Day 44: Reveal and CAD

Ultraviolet 2016

Here is the reveal of our 2016 FRC Stronghold robot, Ultraviolet. The video is of our practice robot. The competition robot will be very similar. We have plans for several more additional features for the coming weeks.

CAD Release Solidworks and STEP Files

The above link is the full CAD of the current state of the robot. Feel free to use anything you like from it. It's a bit rough in places but it's mostly complete.

Ultraviolet Details

Drive Train

• 8 x Pnumatic Tires
• AndyMark Hubs
• MBS Vine Tires (up to 80psi)
• Dead Axle
• 1/2" drop for the middle two wheels on each side to reduce scrub while turning

Gearboxes (FRC#1114 Simbot Inspired)

• 4 CIMs (with ability to add 5th and 6th motors if needed)
• Ball Shifting (2.21 Spread)
• 12:40 First Stage
• 14:44 Low Gear
• 24:34 High Gear
• 14:44 Chain Reduction
• Uses SDA20x25 pneumatic cylinders for shifting imported from China

Intake

• Surgical Tubing wrapped aluminum tube intake
• 3D printed HTD 5mm pulleys
• 775pro powered front intake roller
• BAG motor powered middle and rear rollers

- Spectrum

"Power consists in one's capacity to link his will with the purpose of others, to lead by reason and a gift of cooperation. ~Woodrow Wilson"

Day 36: Finally Driving

We had a bit of a scare this week. Our main manufacturing sponsor called on Wednesday afternoon to inform us that they weren't going to be able to do the main laser run of the season because their laser cutter went down and likely wouldn't be fixed until next week. This left us scrambling a bit. Amazingly all the people we told about this problem were very generous, offering to help make parts for us or even in the case of Dallas Jesuit (FRC#2848) offering to send us an entire spare sheet metal chassis in case we couldn't get ours cut in time. We are so thankful to have so many awesome friends in the FRC community. After a few phone calls on Wednesday we were able to secure STAR Precision Manufacturing here in Houston to do a quick laser run for us and still have Solarcraft our main sponsor bend the parts. We also were able to cut some of the parts we needed on our CNC router.

We just got all the parts back this morning. We were able to get the practice robot up and driving and should have the real chassis ready for powder coat on Monday morning. Tomorrow we will mount the intake on the robot and should be able to test the most important two functions of the robot Drive Train and Intake. We still have a few more things we are missing and will get made once our sponsor has their machine running again.

We are missing the intake from the front of the robot, so the weight distribution is very bad in these late night tests. Our defense crossing will improve.

This morning we also continued our monthly food distribution here at our school, we have partnered with several other organizations at the school to host a mobile food pantry on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Over 150 families get much needed food from this pantry.

- Spectrum

“Be leaders, not because you must, but because you’re willing.” - St. Paul of Tarsus

Day 31: Weekend Recap

We spent a lot of time helping other teams this weekend. One rookie and two other teams came by for helping building their robot, building bumpers, or working out control system bugs, we are always happy to help out any teams that need assistance.

We are reconsidering several of the things we decided on early in the season, the core of the design hasn't change but we are a little less sure of some of the details. We are are going to get our drive train and intake 100% complete then go from there.

- Spectrum

“But what if I make a mistake?' Will asked.
Gilan threw back his head and laughed. 'A mistake? One mistake? You should be so lucky. You'll make dozens! I made four or five on my first day alone! Of course you'll make mistakes. Just don't make any of them twice. If you do mess things up, don't try to hide it. Don't try to rationalize it. Recognize it and admit it and learn from it. We never stop learning, none of us.” - John Flanagan, Erak's Ransom

Day 28: Helping Hand

A rookie team we are mentoring came to use with some problems with their robot. The drive train wasn't performing liked they wanted and the pneumatic gripper intake wasn't collecting balls either.

We started working with them and over the weekend we should have a pretty solid robot for them to base things off of.

We looked at what we had on hand and what parts they already had. They had purchased a full AM14U2 in the off season and had their Kit AM14U3 as well. With all the included wheels, etc. They also had a lot of sprockets too. They were willing to spend some money so they are purchasing the AM14U Wedge kits for the front and back of their robot and moving to a 10 wheel drive train. This should let them get over all the passive defenses. For an intake we looked to the MCC design by WCProducts for inspiration. It's very simple and allows them to have a full wrap bumper which is stronger and better for defense. They already had a DART linear actuator so we are working with them to find a place to mount that will allow it to accurate out of the frame perimeter. We also looked at 118 Robonauts Everybot design for inspiration as well and we think they can add wheels to the outside of their intake roller to be able to lift up the portcullis. The intake will definitely be able to lower the CDF panels, so in all this robot should be able to do 4 of the defense groups and work with others to do the draw bridge and sally port.

The design is very liberal with it's use of COTS parts. It's also simple as it only uses 6 total motors and doesn't need pneumatics.

We also got our first real sheet metal run sent to the sponsors last night, so we should be getting our drive trains and intakes back early next week.

- Spectrum


"Let me do all the good I can, to all the people I can, as often as I can, for I shall not pass this way again." - John Wesley

Day 26: Production Ready Intake

This is our intake ready for drawing to be made and sent off for production. This model doesn't show the intake rollers that go over the tube axles or the belts that drive the rollers. The intake is so large because we are using it to store the ball as well. That way we don't take up space in our robot, the ball is fed from the intake to the shooter only once we are ready to fire the ball. The first roller will be spinning far faster than the rear two that are design to control the ball and get it ready for the shooter.

- Spectrum

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” ― John F. Kennedy

Day 24: Drive Train CAD

The drive train CAD is nearly complete. We have been referencing a lot of 1114's designs this year and their awesome Solidworks tutorial videos as well.

We still have bumper mounts and a battery box to add to this before it is ready to be sent off to our fabrication shop, Solarcraft. Once we send it off for fabrication we'll post the CAD model to our Grabcad partner space. We discussed bumper mounting today and decided to use an idea from team 1983, Skunkworks, They used fixed clamps to clamp their bumpers in place on one of their prototype drive trains. We'll be supplementing this with bolts and PEM nuts but we want to make sure we have a quick and secure mounting system. We are taking extra steps this year to make sure our robot is as robust as possible. Rookie teams and 2nd year teams, please make sure you build a robust robot, a lot of things you could get away with last year will break on the field when you start jumping over defenses and hitting other robots. Make sure you bolt everything down and tighten all your bolts. Use lock nuts and/or thread locker on all your threaded fasteners.

- Spectrum

“Think left, and think right, and think low, and think high. Oh, the things you can think up, if only you try!” - Dr. Seuss