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Auto Decision (2024-2025) While PathPlanner traditionally has been what we’ve relied on for autonomous routines, in the 2023 season, Choreo began making its rise, a software that could optimize the path far more efficiently. While we made several paths with it, we were unable to figure out event markers, and positions in the path where commands could be added into the path. This was similar to our auto routines in the 2022 season, before the huge PathPlanner update. Our paths had to be broken up, with commands added in individually, each section of the path recorded as an index number to put together afterward. This year, autos were easier to create as commands could be written separately and referenced within the actual path just by writing the name. Choreo, no matter how quickly it optimized the path, would be disadvantageous if we couldn’t figure out event markers, which started this fall project. We tested and were able to get event markers to function within Choreo paths. Yet running them compared to PathPlanner, there wasn’t much difference in execution, merely a UI preference. We began researching to see which would be the best option to switch to in the coming season, as Choreo was relatively new and somewhat buggy. We discovered another big PathPlanner update, which included several new [...]

During the 2024  fall season for Iron Claw Robotics, team 972, we began driver training much earlier than in previous years. We started the process in mid/late September to give new and returning students a chance to try out our last year's competition robot, Vivace. Although initial attempts to provide time for students to get accustomed to the robot did not succeed due to technical issues with tape strength, wheels, and an inconsistent area to drive, improvements in field setup meant that with each practice, we were able to get more and more time to drive. In mid-October, we decided that we were ready to have driver tryouts and set a date for the 27th of October. For driver tryouts, we brought out each student who wanted to become the driver one at a time to complete certain tasks in front of a group of evaluators consisting of the team captains. These tasks included weaving through cones, driving in circles while keeping the robot pointed at a target, driving in a straight line, and driving in figure eight. Throughout these tests, the students were timed and penalized if they hit either one of the cones being used to make the course or the foam balls at the edge of the field. Once the tryouts were done the captains reviewed [...]

Operations and Organization: The new year means setting up for success, including organizing our Pit, managing operations, and handling new material shipments. Our shop manager, Ellery Han, has been cleaning the Pit and delegating tasks to sort last year's parts, screws, and miscellaneous items. A well-organized Pit is crucial for efficiency. With packages arriving nonstop, we order early to avoid delays and ensure we have everything needed for the Fall and Build Seasons. Students help sort and take inventory, ensuring each subteam knows what materials are available for their projects. The operations subteam, in which all members are required to contribute at least 4 hours of admin tasks and additional upkeep work, is led by our new operations director, Claire Mayder. She’s been training new students and leads, applying for grants, and more. Our new communications lead, Jahnvi Bheemarasetti, assists Claire by training first-year students on the website and managing blog uploads. Our team fundraises the majority of its money in the Fall Season, this includes receiving money from sponsors such as the Wild Cat Foundation–our school foundation that raises money for school-related activities. Big thanks to them as well as all of our other sponsors! We’ve also had significant work done in documentation for operations to ensure efficiency in the build season and the following years. We [...]

Welcome back, team! This season has kicked off with a burst of energy and excitement. From revamping our leadership selection process to diving into presentations on the latest FRC scoring updates, we've embraced change and innovation like never before! New Leadership Selection Process: This year, we updated our leadership selection process to better align with the team's goals. In previous years, the process involved students giving presentations in front of the class, followed by anonymous voting and an announcement of the new Leadership Council (LC). While team managers made the final decision, this year's system introduced some improvements. Now, students submit videos expressing their interest in joining the LC, which are then reviewed by mentors and the team, who provide their feedback. Although team managers still make the final decision, the new approach emphasizes responsibility. It prioritizes veteran students who have the experience needed to lead, while giving new members the opportunity to get comfortable and integrate into the team more smoothly. Our Leadership Council is led by an outstanding team: Nico Gomez-Llagaria and Piper Robinson as captains, Ellery Han as Shop Manager, Claire Mayder as Operations Director, and Henry Lee and Saara Piplani as our dedicated hardware and software directors. Together, this exceptional group has been working tirelessly, training members, spearheading advanced projects, and managing team operations. [...]