Finishing up

Today we got lots of tasks done. First we finished our launcher, then Nick started coding our launcher.  We also attached our conveyor and elevator to one another and they tested moving the elevator up and down.  Soon we will start attaching the launcher to the robot.

Checkpoint 1 - Solidworks

The Juggernaut:

No Days Off

Even though we had a day off yesterday we are back at it by attaching the elevator onto the rack and pinion. The elevator is the second to last piece that is left to attach to the robot, the last item is the shooter. Once we attach the elevator we can have a place to hold the balls and compete in the challenge of picking up four wiffle balls onto the robot. Hopefully by next week we have the elevator tested in the field and in mock scenarios.  

School and Solidworks

Today part of the engineering room was transformed into a film set. Several students (including our own Nick, Drew, and Moshe) participated in filming a video that the school plans to submit to an organization created by Steve Jobs to reform American public education.  After ranting about public school curriculums and making answering satirical questions our group focused on the Solidworks robot. Will and Jaret are working on the conveyor and shooter while Nick continues to push through the main robot.

This is a picture of a file of vex parts that comes with solidworks.

Heads Up

Today we tested out the quality and type of backboard we want for the competition and of course we have to test it with style. Henry putting his fingers and face on the line for some experiments with wiffle balls beamed at him. But the real purpose was to see where the ball would hit the backboard and come out.  

Been Steph Curry with the shot

Today we tested the shooter and the speed that balls leave the robot. With Jaret finally having the gears actually spinning all we are doing is make them spin faster so that the range can be larger. Also debates over whether we should attach a motor to the shooter to change the angle of it or just mount it in the angle we prefer and adjust the robot positioning to the angle. If you have any suggestions please leave a comment and we will take into consideration every idea, but also put into the fact that we only have a 12 motor limit. 

Going Up

Progress on the rack and pinion is in full force with trying to elevate the balls that are collected through the spinning collectors that direct the balls onto a platform that is attached to the rack and pinion.  Also just perfect calculations and the shooter fits in perfectly under the 18 inches height requirement. All that's left is to attached the platform to the rack and pinion and to attach the motors to the shooter and attach the shooter to the robot.