Off Season 2022

Chezy Champs is a prestigious competition that we are proud to attend. Chezy Champs is hosted by Bellarmine high school’s robotics team, the Cheesy Poofs. Known as Team 254, they are recognized as one of the top teams worldwide and are currently the world champions of the 2022 competition season. In addition to the Cheesy Poofs, top teams from all around the world will be competing. We believe the competition will be a great learning experience for the newer students, training them and providing them competition experience so when the 2023 build season ramps up, our team’s junior members will be prepared. We are unearthing Marinus, last year’s robot, to compete again at Chezy Champs! Unfortunately, after spending the summer unused, one of the gearboxes in Marinus’ west coast drive broke. In one gear, the teeth were worn down due to incorrect spacing. Currently, we have assembled a new gearbox to replace the old one, but haven’t attached it to the robot yet. In addition to these repairs, there are some other aspects we improved: the static climb hooks and the shooter. In regards to the hooks, the rubber bands broke, so we are in the process of replacing them with a more permanent solution. As for the shooter, we are hoping to make it more accurate, [...]

Last weekend, the robotics team participated in a basic training day. The day was designed to introduce newcomers to every part of the robotics team to help them decide what part of robotics they are most interested in. Previously, this introductory training was stretched across multiple days, with a metal shop on one day, programming on the next, etc. However, the team combined all basic training into a single day this year. Most students were divided into groups of around 4-7 for each workshop. The rest of the students were the student leaders who taught each workshop. The day was separated into two categories, the first one being the metal shop and the wood shop. We were introduced to various tools that we use including circular saws, jigsaws, drills, and drivers. After learning how to safely handle these tools, we were given the opportunity to try making actual parts. We cut wood, drilled holes, deburred parts, and drove screws. While it may sound mundane, for many of the first years, it was their first time handling power tools! After many pizza slices for lunch, the second half of the day was spent in the classroom at various stations based on our additional subteams: electrical engineering, programming, and computer-aided design (CAD). There were two [...]