Technokats http://www.technokats.org FIRST Robotics Team 45, Kokomo High School, Kokomo, IN Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:25:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Practice with Team 3940, Cybertooth http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/731/ http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/731/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:44:58 +0000 Henry Y. http://www.technokats.org/?p=731 Continue reading →]]> Good turn-out for the team meeting.

Shooting is getting much better. Hit 2 and 3 pointers more consistently from half court across the bump. With the nature of our shooter design, we are more accurate when we are farther away. That may be a good selling point to other teams once alliance are forming and we are not an alliance captain.
practice

Have the opportunity to practice bridge balancing with Team 3940 Cybertooth. We did reasonably well and getting better as practice progress. Since we are still trying to get our bridge lowering device to function properly and traction capability of our robot, we were more fitted to be the pusher coming on the bridge. Cybertooth was good at lowering the bridge, but it has trouble with traction getting and staying comfortable on the bridge.

Our center motorized bridge lowering device needed a little adjustment. Have a lot of potential. Almost pull down the bridge the first time before chain skip. Once the chain skipped, it has trouble pushing the bridge down from that point on.

Our side bridge lowering ramp experience trouble too. Dimension check looks good. Ramp angle looks right. Was able to manually push the robot up the bridge with it. Survived one time driving up the bridge. Did not survive the second try when the robot hit the bridge at a slight frontal offset. I am already in the process of retrofitting and creating a sturdier version with pneumatic control this time. Completion target for the end of Thursday work session completion.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/pc9t_3SfWYw
http://www.youtube.com/embed/dciL6XGr8PM

]]> http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/731/feed/ 0 Boilermaker Wrap Up http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/boilermaker-wrap-up/ http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/boilermaker-wrap-up/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:22:59 +0000 Henry Y. http://www.technokats.org/?p=716 Continue reading →]]> Just when we thought we have all the issues resolved, new one arise. Despite the problems TK finished the day 2-1 and finish the qualification round with a record of 5-7. Great improvement, but not good enough to get into the elimination round.
HaynesComp
The good thing is that we learn of the reoccurring problem that plagued us for the 3 days and have applied corrective actions.
>Drive base chain came off for numerous games. It was discovered to be caused by the carrying fixture apply tension on chain when we are adjusting the drive base chain tension. When Haynes is placed on the ground for play, the chain was too loose and have a tendency to come off the gears. The cart base was modified for proper chain clearance.
>Software was commenting that the shooter is inconsistent. It was discovered the back half of the electrical panels which support the shooter are completely loose resulting in a non stable base for the shooter.
>Conveyor was not picking up balls when loaded. Changing over to the large pulleys caused slippage problem. This was not observed on the practice bot Elwood. Both the upper and lower conveyor pulleys are now keyed with a M5 bolt, so no slippage is possible.
VolAward
All known problems have been corrected and ready for Queen City Regional, and changes will done on Elwood. One issue that stands out is that we need a more robust bridge manipulator. Roy has an idea. I also have idea. I should have a working prototype by the end of Tuesday ready for drive team test on Wednesday.

By not participating in the elimination round at the Boilermaker Regional enabled us to talk with Haynes and find out its problem while allowing us time to make correction in preparation for the Queen City Regional and Championship!

The Anderson family was presented with the volunteer award for all the service the Anderson family providing and promoting FIRST.
WebAward
The Technokats 45 were awarded the website award for most improved and for their history project. Now we can concentrate on updating the website in preparation for the Queen City and the Championship website awards. Let’s aim high and shoot high!

Great work team :)

]]> http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/boilermaker-wrap-up/feed/ 0 Week 1 thoughts and observations http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/week-1-thoughts-and-observations/ http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/week-1-thoughts-and-observations/#comments Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:03:43 +0000 Peyton Y. http://www.technokats.org/?p=710 Continue reading →]]> I have noticed the following things with week 1 competitions

-Even the best teams fail to successfully dominate at all portions of the game
-Defense only seems to be played during Eliminations
-Most teams in eliminations/at competitions are wheeled shooters
-Balls roll under the bridges and robots can’t get them out very well
-Hybrid/auton points are key to winning.
-Even the best shooters are having problems adjusting (software) to the lighting at each venue 
-Penalties are huge. There everywhere. 
-Touching a robot on the key is transitive so if blue 1 is on the key and is in contact with blue 2 who isn’t on the key and red 1 is touching blue 2, it is still a penalty
-tipping is everywhere due to the fact that there are so many tall wide bots
-there has only been 1 alliance to 3 bot balance. Team 148 and it’s alliance at Alamo. In San Diego another 3 bot balance has occurred
-3 bot balance is a double edged sword. It helped 148 when they were down during elims but it also caused them to get greedy and lose in the finals. (they would have won with an only 2 bot balance)
-There are a lot of good shooters
-Field crossing is negligible
-There are a lot of upsets where the number 7 alliance beats the number 2 alliance
-Most baskets are scored from right up next to the fender. 
-Autonomous scoring must be synced or else balls get stuck in net.
-Balancing the Bridge will win most matches

Our friends 1501 (Team Thrust) made to quarterfinals but lost to 292 (Panther Tech) who made it to the semi finals but lost to the champions 234 (Cyber Blue). 
 
]]> http://www.technokats.org/2012/03/week-1-thoughts-and-observations/feed/ 0 Robot Finished! http://www.technokats.org/2012/02/robot-finished/ http://www.technokats.org/2012/02/robot-finished/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:36:37 +0000 Henry Y. http://www.technokats.org/?p=702 Continue reading →]]>

It is done.  Our competition robot “Haynes” is completely wired.  Shooter is in place.  Should be fully functional, but it is not checkout.  It is fitted with bumpers and ready to perform for us the Boilermakers Regional.  It’s like sending our kid to college…wait, we are sending it to a University for the Boilermaker Regional.

Software is coming along.  Shooting is getting better.  Drive team was able to make a few shots.  Software still have to dial in the shooter.  With the exception of the shooter, it is fully functional.

Thank you all for working so diligently these past 6+ weeks of build season.  Take a shot breather, the competition robot is technically delivered.  We are not done yet.  Now is the time to find out what need to be corrected with our practice robot “Elwood” and carry the changes to “Haynes” at the Boilermaker regional.
Finished RobotFinished Robot

]]> http://www.technokats.org/2012/02/robot-finished/feed/ 0 Our FIRST Post! http://www.technokats.org/2012/01/our-first-post/ http://www.technokats.org/2012/01/our-first-post/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:58:00 +0000 Clayton Y. http://www.technokats.org/?p=544 Continue reading →]]> Tile 45

This is our first post on the technokats website about FIRST!

second

We will accomplish all our goals to be the best we can be while achieving the game’s goal better more efficiently than anyone else in the field.

Here is one of our Tech Talks

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