Aug 23:Full Robot Testing - YES!

Well, after completing wiring and a small programming adjustment we tested a complete, full 1414A robot today and with just a little optimization work on the roller mouth spacing and tensioning it looks like we've got viable solution on our hands.

There will still be some more mechanical tweaking work to do with our polycarbonate, mounting the backup battery, then sensor mounting and autonomous work, but our early results are VERY encouraging.

1414B and C are also moving right along with their build outs and we're well on our way to being ready for fall meetings and competition season. Bring it on!

Aug 17 Meeting: 1414A is complete!

We completed assembly of 1414A today and, after wiring completion, we'll be ready for full scale field testing and optimization work next week.  Teams B and C continue their "build out" work and all is going well.

Look for pictures and video after our two meetings next week.

Aug 16: Optimizing A, beginning B&C

Today's work was all about optimizing our "final" design on the 1414A Chassis, which now includes not only cutting down excess metal, optimizing roller accumulator and lift, but now also incorporating our "left over" motor in our H Drive confiduration.  We had some ups and downs along the way, and we put in a little overtime, but we made good progress today and you all should be seeing "complete" robot video soon!

While our 1414A crew was busy with this, our B and C teams began cutting metal for their accumulators and lifts.  Again, slow today, but we made progress and should be picking up speed with our work from here forward now that our model (1414 A) is all but complete.

Aug 3: Exhaustion Testing

Our August 3 meeting included a full discussion on decisions for the accumulator and lift, lots of drive practice,and the biggest milestone was that we finished all accumulator and lift systems on 1414A well enough to run full exhaustion testing successfully.  See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5nb-yjJtpc&feature=youtu.be

Conclusions:
1. Two motor lift with latex tubing assist is plenty - no need for another motor (which we can now use for the H Drive if we so choose)
2. Proper tensioning of flexible mouth opening for accumulator along with optimizing roller 
position are keys for smooth accumulation of sacks.

3. For the second year in a row: Spring/latex tubing assist lifts rocks!

With this, we were able to order parts for complete design work on all of our robots.  Woot!

Aug 1: Inspiration Stop #2 R.U.COOL

Today was our second trip of the summer, this time to the Rutger's University Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (or "R.U.COOL") with the UP Robotics FLL students and families along as well to see first hand the most advanced ocean observatory in the world AND arguably the world's most foremost underwater robotics program. 

Our host for the day was Tina Haskins, a young lady who spent her high school days loving AP Biology class and being on the school's robotics team.  Now in her mid twenties, she's a biological oceanographer and a robotic glider technician who just happens to be part of the first team EVER to "fly" an underwater robotic glider across the atlantic ocean - sampling the ocean along the way.  That robot, "The Scarlet Knight" or "RU27" is now in the Smithsonian.

During our visit our students got to see the glider lab, the ocean observatory, the ballasting tank, met a bunch of awesome people, and got to learn nomenclature of the robotic gliders while assembling them.

In short, an INSPIRING day thanks to R.U. COOL!

More photos from the trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uprobotics/sets/72157630860615500/
Video of student glider assembly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evjTKmbaWAs

July 31: Getting so Close!

Today we completed our first iteration of the 4-bar linkage lift system - with a third motor and no surgical tube assist yet.  We were able to integrate the roller and tested the accumulator with minimally positive results.  Conclusions: Roller position, flexible mouth opening tubing, and amount of non-slip pad on roller all need optimization.  Video of some of the testing:

July 20: Roadblocks

It was bound to happen.  A meeting where most things went wrong.  We made little progress today on manipulation systems, spending the bulk of the meeting trying to debug a control system issue with 1414C's robot.  In the end, we learnedthat the joystick is not working.  Resetting, reinstalling firmware doesn't help and some of these processes don't currently complete properly.  After exhaustive forum searching and attempts, our preliminary conclusion is the we may have damaged the joystick from dropping it and there's a good chance it needs to be replaced.  Ughhhh ... yet all experiences, both good and bad, are something we can learn from, and we will use this as a way to refocus all of our team members on how to best handle equipment and we'll move forward all the wiser for it.