54" x 64" x 31.5" work table

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  36" x 24" x 36.5" rolling cabinet

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  Potential Mill location

Assembly Room

This is the Rapid Prototyping Lab. We remember it as the Muppet Lab. We don't want to machine in here, but robot assembly is okay.

Approximately 815 ft². Interior of the room is dominated by four 54" x 64" x 31.5" H wood-top work tables without vices. Exterior windows on the Southeast wall with cabinets below.

There is a 34" x 83" door between this room and the workshop (northwest wall). A similar door to the main hallway (southwest wall).

I think that this room, though tight, is essentially no problem for us. We would need to leave it entirely, though, at each meeting end.

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  From N corner looking S

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  From S corner looking N

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  From E corner looking W

Elevator

The logical means of getting practice field equipment from storage to the gym. The elevator is 69" x 51" with 36" x 84" doors on both sides. We would travel through the elevator to the gym.

There is a pinch point at the elevator alcove door: 33 x 83.5". Why this door exists is a true mystery.

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  Entry to G level elevator alcove - 33" x 83.5"

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Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU)