Week two of the FRC season has been a flurry of productivity from the entire team!
The second week for Design went well! They finished a full robot design and review by the end of week 2. The design review had a lot of discussion about the current plan, what components would be problematic or unrealistic, and how to improve some of the mechanism designs. One major worry was the location of the center of gravity, but after some calculations it was determined we are on the right path. Going into the third week of build season, Design hopes to manufacture final prototypes, add the finishing touches in CAD, and send off their designs to fabrication to be built.
In week two Fabrication made a lot of progress. The Charge Station and Grid field elements are built. This has allowed Programming and Design to see the things that the robot must interact with. They plan on making a very simplified substation to allow the use of some presets for the robot. In terms of robot work, they have cut the 2x1 for the drivetrain frame, and have been working with Design to make sure the robot will work and can be built. Next week, they want to start assembling the intake system and start other major components of the robot as soon as the parts come in.
Programming finished the code that allows for the drivetrain to automatically align when placing cubes based on April tags. They are also working on code utilizing Vision tape when placing cones. The programmers also finished the code for their respective subsystems. The app developers have been on the concept design and continue to develop this year's game.
Electrical worked with Design to verify the electrical components the robot will need and how to place them in an efficient and serviceable manner. They inventoried the electrical workbench to establish parts to order for the robot and needs for the rest of the season. Electrical received a new Power Distribution Hub and various electrical components (motors, radios, ethernet switches); they wired the parts for programming to update the firmware and get familiar with the code for FRC season.
The Strategy team discussed autonomous priorities and their scouting approach for both pit and match scouting. They also prioritized robot attributes to scout for to create the best data going into matches and alliance selection.
The business team has continued to focus on designing merchandise, the Impact award executive summary, as well as creating updated team publications for the 2023 season. Tryouts for Impact Award presenters were held this week, and students have been keeping up with media at team outreach events.