TEAM 494/70 MARTIAN MANIA

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

2011-05-09T09:38:00.196-04:00

The World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri was the highlight of the Martians competition season! Unfortunately, our students did not bring home a trophy banner this year, but perhaps more importantly, gained valuable cultural experiences and enjoyed an awesome week!

The photo above is the most famous photo spot in St. Louis. Taken at night during our horse-drawn carriage tour of the downtown area, the 'Old Courthouse' (made famous for the trial of the Dred Scott case) is framed by the Jefferson Expansion Memorial (more commonly referred to as 'The Arch').

Below is a review of the Championship week with photos of team activities and local attractions:

Team 70 made a gallant effort to qualify in the quarterfinals of the Galileo Division, being selected by Alliance team captain 2337, the EngiNERDS, from Grand Blanc, MI, alongside team 548, Robotstangs from Northville, MI. Their Alliance was unfortunately defeated by a narrow margin of just ten points.

Team 70 awaits their station assignments in the queue line during the quarterfinals.

Team 494 performed well in the Newton Division, advancing to the semi-finals with their alliance partners, Team 78 - Air Strike, from Aquidneck, New York and Team 1538 - The Holy Cows from sunny San Diego, California. After a difficult battle, they were unfortunately eliminated.

One of our students from Team 494 dressed in prom attire for the semi-finals on Saturday, displaying her dedication to the team in missing the Junior Prom for this years' Championship event. Her banner stated "I am missing my Junior Prom" and her wrist was adorned with a floral coursage.

Team 494 patiently waits in the queue line for their next match of the semi-finals.

Many of our students added "bling" to their safety glasses this year to spice up the look and promote safety in both the pits and on the playing field. Who says safety can't be 'trendy'!!

Teams also promote safety in their pits with signs and posters that advocate the use of safety glasses - this keeps safe working environments constantly on the minds of students and visitors alike.

The Lego Robotics live RC Chess game was a hit with spectators as well as team members. Each of the peices was built with Lego and servo motors and moved by radio contols. A very creative approach to robotics and much fun to try out at the event!

Many vendor booths displayed their wares and gave away nifty gadgets or devices promoting their involvement in FIRST as sponsors and supporters of FIRST Robotics. Trying to fly with the Boeing Flight Simulator 6000 machine was a hit with both students and the general public, demonstrating the type of training our military and commercial pilots can utilize to improve their skills.

The Championship event provided a wide variety of cultural learnings from 29 countries around the world. The students in this photo are from a Muslim FLL Team from the Arab Emirates.

Team Australia (Thunder Down Under 3132) passed out little Koala bears wearing team numbered vests - a hot item for trade and a clever marketing tool!

The 'Pink Team' 233 from Cocoa Beach Florida gave out little pink flamingo birds to all pit visitors. They also had an awesome 3 tube hang in the autonomous mode during practice matches - an awesome robot design!

FLL Team 14500 from Central Israel celebrates a jubilant jump in the air after winning the FLL Gracious Professionalism Award.

The Championship event combined each of the four segments within the FIRST organization, consisting of not only the high school FIRST Robotics (FRC), but also the high school FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), middle school FIRST Lego League (FLL), and elementary Jr. FIRST Lego (JFLL) World Championships.

There was also an appearance by the Collegiate Aerial Challenge where college students designed, built and flew their flying robotic hovercraft, demonstrating landing zone accuracy and target acheivements.

Both the CIA and the US Air Force manned a booth at the Championship event and displayed all types of special appliances and devices with robotic applications, including a six legged spybot used by the U.S. Military and local law enforcement agencies.

The CIA actively recruits college graduates who are former active FIRST participants.

The city of St. Louis has a rich and interesting history.

Despite the rain and severe flooding on the Mississippi, many teams arrived a day or two early to visit the local attractions.

Built in 1894, Historic Union Station once served as many as 100,000 people passing through its doors to all parts of the nation every day until its peak in the mid 1940's.

The once Grand Hall where passengers waited for their trains to depart, is now the lobby of the Marriott Hotel.

The outer terminals and track areas are now a series of renovated shops and restaurants alongside waterscapes and bridges with very ornate landscaping.

Perhaps one of the most recognizable monuments in America, the St. Louis Arch yeilds the most breathtaking views of the city for FIRST team members and visitors.

An unparalleled feat of engineering, this 'Catenary Curve' structure is completely self-supporting and took nearly 3 years to construct.The Arch sways a maximum of 18" in a 150 mph wind and on the day our teams visited, a 40 mph wind meant that visitors could feel the movement of 5 inches in either direction - a slightly unsettling feeling! This photo of the Arch is taken from the base of the North Tram Entrance.

There is a free museum underground at the base of the Arch.

Tours to the top of the Arch are offered via two separate tram systems, one at each base. Eight small pods transport 5 visitors each, 630 feet up to the observation deck at the apex of the curve and provide a view on a clear day of up to 30 miles in any direction. Photo at right is the short stairwell at the top of the arch giving a short ride of 4 minutes to the top and 2.5 minute return to the ground.

View looking North - Busch Stadium and several high-rise hotels.

View looking straight down the South Tram leg - flooding of the Helicopter pad is shown on the Mississippi River 8 feet above flood stage with continued rising the week of the Championship.

This view on the observation deck shows the curve of the floor at the apex of the Arch.

From the top of the arch, a 35X zoom view of the Edward Jones Dome where the Championship Event was held. The St. Louis Rams NFL team make this stadium their home during the football season.

Again, from the observation deck of the Arch, a full view of the same facility with no zoom. The roof of the America's Center convention facility (our Pit locations) can also be seen adjacent to the dome on the right.

The state of Missouri has a rich system of over 6,000 caves, which many have been designated State Parks. A short drive outside of St. Louis is the Merimec Caverns, reputed as the hideout of train robbing brothers, Frank and Jesse James. Personal effects and strongboxes were found in the cave many years after the unsolved robberies of 1874.

We encountered several FRC teams taking the tour of the caves on the day of our visit prior to competition, but at 250 feet below the surface, our tour was slightly cut short due to the rising flood waters and dangerous entry conditions.

On Friday night of the Championship, Will I AM and the Black Eyed Peas performed a private concert for us in the Edward Jones Dome with an awesome stage set up alongside the FIRST competition fields.

Will I Am ascending the stage in his robot costume - a real hit with the FIRST Teams!

You may click on any of the photos in this blog to see an enlarged view.

FIRST teams surround the stage area during the concert and get a worm's eye view of the performers!

There are few 'lull' times during Championship week, but at those rare moments, one can find many ways to occupy that time.

From a good book in a pseudo-quiet corner of the pit, to answering scouting questions from fellow teams and greeting visitors and button-seekers, there is always something to pass the time.

Of course there is always time for the many team mascots to wander through the pits advertising their teams and handing out buttons.

Here an FRC team member from the EngiNERDS greets an FLL team from Switzerland as he wanders through the pits in his spare time. Avid FIRST button collectors eventually run out of room to display them and get creative on how to wear all of them - vests, gloves, and hats.

Our horse and carriage driver on Saturday night - sitting in front of our hotel and across from the America's Center.

A night time carriage tour of the downtown square from Market Street to Broadway gives a unique perspective to a city rich with culture and history.

For teams arriving early, many pre-Championship conferences are offered on such subjects as advances in the use of robotics in the defense industry, team website design, advanced programming for FRC robots, marketing your FIRST team, STEM discussion panels, and a seminar in Robotics in Medicine hosted by a Michigan rookie team 3537 Team VIRUS.

The STEM discussion panel featured women executives from Boeing, Monsanto, AT&T and the St. Louis Science Center to encourage girls who are FIRST team members to choose careers in science or technology.

This display is from an all girl high school team in the FIRST Tech Challenge Division.

Here, one of our Team 70 students entertains us with card games and creative shuffling.

At one of the many vendor display booths, two of our Lady Martians try out the NASA astronaut gloves. Surprisingly, these gloves that the astronauts wear in space, offer fair dextertity considering the application, but building with Lego peices proved quite the challenge!

Dialing the phone number on these shirts connects the caller directly to the team department at the Madison High School Devil Duckies Robotics Team in San Diego, California! Any team willing to wear such labels better live up to the mantra and this team certainly did.

Team 70 discusses minbot deployment and robot hang strategy with their EngiNERD alliance partners, between quarterfinal matchplay.

Another Team 70 member sports the trademark yellow antennae from a former alliance partner team 'The Killer Bees' (Team 33).

Drive Team for 494 waiting with their robot for their semi-final matches.

Members of the "Blue Cheese" drive team (Team 1086) from Glen Allen, Virginia smile for the camera before a qualification match.

Someone really loves the first 15 seconds of a match - the mode where no team member can touch any control and the robot must travel by pre-programming alone!

Using his robot end effector, a mentor from Toronto FRC Team 610 demonstrates what you feel like after 4 days of intense competition and awesome fun!

Shortly following the FIRST afterparties on Saturday night, in front of our hotel a student from Team 1503 (Niagra Falls, Ontario), began playing his bagpipes for the crowd.

A short video of the music and the crowd just before he was asked by hotel management to stop playing. The video can also be found at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEdwygsro5g

He was so good that spectators began to throw 5 dollar bills into his pipe case! (until the hotel management came out and asked him to move to the courtyard down the street due to complaints from sleeping guests!) A very nice end to a great evening!

Our Lady Martians can really cut a rug when the music heats up - the closing ceremonies were no different! Check out the video at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-IvenhU85c

What would a Championship Closing Ceremony be without a greeting from FIRST Founder and CEO, Dean Kamen.

Alongside his niece, Libby Kamen - a tireless advocate for the FIRST organization and key board member.

A celebratory confetti blast across the Dome after all the awards and entertainment concluded.

Note: To view previous blog entries, click on the " older posts" link on the bottom right of this entry or scroll to bottom of this page to select the archive month/date of your choice.

STATE CHAMPIONS!

2011-04-12T17:56:00.121-04:00

Photo by Daniel Ernst

Thanks to some great teamwork by our students on Team 70, they qualified for the Final matches along with their Blue Alliance team members, the Killer Bees (Team 33 from Pontiac, MI) and the HOT Team ('Heroes of Tomorrow' - Team 67 from Milford, MI). This alliance defeated the opposition to bring home the gold for the 2011 Michigan State Championship!

Team 494 also did an outstanding job of competing through the qualification rounds, but unfortunately were eliminated in the semifinals. We are proud of our Martian Team Members for a solid performance at the State level.

In one match, during the quarterfinals, Team 70 and Team 494 were on opposing Alliances. As can be seen from this photo, the Drive Team for 70 is positioned adjacent to the Human Player for Team 494.

Some of the Team 70 members prepare for a visit from the judges in the pit area.

A very rare moment when the 494 pit was empty - the team members were attending a mandatory driver informational meeting.

Members of the 70 Drive Team await the display of their scores following quarterfinal matchplay.

You will see some of the most unique costumes at FIRST competitions - these shoes from Team 469's "Las Guerillas" are awesome!

Team Spirit is a huge part of the FIRST Robotics Competitions and the Martians made their mark with tatoos and face paintings of Lady Martian heads and team numbers!

This is a future FIRST kid and Martian fan for sure!

Some of our talented Lady Martians created Martian Plushie Dolls to trade and give away during the competitions. A team table in the display lobby made the perfect spot for the plushie giveaway and many children were thrilled to receive this collectible after completing a breif performance of talent for us.

We made the older studetnts work for it and were pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of talents on display - what people will do for a Martian Plushie Doll is truly amazing!

During the ever-so critical alliance selections, mentors frequently compare notes as to their choices for best partnered teams. In this photo, one of our mentors consults with a mentor from a West Michigan team - also his own brother!

Robot Inspectors are critical during FRC Events to ensure the safety of the participants as well as spectators!

Martian Team 70 drivers carry their robot onto the playing field just prior to a semifinal match.

Some very tense moments were encountered during the Finals when Team 70 used a time out to repair a bad cRIO, which is a compact device that controls the input and output signals to the robot. Fortunately, we were able to swap out the bad part with one from our Team 494 robot - another outstanding display of gracious professionalism and Martian teamwork under pressure!

Fortunately for us, victory did prevail! Team 70 members enjoyed flexing their muscles for the TV cameras following their capture of the gold with the Red Alliance partners!

Scouting the other teams' potential is a critical part of the game strategy when it comes to chosing the best alliance partners in the semifinal matches. The scouts of Team 494 did an outstanding job of providing critical performance information to both teams in the final hours of the competition.

Alliance teams often plan strategy as to which robot will perform offense versus defense. In this photo, Team 494 discusses strategy with their alliance teams, The Chimeras (Team 1684) and rookie Team 3548 (The Battering Rams).

One of the members from Team 494 studies the match times and prepares the robot in the pit.

Members from Team 70 also study match sheets and perform last minute reviews of the programming before the quarterfinals.

A silent moment of meditation before a match never hurts!

As mentioned above, team spirit means alot at a FIRST event, so all members get fired up for each competition and show their spirit with many creative means!

If you are a button collector, FIRST events are the place for you! Virtually every team has a button to give away or trade for trinkets - just part of the fun at FIRST Robotics Events!

Martian Team members take time out for a delicious frozen beverage with out of this world flavor!

The drive team for 70 waits in the queue line with their robot during the semifinal matches.

Thumbs up from Team 70 after an exciting win in the final match against the Blue Alliance!

The drive teams from 494 and 70 confer in the queue line as they prepare for tne next match.

Team Mascots create alot of excitement! Our Team 494 Martian stands with the Gorilla from the Las Guerillas Team 469.

A Team 70 mentor coaches our Human Player in the strategy of launching the 'Uber' Tubes.

A much needed lunch break before returning to the 70 pit.

Extreme excitement following the final match when the Red Alliance took the gold!

Team members from 494 give a congratulatory hug to our Team 70 driver!

A Gearhead from Team 1918 (left) and "The FEDS" from Team 201.

A Dragon and a Penguin round out the mascot cheers!

FIRST Teams have creative attire that is sometimes quite entertaining!

The "Average Joe's" and the "Wo-Bots" are two such examples.

These four members of Team 2619 created their light up neckties using P-wire and a battery pack. A parent mentor painted the robot image on each tie and designed the color scheme to match their team logo and name - "The Charge".

Many teams try to color coordinate their robots with their team attire, but in this case it would seem "da Bears" from Team 247 in Berkley,MI, seem to have coordinated with Team 2604 from Capac, MI "Metal and Soul"!

Our Goodrich Martian Team Plushie Dolls end up in the most unusual places at FIRST Robotics competitions (right). In this case it was hanging from the pit of an opposing team. The pig plushie (left) is wedged between the jaws of a robot end effector while a team from Sault St. Marie, MI - Team 1596 - waited in the queue line for their next match.

Thank you to all our sibbling, parent and grandparent supporters who are much appreciated by our Martian team members - it is so nice to have a cheering section in the stands during matchplay!

We are off to the World Championship next week - held at the America's Center and Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri!

NOTE: to view previous blog entries, click on the "older posts" link at the bottom right.

GOING FOR THE GOLD

2011-03-29T13:44:00.014-04:00

We competed against 39 teams and our 494 students took first place in the Ann Arbor FIRST Robotics Competition along with our Alliance Partners, Team 66 "Flyers" and Team 2337 "EngiNERDS"! We are now off to the State Competition in two weeks. Thanks to Daniel Ernst for making his team alliance photos available for compositing the Martians with our winning banner to the right:

Unfortunately, we did not win the prestigious Chairman's Award, which went to our protoge' team from Grand Blanc, the "EngiNERDS", but the students gained valuable experience for next year's entry. Congratulations to all the students on their accomplishments! We are now off to the State Competition in two weeks.

CHAIRMANS AWARD VIDEO PEAK

2011-03-24T00:55:00.004-04:00

Both teams are gearing up for the Ann Arbor Michigan FIRST Robotics District Competition. We have prepared this video as part of our 2011 Chairman's Award submission that will be judged on Friday and Saturday this weekend. Make sure your speakers at turned up as this is recorded in stereo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biqZGt5uhM0

Enjoy...

NASA UPDATE FROM ISS AND ROBONAUT

2011-03-18T19:26:00.004-04:00

Expedition 27 Flight Engineers Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli unpack the newest member of their crew, Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space, and find a comical surprise in the NASA video below!

The audio begins at the 30 second mark...

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=72887671

KETTERING UNIVERSITY DISTRICT EVENT

2011-03-09T12:46:00.006-05:00

The Kettering District event was an exciting time for the Goodrich teams. Team 70 was superb with their unparalleled use of maneuvering skills in attempting to capture a third title as District Champion, but were eliminated in the Semi-finals by a slim margin. Team 494 made the Finals, but unfortunately was defeated by a strong veteran showing on the opposing red alliance.

Both teams demonstrated an outstanding performance and can be proud of their accomplishments. We took home two trophies, one for being a "District Finalist" and one for capturing the "Image Award" in designing a feminine twin to the Martian logo - the gals shirts for Team 494 have a lady martian sporting lipstick and eyelashes!

You can see a 2 minute video of the final match play at the following link. Team 494 is the blue robot in the lower left side of the screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTSPYLCB2vY&feature=player_embedded

Enjoy...

PRACTICE DAY

2011-03-04T03:46:00.027-05:00

Just a few hours ago, we put the finishing touches on the Kettering event, including assembly of spectator stands, projection screens and blue skirting around the field.

The floor was marked with colored tape and the field was powered up so robot teams could have a short practice session.

We were only able to get about 10 minutes of practice time on the field tonight, so we expect to learn alot during the first match this morning - not an optimal condition, but workable. Very few teams were able to get on the field for any practice time, so we were fortunate and wisely used the time to do some trial runs on hanging the Ubertubes on the pegs after retreiving them from the field.

Since the pits opened at 6PM, the first order of business, of course, was to unload our robots and equipment for both our teams and install the batteries and miscellaneous hardware.

Another responsibility for some students is to become 'scouts' for the team. This entails walking around to other pits and speaking with teams about their robot and asking specific questions that might help our team make decisions about who to pair up with if we should make it to the final rounds on Saturday afternoon.

This is a key role in strategy for the game and a very imporatant task for the team to execute with Gracious Professionalism - the mantra of every FIRST team member!

Of course, on the occasional down time, in the appropriate setting we do allow for some rest and relaxation to make sure each student is enjoying the experience and making new friends!

But only the students know what the meaning of placing one's finger upon one's nose is meant to signify! Perhaps it is a secret martian team code?? :-)

As we began to see the teams slowly filter into the area and set up their own pits, we are seeing some interesting designs. It is amazing to see the creativity and diversity of robot designs, anywhere from scissors mechanisms to pneumatic actuators. This weekend we will definitely see how they fare against each other and if there is a design that becomes dominant.

KETTERING EVENT - FIELD CONSTRUCTION

2011-03-02T23:59:00.021-05:00

Today and most of this evening was spent at Kettering University constructing and assembling the playing field and practice areas in preparation for the first competition this weekend.

Both our teams sponsor the Kettering event, so we are responsible for many administrative duties as well as orchestrating and overseeing the field construction.

The first order of business was laying the floor tiles that will support the running robots on the field. The above photos show the beginning and the ending of todays construction of the playing field.

In the video below, you can see that some of the team members were put to work on pumping up the six hundred inner tubes for the competition! Now THAT was work!

Others also helped out with the floor wiring and carpet taping.

We did take a welcome break for dinner - pizza and sodas with an assortment of Pepperidge Farms crackers!

Following dinner, the final touches were added to the field, such as the lighted poles that the minibots will climb for additional scoring points.

And, of course, more ubertubes!!

Mini Bot Build

2011-02-28T22:25:00.011-05:00

After a brief break from the hectic build season, the team is back in the build room once again. This weekend we concentrated our efforts on the minibot design and fabrication.

The first bot is nearly complete. Testing in the deployment and climb phase has been successful, but more work continues as we finesse' its retraction and descent features. The FRC rules state teams can unbag and work on the master robots for a total of six hours before the first competition this weekend. We have a tight timeline to accomplish much with these minibots. They are definitely a diamond in the rough, yet a masterpeice in the making!

R2 ROBONAUT NASA LAUNCH

2011-02-25T14:19:00.002-05:00

This week marked the final NASA launch to the International Space Station with the space shuttle Discovery (OV-103). Our team was invited to General Motors to see the R2 Robonaut in action just prior to launch training. The video of this historic launch and mission details are posted below.

http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/default.asp

R2 will remain aboard the ISS indefinitely and if all goes well, it will eventually be used to perform mundane maintenance and service tasks. Upgraded versions of R2 could eventually perform space walks.

GM engineers are also studying how the technology embedded within R2 can be put to use within manufacturing facilities to help create a safer working environment. The dexterity and endurance of R2 can be used alongside people to help reduce repetitive stress injuries and the R2 sensing capabilities can be used in collision avoidance systems.

Before R2 begins regular duties alongside the astronauts, he will go through a period of testing and further development aboard the space station. The twin to the robot on the ISS remains at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where engineers are refining its sensing and control systems - you can see him waving goodbye to the shuttle in the video above! This is the robot we viewed at General Motors.

Based on the data measured on the orbiting station, the engineers on the ground will provide updated software and hardware. R2 is a great technology and we are proud to have witnessed it in person!

Bag-n-Tag Day

2011-02-23T02:16:00.000-05:00

The build season is officially over! We made our deadline to bag and tag both of our robots by midnight tonight and the bags were sealed with just 3 minutes to spare!

The bagging process was rather anticlimactic and the bags were non-descript, sealed with a zip tie and a witness tag!

The minibot deployment shroud was assembled and adorned with our famous martian stickers as well as the names of our generous sponsors.

Tonight was such a rush that there were multiple jobs for anyone who wanted to help us out.

Parents helped out with sewing and stuffing mini-Martian plush toys to give out at the competitions and trade for unique t-shirts and sundries. Both single as well as double-head martian plushies are being made to represent each team ("Martians" team 494 and "More Martians" team 70).

Lexan trim panels with the martian logos were drilled to size and fastened to the aluminum framing for both robots.

Final foam bumper pads were attached to both the robot chassis as well.

Students also had a chance to drive the robots to get practice time with their coordination and control skills.

Some of the team members were also busy with practice on a color guard routine to cheer on their robots during competition.

Others designed Martian award certificates to be given out to deserving 'rookie' teams with various accomplishments.

It has been a very successful build season and we are very excited about the competition season ahead.

GO MARTIANS!!!

Keyways and Cam Wars

2011-02-21T01:54:00.001-05:00

It is 11:00 PM on a Sunday night with a snowstorm blowing outside and work continues on the robots. Just like the U.S. mail, neither sleet, nor rain, nor ice, nor snow can keep the robots from progressing! Although we do get a bit giddy with sleep deprivation...the Martian Robots continue to evolve!

During our test of robot #2, it began making odd noises and responding sluggishly. The above video footage above, (however comical) was due to the loss of a tiny metal 'key' that fits into its slot in the robot drivetrain. Per the instructions of our fearless Lead Mentor, we searched feverishly for that all too critical 'lost' part that supposedly came off during the test run - only to find it back in the build room on the workbench where it had been all along! :-)

Tonight we finished the deployment mechanism tweaks on for the minbot platform. Looks like we'll need a couple of adjustments, but all is well thus far.

Wiring the new limit switch on the elevator was an important item in todays robot agenda. Also, the fabrication of protective lexan panels for both protection of the robot components as well as safety in handling its components.

Even the tiniest of gearbox mechanisms can be utilized in the fabrication of our robots.

Note: to view previous blog entries,click on "older posts" on the bottom right.

DRAWER SLIDES and MOTOR BURN

2011-02-20T01:46:00.000-05:00

Today began the final weekend of the build season. We worked all day and well into the night finishing the vertical struts for the support of the turret armature and lift mechanism on both robots.

The minibot deployment mechanism was fabricated and installed utilizing a pair of standard drawer slides, which are a marvelous use for this application. Many areas of this structure were also fortified with bracing to support the lateral movement during deployment.

High Fives are ALWAYS a good sign!

Many tweaks to the software programming are still to be accomplished to ensure a smooth operation at every step during a match.

Also, many short tests of subroutines of the 'pot' (potentiometer) are also needed to ensure a seemless instruction set.

We also had a visit from one of our Middle School FIRST Lego League Team members today and explained the workings of our robot design and its complexities.

We also had a chance to test the pick and place operation of the first robot this evening in both low and high peg placement.

At the conclusion of tonight’s build session (around midnight), we did a 2 minute run of the drivetrain to test its durability and troubleshoot any potential problems. The robot performed well and had no issues during the two minute match test run.

Unfortunately during this test run, due to the lack of a limit switch, we may have accidentally burned out a Fisher motor which controls the elevation of the lift mechanism. We do not have a spare motor of this type, so we are looking for alternatives before the first competition!

We all agreed, that despite the motor issue, it was very fulfilling to see our hard work come to fruition in the form of a fully functional robot that can last through the 2 minute match and successfully compete on the field and meet the imperatives of the game!

FIRST TURRET and LIFT INSTALL

2011-02-13T23:55:00.000-05:00

This week begins week six of the build season and then the final weekend, so the pressure is on to finish both robots by Feb 22nd - our "bag and tag" day for all teams in Michigan.

Finishing touches were added to the wiring and power distribution board. The red lights signal all is well with each circuit.

Tonight we completed the first lift arm and turret assembly and installed it onto the chassis of robot #1. As you can see from this video, the robot is finally taking shape.

We mounted cameras for the vision system and made a tryout on the carpet with a tape line. The robot followed the line effectively, so we were pleased.

The highlight of the weekend was the successful tryout of the first pick and place function of the turret, lift arm and end effector assembly.

SuperBUILD Sunday

2011-02-06T19:34:00.001-05:00

Today we tested the Drivetrain on Robot #1 for friction, torque and speed. As the video shows below, human assistants played a key role. Even a football game did not deter the team from working on the robots!

Many tweaks are made along the way, as we seek to optimize the design for peak performance before competition. A strange noise was detected emanating from the drive system and rectified in this early tryout.

Motor shafts for robot #2 were again, cut to length to fit into the 'tri-power' assembly. The Lift Mechanism assemblies were also completed.

The bumpers from last year's robots were disassembled as well as the staples removed from the covers.

Work also continues on the programming and game strategy as we get our first glimpse of how the robot can maneuver.

AZIMUTH CONTROL AND WIRING

2011-02-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight completes our fourth week of the build season. We've accomplished much in a very short time. Despite two snow days off school due to a blizzard, Robotics team members continued to meet in the build room to work on the robot construction and programming.

Fabrication of the lift mechanism assembly has begun and will be mounted to a turret, which allows pivoting (azimuth control) and elevation for retrieval and placement of the game peices.

Wiring is now complete and installed into the finished chassis and drivetrain of Robot #1.

Leonardo da Vinci would have been proud of this artful masterpiece!!

A separate team of students turned several key components on the metal lathe tonight.

The material is a DELRIN plastic and the parts were made for end caps on the roller drums of the end effector.

Another team of students prepared spacers for installation in the Mini-bot.

Of course this involves more drilling and tapping of holes!

What would a build room be without dust bunnies everywhere? It's an occupational hazzard! ;-)

Power Distribution and Wiring

2011-01-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

We are now into our 23rd day of the build season and with one robot drivetrain completed, today's efforts concentrated on several other areas.

The frame for robot #2 continued with drilling axle spacers and bracing.

Work on the wire routing and crimping continued on robot #2 between the power distribution

board and the controllers.

Construction of the fabric covers for the foam bumpers began today with many yards of fabric cut to size by two of our talented parent mentors.

Two red and two blue bumper covers must be sewn for each of the four sides of the robot frame (one set for each team).

FIRST PROTO END EFFECTOR

2011-01-29T23:32:00.000-05:00

After a very long day, we had some exciting progress...

Robot frame #1 was completely reinforced with cross-braces and mounting brackets for the drivetrain.

Per the exploded part drawings that were generated from our CAD team, the gearbox assembly and drivetrain components were also assembled and installed into frame #1. We are calling this years design, the "tri-power", as 3 motors on each side of the chassis power the drivetrain system.

As expected, more drilling and tapping was needed for some drivetrain attachments as well. Many design tweaks are made 'on the fly'!

Our first end effector prototype was ready for a test at 10 PM and the excitement was high!

Step one was to mount our roller mockup to last years robot chassis and test the mechanisms that will rotate toward each other to pick up the game peices, and away to release them. The candy cane striped material on the rollers is a urethane belt which is quite tacky and yeilds itself well to this capture application.

Step two was to try out the pick up and release functions with the game peices (inflated circle, square and triangles in the shape of the FIRST Robotics Logo).

One of our Lead Mentors is trying on the game peice for size in this photo!

After careful tryout
and discussion, it
was decided that
the rollers should be adjusted inboard to prevent
entrapment and
enhance the release of
the game peice.

Step three was to mount the roller mockup lower on the chassis to simulate its designed playing position in which it will pick up game pieces from the floor.

Finally, at 10:19 PM, a successful capture and release of the gamepeice! A simple solution to an interesting challenge and a beautiful end to a very long day!

SPARKS and SWITCH BRACKETS

2011-01-28T22:42:00.000-05:00

The sparks were flying tonight. We trimmed motor shafts to fit our robot drive system and it was quite the show!

If for some reason you are unable to view the video clip, the photo on the upper right gives a sample view of the show!

We had a very slim crowd of 2 students and 5 mentors tonight, so we concentrated on switch bracket fabrication and used the bandsaw, drillpress and pressbrake equipment to create the parts. The drawings were created from our design data in the Autodesk Inventor CAD software.

Last evening, there were more students and they learned how to drill and tap screw threads into aluminum blocks to provide attachment features on various parts of the robot. It was a challenge tapping the threads by hand, but the students learned alot from the experience.

And then of course, there's just plain fun!!!

Water Jet Parts

2011-01-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Tonight we received all the parts that were sent out to be cut with waterjet technology. Most of the gears and bracketry were designed in the blank for 4x6 ft aluminum sheet stock and cut straight from the CAD data. The parts were separated out of the pattern and then carefully sanded on the edges.

The students then drilled the 1/4 inch holes to a slightly larger diameter (17/64ths). They did a great job considering how many holes required drilling! The waterjet holes just gave them a good start! :-)

Filing and sanding the teeth on small gears is a tedious job so there was plenty of work for everyone and the students had fun!

We had the pleasure of a visit with a photojournalist from the Flint Journal tonight and the programming team had a chance to demonstrate some navigation techniques with last year's robot chassis.

One of our Lady Martian drivers demonstrated the controls to the photojournalist and explained how they affect the motion of the robot.

There is always work to be accomplished and we so much appreciate the assistance of our parent mentors in help with the many technical as well as administrative tasks of the team. There is a job for everyone and we could not do this without your valued contributions!

Thank you, Mentor Parents!

Ribbet, Ribbet, RIVETS...

2011-01-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

Constructing the bottom of the robot frame was the focus of one of several build teams tonight.

Rivets holes were measured, drilled and popped into place with a pneumatic rivet tool.

A center punch is usually used to make an indentation in the metal, but a scratch awl works just as well to make the divots that enable accurate drilling of attachment holes in the frame! :-)

A second build team continued to work on the electrical and controls layout in a plywood mockup. This simulates the packaging space in the aluminum frame and allows simultaneous fabrication and construction under the direction of talented electrical mentors.

The multiple aluminum supports for the turret that will be mounted to the frame were also cut on a bandsaw and drilled with one of several drill presses in the build room.

Many of these supports have angled sides that were a bit difficult to cut.

Several of our team members also helped out making the Martian Team Buttons that are customarily given away at competitions as souveniers and traded with other teams for trinkets and collectibles.

Finally, and perhaps of top importance, students began to practice navigation techniques for driving the robot, using the XBox Kinect system. We intend to ultimately attach it to the robot vision system so navigating will simulate human anatomical movements of the driver.

It may be prohibited this year in competition, but it will evolve and we want to be ready!

LOGO MOTION

2011-01-24T07:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was another long day with finishing up the first chassis frame and assembling the aluminum peices. Some of the students also began constructing the templates for mounting the controllers on a lexan plate. We also learned how to use a press brake.

For those of you who do not know the object of this year's challenge, I have posted this link to an overview video simulation of the robot game. It is called "LogoMotion" as you can see from the picture on the right. We have our work cut out for us, but so much fun ahead!!

Enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTJOXTIaa9g&feature=player_detailpage

Chassis Holes and Bumpers

2011-01-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

Awesome days flow into amazing nights in the Robotics room! We had nearly a full crew for most of the day and well into the evening, accomplishing many critical tasks.

Cutting the aluminum bracketry for the chassis is always a painstaking job - especially with a bandsaw, but team members pitched in and finished the task with only some slight mis-cuts or sizing errors.

Sanding the same thin aluminum stock to finished dimensions for the bracketry is tedious, but many hands make light work.

Earlier in the afternoon, a test mockup of the electrical, drivetrain and battery were placed into a sample chassis frame to get a visual idea of how things are fitting together, helping to layout the electrical components for the robot controls.

Maintaining the build room equipment and machinery is crutial to productivity. If a piece of equipment is not well maintained, it can mean hours of delays, when a simple 'tune-up' or a few minutes of maintenance can keep a tool performing well when it is needed most!

'Holes, holes, holes and of course, more holes' was the key phrase tonight. We performed what seemed to be endless drilling of holes in all shapes and sizes - most were for the attachment of axles, motors, and bumpers. Everyone got a turn using one of the three drill presses we have in the build room. We were able to finish up the attachment holes in the chassis frame and brackets.

Finally, last but not least, building the wooden bumper supports that will attach the foam 'Noodle' shock absorbers to the robot frame provided an excellent oportunity to learn about various wood fasteners and the bumper applications in the rules for competition.

Power Tools and Safety

2011-01-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Using drawings generated from the CAD room team, the wheel axle sleeves were cut to rough length on the chop saw. It was the first experience with cutting tools for some students and we learned a lot about the safety and the proper clamping of the stock before the cut.

We also learned how to use analog calipers to measure accuracy to .001" (thousandths of an inch).

Some of the build room team cut the narrow spacers for the wheel axles from aluminum tubing. A band saw was used to cut the tube stock to rough lengths...

A scribe mark was accurately etched in the tubing and the tubes then carefully sanded down to the mark using a belt sander with a medium grit paper.

Safety FIRST is our motto in the Robotics Build Room...

An excellent safety teaching moment presented itself tonight with regard to pony tails and loose fitting sleeves.

With all the cutting and sanding, proper use of the analog calipers was essential and provided a good learning opportunity for the neophytes!

Continued work on threaded axle rods

made use of the metal lathe as well.

Patient mentors really make a difference when working with unfamiliar machinery!

Martianware

2011-01-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

Our Martianware set up began today. Using the Alienware laptop, we tried out the camera vision system that will be installed on the robot and programmed for the game. It’s always more fun when you have the right hardware!

The build room was also abuzz with measuring, cutting and drilling the aluminum axle design from our CAD Team drawings.

A good robotics team requires LOTS of battery power and we certainly have it!

Towel Folding Robot

2011-01-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

I found this very clever robotic device....gotta get one for home! Enjoy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lBHNbiooxQ

Mini Bots and Wiring

2011-01-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

Wiring was the key word tonight! We learned how to strip copper wire and crimp it into terminals and then insert them into plastic connectors for our lift motors. We completed five connectors, then ran out of terminals and will have to order more this week. Wiring is always fun when you have the right tool for the job!

We also concentrated on several prototypes of the mini bot drive system and tested them on the game pole. Four revisions were accomplished tonight - each with a different slant.

The kids had some great ideas and the trial and error method was an excellent teaching oportunity to learn about mechanical and gravitational forces.

Bottom line - we have a drive system for the Mini Robot and now, we will optimize the alignment for speed and precision!

MLK Holiday

2011-01-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

Creativity - a mental process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the existing ideas or concepts, fueled by the process of either conscious or unconscious insight.

The creative juices were flying tonight! We began to look at the peices of the FIRST Tech Challenge Kit of Parts (commonly known as Tetrix) and study how fast the motors for the mini bot will climb a pole. This will be an interesting twist to this year's challenge and a potential point grabber if we can design the bot with a bit of prowess and clever execution.

Meanwhile, the build team assembled the first parts of the chassis by using a slick fixture designed for quick assembly of the aluminum sheet stock and wheel carriage attachments. This is a great timesaver in the early part of the build.

A second team of students also began planning a strategy for the feed slot and throwing game peices to see how they would travel in the air and if an overhand feed could be accomplished to enable less robot travel to and from the feed slot. We discovered it was alot harder to throw the inflatable tubes than it first appeared! We think we have a good plan for launching the game peices, but as the saying goes, "practice makes perfect'!.

Sunday progress

2011-01-17T00:37:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a quiet day with many housekeeping tasks accomplished. We finished disassembly of the 2010 robot chassis and began the platform construction for the 2011 chassis.

CAD file structure was updated by importing all Inventor 2010 files into the 2011 Robot folder and saving them as Inventor 2011 files. The new Andy Mark Cimple Box was downloaded from the website, IGES step files converted into Inventor files and then stored in the appropriate 2011 Robot folder.

A possible CAD design for an end effector mechanism was also discussed so a mockup can be constructed as soon as possible.

The sheet metal materials list was compiled and ordered for delivery tomorrow. New bulbs were placed in the overhead stage lighting, which gives much needed illumination in the build room.

With the MLK school holiday , we hope to see most of you at Monday night's meeting from 7-9 PM!

Crab drive wheels

2011-01-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

We had a small crew of 7 today, but managed to completely salvage the crab drive wheels from the 2010 robot and prepare them for modifications to the new tires and drive chain. After a few accidental pokes that corrupted an assembly file and provided an excellent teaching opportunity, we also made substantial progress on the CAD model for the new wheel assembly and sprocket design. The evening was topped off by an excellent dinner prepared by a parent chef.
We may be science nerds, but we sure eat well! :-)

CAD Design and Salvage

2011-01-15T01:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight we broke up into teams of students and mentors and began disassembly of the 2010 robot to salvage parts for this year's challenge.

We discussed potential designs for the minibot while inspecting the kit of parts.

We also began the CAD modeling phase of the robot design.

Brainstorming Session

2011-01-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight was a challenging night with many discussions surrounding various drivetrain configurations as well as the potential lift/retreival systems. Many of the student team members had
great ideas.

No idea, no matter how outrageous, is discounted in a brainstorming session. I love these particular nights, as the creative juices are flowing from such great young minds and talented mentors!

We completed the Pugh Chart and determined the best and worst designs thru weighted analysis of each feature of the designs including reliability, maneuverability, power, speed, torque, buildability, duability, cost, weight, and many others. It was a very productive night, indeed!

KICK OFF and Human Player Simulation

2011-01-11T14:24:00.001-05:00

Kick-off has begun and we are well on our way to creating a sample playing field. Part Kits were uncrated and inventoried on Saturday. Yesterday we built most of the sample playing field. See you all tonight for the human player simulation and strategy session!

Perhaps a round peg really 'can' fit into a square hole??

We definitely know

how to have fun with

the game!

FIRST Blog

2011-01-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

2011 GOODRICH MARTIAN ROBOTICS TEAMS
with the NASA Robonaut at General Motors

This is a site set up for all Martian Robotics Team members and friends who wish to keep up with the 2011 happenings of Teams 494/70 activities and events. We will keep this blog updated as the year progresses and hope to have photos of the kick off to share soon.
Go Martians!