Transcript No Slide Title

Innovative Prototyping and Robot Design
Team 40
Speaker
 Dan Larochelle
CTO - intelitek
FRC and VRC team #40 - Trinity HS
15 years FRC experience
Overview
 Prototyping Platforms
 Mini FRC video
 Prototyping tips
 Bench testing motors and electronics
 Purchasing sources
 Team 40 Frame design
Prototyping Platforms
 Vex
 IFI – Vex Robotic Competition (VRC)
 Savage Soccer
 easyC and REC robotic training tools
 Lego NXT
 FLL
 FTC – Tetrix
 Cardboard and 2x4s
 Popsicle sticks
Team 40 Pre-season Training
 REC
 ACS I and II – Trinity HS
 REC Vex robotic curriculum to teach robotic
fundamentals and concepts
 Robot Competitions
 Savage Soccer
 Vex Robotic Competition
 Practice Iteration
 Build confidence
 Learn how to iterate design ideas
What is Mini FRC?
 2007
 2008
Mini FRC
Goals
 Enhance current brainstorming techniques with the
Vex platform.
 Rapid prototype 6 mini robots for to prove out the
validity of our ideas from our initial brainstorming
session in week 1.
 Limit the build to 2-3 days.
 Compete the various designs against each other
and see what happens.
2006 Aim High Mini FRC Video
 This video can be downloaded from the intelitek
website at
www.intelitekdownloads.com/MiniFRC
What did we learn about the game?
 Winning autonomous was a big advantage, it put the
losing team in catch up mode.
 Good shooting robots are hard to beat.
 Shooters missed a lot more than they got in.
 Ramp points weighed heavy in low scoring matches.
 The field was littered with balls after the first few
periods, picking up balls from the floor was key.
 A good defensive robot can nullify a good offensive
robot, especially while a shooter is shooting!
 Mobility was important, the field was crowded and
there were lots of places the robot could be pinned
How did it affect our team?
 First project in 15 years that involved every single
member of an FRC team.
 Leveled the playing field enabling younger
students to learn and share their ideas with their
more experienced teammates.
 Higher level of thinking about the game. Game
strategies could be played out in real time.
 Students were challenged to show their ideas
 It made believers out of the skeptics that felt that
MiniFRC project was a waste of time.
 Team bonded together and had a lot of fun.
How did it affect our FRC robot?
 Focused our design on being
effective in autonomous
 A rapid fire shooter
 Mobility traded off for
strength – Mechanum
wheels
 Use the camera to aim shooter
to avoid wasting balls
 Dual conveyors to harvest balls
from both sides
 Educated decisions were made
early in the design process.
Reduced guessing!
What did the students learn?
 Working in smaller groups allowed more ideas to be
developed and tested.
 Students not intimidated by the hardware, permitting
greater experimentation and innovation.
 The competitive element of the competition drove
them to keep making their robots better.
 The engineering design process was dramatically
reinforced through competition, especially the
concept of design iterations
 Making minirobots is FUN!
What did the mentors learn?
 Mentors became facilitators, empowering the students.
 The students had to understand the Rules of the
game. This led to a better informed team.
 Leveled the playing field between the boys and the
girls.
 Robustness of the Vex platform allowed for a direct
correlation of concepts and ideas to our FRC robot.
 Team spent time testing ideas and strategies in week
1 and 2 rather than week 6 when it is typically too late!
 Increased comfort level with trying out new ideas.
 Training prior to kickoff with Vex, easyC and REC
made the project run smoothly.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely!
 Increased comfort level with final design
 Great team building exercise.
 Increased student knowledge and awareness
 Surprise! – Regional competition confirmed most
of our Mini FRC findings
Would we do it again?
Yes! - We have
done this process the
past 3 years.
 Set firm dates for
mini completion –
know when to end
the mini robots and
start the big one.
 Integrate more
sensors and
programming into the
mini designs
Prototyping Tips
 Assemble the Kit Bot
 Keep prototypes simple
 Use materials you have on
hand to test your ideas
 Plywood and Cardboard
work great!
 Do not try to reinvent the
wheel, literally!
 Use premade gearboxes
and wheels to meet the
needs of your design
(www.AndyMark.biz)
 80/20 Aluminum
extrusion
Testing your Motors and Electronics
 It is very important to
test all of your control
system components and
motors early.
 This can be done in
parallel with the main
robot design.
 Allow electrical people
and programmers
access to the hardware
early instead of 5
minutes before it has to
ship out the door!
Purchasing Sources
 Grainger
 www.grainger.com
 MSC
 www.mscdirect.com
 McMaster Carr
 www.mcmaster.com
 IFI
 www.ifirobotics.com
 AndyMark
 www.AndyMark.biz
 Home Depot/Lowes
Team 40 Frame Design
 1”x1” 1/8” square tubing
 1”x1” angle brackets
used for mounting frame
members together
 10-32 hole pattern easy
to drill and tap into
frame members
 ½” holes can be drilled
into frame members to
reduce weight after
design is finalized
Team 40 Frame Design
 The angle brackets
allow us to quickly
assemble and test the
frame
 This bracket system
allows for quick
modifications to the
frame.
 The brackets also make
perfect fixtures for
welding.
Thank You!
Good Luck
this year!