Robot Design 2021-2022
For a more detailed look into our robot design and process, please check out our Engineering Portfolio and Engineering Notebook!
Main Design
Our main design consists of an arm with an attached intake system, which both pulls in objects and pushes them back out. Attached to the main arm is another arm that swings out to grab and deposit our team shipping element. We also increased the clearance of the robot chassis and made it slimmer, so our robot is able to both cross over the barrier and fit between the gap.
Swiss Army Arm
We call our arm the "Swiss Army Arm" because of its many functions. Because it is large and bulky, we came across problems with the arm, such as programming it, because it was hard to control. To fix this, we added a second motor to make it more powerful, and also programmed a maximum power for the robot so that it wouldn't swing out of control. For our intake system, we used belts because we found them the most accurate, and we also added a distance sensor in the intake that alerts us when we've successfully grabbed an object.
3-D Printing
This year we had access to a 3-D Printer, so we were able to experiment with printing robot parts. This required a lot of research as well as trial and error, but after meeting with other teams, mentors, and experimenting, we started to get the hang of it. Our team shipping element, which we designed using TinkerCad is 3-D printed. We also 3-D Printed motor guards to keep game elements from getting caught under the robot, spacers which kept the wheels in place, and a gripper to pick up our team shipping element. When looking at our robot pictures, all 3-D printed robot elements are orange.
Robot Design 2020-2021
Main Design and Features
This year our robot features a ramp and pulley system and two arms. Intake wheels on the end of our robot allow us to pull in foam rings (as can be seen in the picture). Then the ramp and pulley system shoots them at the goals. The arm is used to grab the red "wobble goals" and lift them over the edge of the barrier and place them outside the game arena, which will give us points.
Ramp Design
One of the most important aspects of our robot is the ramp. With the right angle and power, the ramp and pulley should allow us to consistently shoot the foam rings into the goals. Because this is so important, we are currently working with our school's physics teacher to ensure the ramp is at the correct angle to shoot high enough to hit the top goal. If you look in the above picture, you can see the goals are split into 3 sections. 2 red, one blue. The blue goal will give points to the other team. The red are what we're aiming for. We want to shoot into the top goal to get the most amount of points, and to do this our robot has to be incredibly accurate.