We had a great start to the 2020 build season. On kickoff, some of our members headed to Pioneer High to watch the stream and get our kit of parts. Once we got the entire team at our classroom, we went over the release video and game pieces before hanging out and eating some food. After, students had some time to read the game manual before jumping right into strategy discussion. Compared to last year’s game, Deep Space, Infinite Recharge seemed more daunting, since there seemed to be more complexity in regards to the overall game concept. This year, there are three stages in a match. Each stage, teams have to meet prerequisites before being able to start the next stage. Because of this emphasis on the game pieces and the importance of the endgame (another climb), we had to consider many different options in regards to general strategy and what kinds of mechanisms we wanted to design.
We spent the first two days focusing and deciding on strategy rather than design. Once we came to a decision with the votes of our DVC (Design Voting Council), we were able to move onto design brainstorming. We settled on prioritizing the designing of a climb and a shooter for the game pieces. While a majority of our team came up with various design concepts, our CAD team finished CADing the drivetrain and began drawings for an elevator design. The team split again, but this time our machinists went to the metalshop to manufacture our drivetrain and the rest of the team began prototyping.
As we pass the final day of the first week, we have successfully manufactured our drive base, completed the electrical board, and are soaring in the field of prototyping. We hope to continue this streak of productivity and wish the same for other teams. Next week, we hope to have a driving chassis, all our prototypes presented, and a final robot design.
