Along with the team’s consistent perseverance, we made huge improvements to be well prepared for the East Bay Regional (EBR).
With the CADing finished last week, we were able to start the week straight to assembly and continuous testing. This week has been packed with testing, improvements, and strategic discussions as we gear up for upcoming competitions. From refining intake mechanisms to optimizing our scouting app, every detail is being fine-tuned to ensure peak performance.
We assembled spare components onto the beta bot for testing purposes, ensuring reliability and durability under competitive conditions. Additionally, minor improvements were made to the scouting app to enhance usability and efficiency. To address control system stability issues, adjustments were made to the plate under the CANivore. On Wednesday, we focused on improving the practice field to better simulate real competition environments. By Friday, we had fixed the camera mount to ensure better visibility and alignment during matches.
A new intake system with a larger wheel was implemented to address the issue of pushing the coral away during both practices and competitions. We are currently testing different wheel sizes, comparing 5-inch and 3-inch wheels, while evaluating the impact of material flexibility under high-speed rotation. Significant progress was made on Saturday, with improvements to the elevator rope mechanisms for better stability and control. The energy chain routing was also covered in stripes to prevent interference with elevator movement. Work continued on refining the fully automated scoring systems, focusing on testing L1 scoring and enhancing accuracy for L4 scoring.
Ongoing strategy discussions with students refined match approaches and decision-making. We conducted auto-creation and testing for EBR to optimize autonomous routines. Additionally, we hosted The Funky Monkeys (Team 846) for a collaborative visit at 1:00 PM and TKO (Team 1351) on Sunday. To ensure backup components were ready, we completed intake spare assembly and addressed weight distribution concerns to maintain balance and agility. Extensive beta bot and competition bot testing validated all modifications and ensured readiness.
In the end, the team chose to stick with the original intake system due to the 5-inch wheel’s instability. Having different prototypes is always beneficial for determining the best solution, and this intake system was one such example.
Each adjustment and test brings us one step closer to more robust and competitive robot. With continual refinements and collaboration, we aim to maximize our efficiency and performance on the field.
See you guys at EBR, and definitely stay tuned for Comp Week 6 Blog!
