February 2022 – Iron Claw Robotics

2022 Build Blog Week Six

By Alan Sheu|2023-03-27T20:38:23-07:00February 20th, 2022|

Now that there’s no more stop build day, we don’t have to worry about bagging and tagging or bot anymore, but we’re nonetheless rounding the corner towards testing and practice! There are just about two weeks until our first competition at HPR. The drivetrain is confidently 100% done at this point, with the new wheels and shafts installed. Now our main priority is attaching our other subsystems and getting in a little driver practice as time permits. We’ve made great progress on our climb subsystem over the course of this week. With the exception of the hooks at the top of our climb, the telescope and superstructure have been fully machined and assembled. Programmers have gotten some time to test out their rotation code, and with very little backlash, our climb arm can rotate with PID control to within just a couple degrees! We encountered some stability issues (aka severe wobbling), but nothing an additional support hex shaft can’t handle! With just a couple more days, the entire subsystem is ready to be handed off to the programmers for testing. Fingers crossed for no more mechanical issues or redesigns! The whole CAD for our cargo subsystem has been finalized and approved this week. The structural components have largely already been assembled, and we’re starting [...]

2022 Build Blog Week Five

By Olivia Li|2023-03-27T20:38:23-07:00February 13th, 2022|

We are about three weeks away from our first competition at LA North! Everyone is working hard to get the robot done by next week so that we have at least a week to test the robot and debug our code. To start week 5, we had a design review of week four. Then, the CADers finalized the climb design for the high rung and the arm for intaking and shooting into the low goal. Following the detailed CADs, the machining team smoothed battery rails and created axles for new wheels, and the climbing mechanism. Throughout the week, the programming team finalized the arm and extender code and updated our ROBORIO firmware. We fine-tuned our PID systems, the limelight, and the shooter subsystem. Additionally, the electrical team wired the superstructure motor, tested, and repaired motors while the assembly team built the frame for intake and the airbrakes for the climbing system. The fundraising team is also dedicating their time to writing grants and managing the Superbowl fundraiser, which was a success. By Sunday, we attached our arm to the robot and we are ready to begin testing! Looking forward to week 6!

2022 Build Blog Week Four

By Olivia Li|2023-03-27T20:38:23-07:00February 6th, 2022|

We are officially halfway through build season! It has been an exciting and productive week for us as we made significant progress on our robot. We also welcomed two new members to the team! At the start of the week, we held "basketball" tryouts to finalize the human play for our drive team. The CADers worked hard to create different models of climbing mechanisms and the claw arm, which were then prototyped by the assembly team. The machining team successfully completed the electrical board, the drivetrain rails, and other robot parts. As Week 4 progressed, the electrical team and assembly team constructed the drivetrain and attached towers for our climbing mechanism. The team finalized the claw design with a belt intake and flywheel to effectively shoot the cargo, which the programmers finished implementing. To prepare for the upcoming competitions and to make sure assembly goes as smoothly as possible, our team organized all of our supplies and ran tests on our batteries. By the end of the week, we had a fully functioning drivetrain and completed the majority of the pre-programming. We are thankful for our teachers' and mentors' guidance, the dedication of our fellow team members, and everyone who has made build season spectacular. Looking forward to week 5!