Here at the beginning of a new Robotics season we known that there is some serious work ahead of ourselves so its time to get cranking and make ourselves a robot that will take us all the way to Nationals.
"F.I.R.S.T." YOU MUST "AIM HIGH" FOR 2006!
Each year the game changes and so do the task the robot must perform at each event and it is not just one task but often several that the robot needs to be capable of on its own and by the direction of designated driver.
For the 2006 F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition the game is called "Aim High" and as with the tradition of the F.I.R.S.T. competition there is more they one way to play this game.
The field consist of the two halves which are designated as blue and red areas. The each team is placed on the opposing teams color goal area. There three goal in which each alliance can score from, two are at ground level and are worth 1 point for each ball counted. While the upper located above the alliance station is worth 3 point for each ball counted, this goal also has a light sensor that the robots will use to judge the distance in which to aim the ball into the goal. In addition to the points scored by the ball that are in the goal the robots can also be placed on top of a platform to score bonus points.
There are three robots for each alliance team. At the beginning of the match the robots go through their autonomous mode where they function solely on the pre-programmed instruction placed on the on broad computer chip and are allowed a maximum of 10 balls per robot. After 10 seconds of autonomous the team with the most point scored will be given and addition ten point bonus and the sensor is shut off for both alliance teams.
At this stage one team, lets say the blue alliance, goes on the defense to prevent the offensive red team from scoring, but only two of the blue team's robots are allowed passed the mid-field while the third must remain behind. As this goes the human players from each team will remove balls from the opposing teams ground level goals and either hand them to their robots of throw them onto the field. In third stage of the game the teams, which the offensive and defensive positions the same rules apply.
In the final 40 seconds of the game the light sensors on both upper goals are turned back on and the team can score once again using the light targeting system. This is the crucial time and both must manage the time well because not only do they want to score as many points using the goals as possible they want to leave time to get their robots onto the ramp to score the extra bonus points.
*To view the actual animation of the game the was presented at the kick-off visit the F.I.R.S.T. site and click on the Aim High Animation.
omputers, odes,
and
ommands....OH MY!
The program that will used to instruct the robot this year is C Hardware which is a program specifically designed for use in running machinery. This program has no books written on it so therefore everything has be learned from the ground up. The planning of this programming section that is to become the brains of our mechanical child.. These girls follow the lead of a talented and eccentric Ms. Sheree Petrignani or Ms. P as she is known to the girls. Here they plan and write, plan and write, plan and write until they get it just right for the robot to work the way that want it to. There are a number of things that are controlled by this component.
This girls rattled their brains off planning and coding their program but were seriously hindered when two of their computers used for programming were downed by viruses but it would take more then that to stop these. Despite these set back the girls continued their work of paper in the hopes that both systems would be up and running again in time for them to test the program and work out the bugs. With the help of Ms. Jessie Grenfell, a Computer Engineer from Credit Suisse, the system was back online in about three days. It had caused quite a few headaches but the girls took to the old fashioned pen and paper so they will at least something to work with.
The autonomous is the first thing on their list to take care of because as learn from passed experiences autonomous can mean the difference between gaining an advantage or starting with nothing. Autonomous is the time in which the robot relays solely on the program encoded directly in it's brain to perform the designated function(s) without any instruction from the drivers. The planned autonomous mode for this year's game is to.
From there the girls, Ms. P, and Jessie Grenfell have programmed each device that is on the robot to a specific port from which it will receive its instruction at a given time. Everything from the camera to detect the light the top of middle goal to the wheels moving either backwards or forwards each piece needs an access point in which to gain the needed instruction in order to function properly and at the right time.
COMPUTER PHOTO GALLERY
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crews, 
uts and 
olts Put Them Together You Get...
Mechanical is the division of metal, metal and more metal that is all you when your working the basic parts of the robot. Here the building what will controlled by the programs that are to be installed later on the robot is built and wired up.
This years robot we re-utilized a portion of our previous robot frame to save both time and materials. The main difference is the chassis design came from a F.I.R.S.T. that gave instruction on how the chassis was to be built. The team used this design to quicken the process. This also included a gear box that was pre-design and also explained in the video*. Also this year we are going six wheels instead of four for added traction on the field to aid the robot in climbing the ramp to gain extra bonus points for the game.
This basic frame work of the robot consist of a large square frame that has two openings on the bottom that will act as the six wheels main attachment point. From there these wheels will be attached via chain drive to a closed contained gear box. There two gear boxes on both sides of the robot that connected to two motors each which in turn be attach the main power source. The stop the gear boxes is a metal plate that act is the surface for which they will attach the cannon and the unit the will collect balls to feed to the cannon. The robot will utilize a device which is modified tennis shooter to allow the its to fire balls into a hoop above the opposing team station, which is an advantage because they worth more points and cannot be removed unlike the ones at ground level.
*To see the F.I.R.S.T. video demonstration of the gear box/motor assembly visit the F.I.R.S.T. web site and click on the Chassis Build.
MECHANICAL PHOTO GALLERY
ircuits, 
ires, and atteriesAll This For A Little Juice
A wire something simple correct but is often used to in aid in complex operations. It is here the everything will brought together in one creation. The program will send its command through the various wires and servos to the part(s) that it wants to command in the factions of seconds. The power of the batteries will reach the areas where it is needed.
Wires criss-cross every area of robot often when they first are being done it seems like a chaotic mix of colored plastic but eventually as things are done and sorted. The wires are labeled and grouped so it much easier to access when a repair needs to be made during the course of the game.
The main section of the electrical broad is a square sheet of plexiglass used to keep everything in one area for easy access for repairs. This will consist of several parts. That will control how much current it allowed to follow back and forth between different areas of the robot. Two of these devices are probably very familiar to those who live private housing they are the circuit breaker and a fuse box.
ELECTRICAL PHOTO GALLERY
river's 
d....Here the time comes for our team to work on their strategy and fine tune their skills on running the robot using the joystick control broad. Here they learn do what they can to learn how to run the field during the game. With the help of veteran Pius Princesses LaVicke Jones, who will be our field coach this year, and Stephanie Moran the new girls learn the ropes of driving in a F.I.R.S.T. Robotics.
There are many factors to consider when your involved with this process because the several situations that can occur at any one time.
The Second Stop is....