Week One: Kick-Off and Plans

     Alright, by now we all know that the 2018 game is something entirely new, and at times, seems confusing, but so long as we understand the manual, it shouldn't be much of an issue. Anyways, for the past week since the reveal, there has been planning upon planning for a good amount of time, ideas are circulating, being tested, and being crossed off the list. With so many possibilities for this game, who knows what direction the team is headed. All we can do is to see where the wind takes us, and we might not end up where initially planned, either way, the team is looking forward to our new robot and competing in the years competitions.

Programming team:
​After the first full week of build season, the programming team has made great progress in the following areas:

• Code for this year's Mecanum Drive has been written using LabVIEW and was successfully tested on the practice field using our 2015 robot
• Code for Mecanum Drive has also been written in Java
• Some programmers are working on getting BXD Synthesis ( a simulator for FRC ) to work so that drivers can practice and autonomous code can be written quickly
• They have tested the new Victor SPX motor controllers and figured out how to switch from CAN to PWM connections
• They have installed LabVIEW libraries for the navX sensor ( it has a gyro, accelerometer, and magnetometer ) and will continue testing it to see how we can incorporate it into the final robot
• Ultrasonic sensors were ordered and code for them will be written soon
• Multiple RoboRIO's have been imaged and are working with 2018 LabVIEW

There will be much to do once the practice robot chassis is complete and anyone willing to help is welcome. Make sure you have LabVIEW 2018 installed on your computer and ask to join the Programming channel in the team's Slack chat.

Build team:
After expanding out several ideas for an intake, switch/exchange scoring, and endgame which were brainstormed during kickoff, the team quickly began constructing prototypes. For the intake, we have agreed on building 2015-esque intake arms that are able to fold in and out using pneumatics in order to comply with frame perimeter requirements. For the switch scoring mechanism, we opted for a quick and space-efficient pneumatic popper. For an endgame climbing mechanism, we plan on testing an arm which delivers a carabiner hook attached to a 2016-style winch. Beyond prototyping, we finished milling the frame for the prototype bot which will be assembled immediately. The programming team has successfully worked on mobilizing and retrofitting our 2015 robot with mecanum wheels in order to provide our drivers with sufficient practice. Additionally, a subset of students have been working on setting up BXD Synthesis for our drivers and programmers to have an accurate simulation of the playing field, robots, and the game itself. On week 2, we will wrap up prototyping, finish assembling the prototype drivetrain, and begin work on our final robot design.



Completed Activities
Mecanum wheels installed on 2015 robot
Mecanum drive programmed on 2015 robot
Initial driver practice with mecanum drive
Installed LabView 2018
Field element construction
Initial prototyping
Prototype drivetrain pieces milled
Bumpers assembled


Next Week
Continue driver practice
Assemble prototype drivetrain
Assemble electrical system for prototype drivetrain
Program prototype drivetrain
Complete majority of prototyping
Cut and sew numbers into bumper fabric
Attach bumper fabric


Purchased
Ultrasonic sensors
LED driver
LED strips
Pneumatic cylinders
Pneumatic cylinder mounts
Solenoids
Intake compliant wheels
Bumper material