Mechanical & CAD

Despite the harsh weather this week, the mechanical team made strong progress across several subsystems! We refocused and efficiently designed multiple working prototypes. We faced challenges with dimension limitations with our intake system, so we refined it through adjustments and by adding a motorized bottom roller. This resulted in a more compact, reliable build that prevented game pieces from getting stuck. Simultaneously, the team finished assembling field elements, including the hub and bump, which allowed us to test our shooter mechanism! We also developed an early indexer mechanism using belts and pulleys.

The team also continued shooter development, testing different configurations to improve consistency and performance. Shooter prototyping advanced significantly, improving scoring flexibility and allowing for controlled passing. We also started testing pneumatics, which were successfully tested using a simple control setup. Overall, the mechanical team ended the week with multiple working prototypes and a clearer path toward final designs!

This week, our CAD team completed detailed models for several of our major subsystems. While working closely with the mechanical subteam and iterating through multiple intake concepts, we decided on a design that best balanced performance and ease of integration. CAD has also completed designing our storage system, drawing inspiration from Ri3D teams and proven designs such as Team 254’s 2017 robot. Shooter development also progressed, with the team successfully designing a motorized dual shooter. We navigated initial challenges, and testing ultimately went smoothly.

Programming

After last week’s completion and implementation of swerve onto our new robot, we focused primarily on Photonvision this week. We calibrated our new camera, and started thinking about an automatic hub-based rotation system using April tags, designed to aid our shooting accuracy. We also made some important fixes, such as fixing deprecations in our logging and vision scripts, and verifying the health of our robot batteries for competition.

Business & Media

This week, the business sub-team remained hard at work on writing grants, submitting two grants. Additionally, we worked on revising two more grants to submit next week. Media has been active with creating content and is posting consistently. Make sure to like and comment on our newest reel! Along with content creation, we are almost done with designing this year’s merchandise! Soon, we’ll begin preparing for the Impact Award Submission and presentation!