Game Analysis

Points! Points! Points! Where are the points? What are the limits? Are there unlimited points opportunities? Like lifting in Bowled Over! Evan

Time How long will things take? Ex. double hanging Are there low/no value goals that will simply waste time? Ex. the floor goal Nathan Practice to develop a sense of how long different parts of the game will take, and if you will have enough time to do them Use your knowledge of points to find parts of the game that are time/point inefficient

Other Robots How easy will defense be? Autonomous was hard to defend in Block Party! Rack was easy to defend in Ring It Up! How many robots does it take to accomplish a given task? Doubling hanging in Block Party! Lifting in Ring It Up! Sean -Doubling hanging in Block Party would leave the other team able to double hang vs having one of the robots on your alliance playing defence if you didn’t think you could pull off the double hang

Exercise - Discussion Block Party Season Try to get these points from the crowd Difficulty of defense in autonomous and teleop Compatibility between robots for double hanging Block area getting crowded Coaching decisions for balance and end game in general (old) Try to get these points from the crowd (old) grab & place rings fast lifting not worth it (2 robots and slow), opponent could outscore your lift if they both were placing rings weighted rings were very valuable, place them as you find them control the space in front of the rack AUTONOMOUS, free points, OWNING THE PEG, game dynamic change of playing from ahead

Your Robot Qualities

Your Robot What qualities should a robot have: Drivetrain Block Party! - fast, being able to get where you wanted without getting stuck on blocks or robots Block scoring pace was important for high scores Ring It Up! - powerful, hold/take a position in front of rack Scoring opportunities space constrained Bowled Over - agility, speed more important than power Sean Pure pushing power was more important in autonomous than in teleop Not getting stuck on blocks while playing

Your Robot What qualities a robot should have: Versatile Tools Flag spinner that could be quickly adjusted to different heights Lifting Mechanism that could adapt to other robots Scoring Mechanism that could score from a wide range around the baskets Sean 12 inch wall could be used to estimate the height of the flag spinner if measuring was not possible Wide range of motion allowed us to work with most team’s lifting mechanism

Scouting

Criteria For Rating Robots Create a scouting sheet based on how well robots do certain tasks Game analysis improves after seeing actual matches Use numbers to keep picks as objective as possible Criteria are constantly evolving as season goes on Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Our Scouting sheet Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Exercise - Scouting Example Evan Hand out scouting sheets explain scouting sheets assign each person 1 robot 1 2 3 4 around the room 1 4251 - Red 2 724 - Red 3 3708 - Blue 4 6433 - Blue Autonomous & stop Teleop - What did 1, 2, 3, and 4 do per the scoresheet (ask the crowd)

Results - 4251 Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Results - 724 Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Results - 3708 Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Results - 6433 Evan, Caitlin, Emerson

Design Principles and Strategies

Design Principles and Strategies KISS Keep It Super Simple Tool Design First Leapfrog Development Never go backwards Repetitive Testing Competitive Development DRR Certified: Dependable, Repeatable, Reliable Joey, Lauren Questions / Discussion Tool Design-Don't build a robot and then try to fix issues with programming. Leapfrog so you never go backwards -Block party, arm Strategy, build your robot to complement partners… -Hanging in Block Party, reaching over other robots KISS Keep it Super Simple Tool Design First Then we program the robot to use the tool Leapfrog Development This is our method for step-by-step improvement. We build a better new tool or program before we take apart the old tool or change the old program Repetitive Testing We make sure everything works at least 5 times in a row Competitive Development We try several options and the best one wins

Design Principles Applied Measure twice cut once Gearbox Design Plan before you do Understand the problem Before you try to fix the problem -Change title Design Principles Applied -Remove KISS ->Measure Twice cut once -Plan before you do -Understand the problem before you fix it

Hands-On Working Session

Practical Applications

Chassis/Drivetrain Stiff & Stable Frame Maneuverability Rocker in a 6 wheel tank-drive chassis Omni wheels on corners or one end Ability to go where you want/need to for the game Find the right balance of speed and power Practice driving before the tournament Be prepared to drive on all parts of the field Nathan On a 6 wheel tank-drive chass a rocker helps improve turning Rocker can be achieved by creating a fulcrum with the center wheels Increasing the diameter of the center wheels is one way to do this Another way to improve maneuverability is to add omni wheel to the corners or one end of the robot Based on testing find a balance of speed and pushing power that is optimum for the game (Eg. strong heavy chassis for Ring It Up!, faster maneuverable chassis for Block Party!) Practice realistic game scenarios in full 2:30 segments

Other Isolate your motors from impacts Traction < Torque Mechanical Alignment Program the knowns Basket height Picking up blocks 8 motors, 3 lego motors, 12 servos Nathan Don’t place your motors and their shafts in a position where they can get banged around during play. This can ruin their gearboxes and make your motors unusable The traction of your robot should always be less than your robot’s torque to prevent burning out your motors when you encounter something you can’t move during autonomous (eg. wall, field object, heavier/stronger robots) Programing preset positions for different aspects of the game can improve your consistency and speed This is talked about more in depth later in the presentation When designing keep in mind your building limitations of only 8 DC motors, 3 Lego motors, and 12 servos. This year servos of any kind will be allowed.

Useful Tidbits

Checklists Checklist on body of robot for field setup Checklist in pit for between match maintenance In fact FLL changed the rules in 2008 to accommodate our checklists

Checklists Sean In fact FLL changed the rules in 2008 to accommodate our checklists

Engineering Notebook/Fundraising

Handwritten or electronic? There is no distinction in judging between handwritten and electronic notebooks, so the decision is up to your team. We have found electronic notebooks… Are harder to lose (keep backup copies). Look neater and more professional. Are easier to format.

Formatting Details Team name and number must be clearly visible on the outside of the notebook. All pages must be numbered. If using a bound notebook, there must be no pages missing. All entries must be written in permanent ink. Any mistakes must be crossed out using a single line. Use both sides of the page and leave no empty space. Cross out any blank space (this is required for electronic notebooks too). If electronic, pages must fit into a a single binder no larger than 1.5”.

Entries Each entry should include a tasks column and a reflections column. The tasks column should detail what your team did. The reflections column should include observations, notes, plans for next meeting, etc. Include sketches, pictures, CAD designs, relevant snippets of code, etc.

Sections of the Notebook The engineering notebook must be divided into three sections. Number each section separately so you don’t have to reprint the notebook for each tournament (E-1, E-2, etc. for engineering section, T-1, T-2, etc. for team section). Team section The team section should include information about outreach, team social events, etc. Engineering section The engineering section should document the robot design process. Business section (optional) This is the place for your business plan, strategic plan, or sustainability plan.

Team Section Start the team section with brief biographies of each team member and coach/mentor. Include age/grade, interests and reasons for joining FTC. Include a page for any social activity your team does together. Include a page for each outreach event. Describe the reason for the outreach event. Describe the outcome of the outreach event. Include pictures!

Engineering Section Take pictures of everything. Include a bill of materials. Write detailed descriptions of… Observations Thought processes Design processes Brainstorming sessions Include… Sketches Code CAD designs Graphs

Planning Section This section is technically optional; however, it is NOT optional for many awards (Inspire Award, Think Award, and Connect Award). Use the strategic or business plan to identify team goals. The plan should also include a budget and information about team structure. This plan is valuable for identifying your team’s direction and ensuring all team members are working toward the same goals. The plan is also a good thing to have for potential sponsors to show your team has a direction and a purpose.

Final touches Write your notebook summary. Summarize your team’s journey this season and include references to specific page numbers. Create a cover page. Include your team’s name and number. It should look professional – this is the first thing the judges will see of your notebook. Add tabs to important pages. Only use 6-8 tabs. Any other important pages can be referenced in your notebook summary. Insert a copy of your robot’s Bill of Materials.

Resources Email us: FTC6085@gmail.com Our website: http://ftc6085.wix.com/6085 Resource page which includes sample engineering notebooks and business plans from our team and other teams: http://ftc6085.wix.com/6085#!resources/c1110

Fundraising - Talking to Sponsors Making a business plan Finding sponsors Know your audience Email vs In-Person What does the sponsor get out of it? Keeping sponsors involved Fundraising Toolkit Rachel

Judging

Creating a Presentation Divide the time: presentation and questions Introducing your team Make sure to include all parts Technical details Design process Outreach Fundraising Practice!!! Make sure the presentation flows Practice answering questions Rachel

Outside the Judging Room Why should they remember you? Keep someone in the pit as much as possible Especially at State/Super Regional/Worlds Small teams - leave a sign Use your pit space for display Rachel Nathan - sign Talk about how small teams should leave a sign at their pit while practicing or in a match to let judges know they should come back later

Lunch & Game Reveal Nathan 75% taps aluminum 50% taps steel i.e. you drill a bigger hole for the same size screw and tap in steel, than you would in aluminum. In our workshop materials, we have a tap chart Doubling drilling means drilling more holes in a standard Tetrix channel to provide additional attachment points A piece must be double drilled before it can be put on our robot Subtractive technology is Laser cutting & CNC machining. It tends to give stronger parts, you can laser cut plastic. You can CNC metal Rachel additive technology makes more complicated shapes easily. You can make stronger parts by shipping

Rule Changes and Implications No intentional grounding to floor <RG03> i. No EV3 <R01> b. No LEGO pneumatics <R01> c. Tetrix Prime Gripper disallowed pn40234 <R02> l. All raw materials are allowed <R04> a. All post processed materials are allowed <R04> b. All 1-degree of freedom COTS are allowed <R04> c. AM-2256 / field-damaging high-traction wheels disallowed <R04> d. Mr. Diamond, Joey D, Shawn Hunter ~10min <RG03> i. - No intentional grounding to floor. This is a weird rule. Of course no grounding wires/chains/straps. And nothing else that is designed to ground. Obviously inadvertent grounding is OK. Like last year when many of the block scoops or bulldozer blades happened to be made out of metal. We still recommend you ground everything else in your robot to your frame. Make your robot have a single electronic potential. <R02> full list of disallowed TETRIX parts <R04> b. - pre-drilled extrusions, from other sources (servocity). Pre-drilled plates, treadplate, expanded steel. <R04> c. - And finally any readily available single degree of freedom COTS! Hinges, pulleys, slides, gearboxes, etc.. Ratcheting box wrench? <R04> d. - AM-2256 specifically disallowed. Be careful with other high-traction tires. Don’t be surprised if other tires get specifically ruled against.

Rule Changes and Implications Ferrite chokes allowed <R08> b. AndyMark Neverest (AM-2964) motors <R09> b. Any quarter-scale or smaller servo <R09> c. i. 5 Amps stall current per servo controller <R09> c. ii. Motor shafts may be modified <R09> g. ii. 9v battery w/ Prototype board <R11> d. i. Mr. Diamond, Joey D, Shawn Hunter ~10min <R08> b. - Use ferrite chokes on any signal wires that can act as antennas. <R09> b. - New AndyMark motor has similar torque and stall characteristics but will survive approx. 2:40 at stall, compared to 0:07 for Tetrix V2 motor. <R09> c. ii. - The hard part is finding documentation on the stall current. <R09> g. ii. - This could actually be pretty big. Attach gears/sprockets to motors in a better way. <R11> d. i. - Prototype board opened up a lot. With power restriction gone allows you to hook lots more stuff to NXT.

Goal Setting What do you want to accomplish this season? What do you want to accomplish by your first tournament? How hard do you want to work? How well does that effort align with your goals? What do you want your coach to do to help you achieve these goals? Sean

Common Sense Mechanics

Making Parts Flat metal can be easily bent to make parts Tapping holes Steel vs aluminum File, sand, polish Rounded plastic corners (using a torch) No sharp corners or edges in general Double drilling your channel Laser cutting 3-D printing Nathan 75% taps aluminum 50% taps steel i.e. you drill a bigger hole for the same size screw and tap in steel, than you would in aluminum. In our workshop materials, we have a tap chart Doubling drilling means drilling more holes in a standard Tetrix channel to provide additional attachment points A piece must be double drilled before it can be put on our robot Subtractive technology is Laser cutting & CNC machining. It tends to give stronger parts, you can laser cut plastic. You can CNC metal Rachel additive technology makes more complicated shapes easily. You can make stronger parts by shipping

Double Drilled vs Regular Briuanunayesanana

Bending Plastic Evan

Building Practices Keeping screws and set screws in Nylocks Lock-tite and pre-nylon threaded set screws Don’t transmit loads through axles Understanding friction/traction Surface area doesn’t change friction F=µFn Components under tension & compression Joey -The force of friction =coefficient of friction*normal force -Over time, screws and set screws will fall out 30-40lbs pushing ability 5lbs per wheel at a 2” radius is a 105 lb load at the axle Easy to bend, but hard to squeeze and stretch -Can make light and strong structures if principles are understood -i.e putting spacers in channel -Soda Can Challenge

Never Transmit a Load Through an Axle! The Numbers 4” diameter wheels 30lb of force spread across 6 wheels 3/16” diameter axles What's the load pushing on each axle set screw? Joey 30-40lbs pushing ability 5lbs per wheel at a 2” radius is a 105 lb load at the axle 1/32 radius axle fits 21.33 times in a 2 inch radius wheel. This means 5 pounds at the edge of the wheel (21 x 5) is around a 105 pound load at the set screw on the axle With our system 5 pounds at the edge of the wheel is 30 pounds shearing force on 4 screws This is a much safer system than transmitting loads through an axle 30lb at 6 wheels-5lbs per wheel (5lbs/(3/32)=x/2 3/32 =half the axle 64/3=21.3 21.3x5=106.6

The Math The ratio between the radius of the wheel and axle will translate into the ratio of force each element bears. axle radius = 3/32” or .094” (2”) / (0.094”)=21.33 ratio 5 lbs at 2” = 106.67 lbs at 0.094” With the sprocket and 4 screws… (8mm = .314”) (2”) / (0.314”)= 6.37 ratio 5 lbs at 2” = 31.85 lbs at 0.314” spread that over 4 screws and you get 31.85 lbs / 4 screws = 7.96 lbs per screw lbs/in =torque (how much force at the radius) 5lbs at 2” =160 oz/in of torque (½ of a dc motor output)

Regular Wheel with Sprocket Answer: 106 ⅔ lbs pushing on the set screw The Wheel w/ sprocket changes the load from 106lbs on each set screw to x amount lbs spread across 4 screws New radius = 8mm (0.314in) =31.847 shearing on each screw, now a shearing force (5lbs/8mm)=(x/2)=31.8lbs over 4 screws =7.96

Tools, and Using Them Color coding tools ROYGBIV Good mechanics have their own tools Removing cross-threaded machine screws Vice grips Drill out Removing rounded out machine screws Easy outs Sean Colored bands represent tool size Orange: Socket Heads Yellow: Axle Hubs Green: Button Heads Blue: Old Style Axle Collars We all have our own set of tools that way if we are going to help a team we can take our tools and the team will still have theres Increase the size of your lever

Easy Outs

Calculating Loads on Lever Arms Margin of Safety At least a 2:1 Exercise Use a lever arm on your robot or make one including: A DC motor At least one gear change A lever arm on the end Using your setup, calculate the reasonable max weight your lever arm could elevate Evan Should bring Block Party! arm

Calculating Loads on Lever Arms

Motor Power Table Motor Name Speed (RPM) Speed (Radians/Second) Torque (oz/in) Torque (Newton/meters) Power (Watts) DC 12 volt Motor 150 16 300 2.12 33.26 PF XL 220 23 56 0.40 9.11 NXT Servo 170 18 70 0.49 8.80 PF M 405 42 15 0.11 4.49 180 Servo 60 6 84 0.59 3.73 PF E 780 82 5 0.04 2.88 Continuous Servo 43 39 0.27 1.24 Evan Need motor stats/limits Should bring Block Party! arm

Common Sense Electronics

Miscellaneous Tin wires Use a power bus Redundant power supply Charged batteries Power supply and DC motor power consumption Sean Tining wires allows for neater and more reliable electrical connections Using a power bus allows separate power supply to each controller instead of daisy chaining (Christmas lights) We also pair up motor controllers that way if we lose power to one we can get it from its partner controller Always have fresh batteries for the a new match. When testing autonomous, you will want to change batteries every couple of rounds so that you are running with a fairly consistent level of power Motor controllers supply up to 4 amps per channel; 0.17 amps at no load; 1.05 amps at max efficiency; 2.46 amps at max output; 4.55 amps at stall

Daisy Chained Electronics Sean

Anderson Powerpoles® Tamiya vs Powerpole® Sean Powerpole® is a registered trademark of Anderson Power Products®

i2c Communications Short i2c wires and total length (less than 3ft) i2c protocol voltage Interference (motors) Wire chokes Sean Explain i2c protocol voltage drops Short Wires <36 inches Avoids running wires past potential interference Powerpole® is a registered trademark of Anderson Power Products®

How Everything Works Together Lauren

Static and Grounding Connect the frame Plastic acts as a capacitor Connect your plastic Connect your electronics Not allowed to intentionally ground to the field Evan

Static Detector Evan

Samantha Bracket Evan you could add a pic of the AndyMark 3D printed bracket. There is a nice pic on their website and they offer free download (see above)

Decreasing Static Plastic vs metal panels Conductors and Insulators Anti-Static spray Lauren

Electronics Testing Evan Own all disconnects Look for faults in your own robot before the FCS or FTAs

The Coach, Teaching “Basic” Things Measure Twice Cut Once Pilot Holes Tinning Wires Drill Press Jigs Using a Fence with a Saw File, Sand, and Polish Torch or Heatgun? Bending Plastic with a jig Precise Drilling (for double drilled extrusions) Chain 180° Around Sprockets Mr. Diamond + Shawn Sean - measure once cut twice, bowling ball hoop? Nathan - torching the plastic Evan - pilot holes when swiss cheesing

Hands-On Working Session

Programing Sean, Evan, Rachel, Jamie

RobotC vs LabVIEW Smaller programs can hold more function on the brick Faster Execution Time (this is older information, LabView has improved) Really fast Emerson + Sean

Versioning and Change Log 4251-42-teleop Keep old version of working program Keep a change log and comment your code Make sure you test multiple times before the competition! Really fast Evan

Shorten FCS Timeout nNoMessageCounterLimit = 150; //stop robot faster on disconnects (default is 750) Mr. Diamond

Drive Code Make your own! Evan

Drive Code - Preface Why? Customization/personalization Driver specific Game specific You understand it better Evan

Drive Code - Parabola & Dead-Zone Evan

Drive Code - Parabola & Dead-Zone Square the joystick value Subtract 100 Multiply it by 100/(128*128) or 0.0062387 This gives you a value from 0-100 Multiply the sign back into the value Return the number Evan algorithm to calculate the values

Drive Code - More Cool Bits Low gear/Programmatic Gear Shifts Going straight Top Hat arcade drive Regular tank drive Built in PID logic Slow but strong Evan

Anti-Stall Logic (Autonomous) Only watch when power is applied to the motors Store the encoder value Wait a short time If the encoder value is very similar, the motor is stalled Mr. Diamond

Anti-Stall Logic - Example Mr. Diamond

Anti-Stall Logic - The Code if(abs(driveSpeed) > 0) { if(abs(currentRightEncoder - previousRightEncoder) < 4) rightStallCounter++; else rightStallCounter = 0; } if(rightStallCounter > 200) //writeDebugStreamLine("RIGHT STALLED"); motor[motorRight] = 0; motor[motorRight2] = 0; motor[motorLeft] = 0; motor[motorLeft2] = 0; wait10Msec(200); Mr. Diamond

Sporadic Bad Encoder Values ... Rachel with Mr. Diamond as backup

Other... Multi-threaded Programming Pros makes it easier to program multiple things happening at once timing can be simpler easy to automate routines Cons CPU time CPU/Process interruption keeping track of everything We use it It is a personal preference Evan

3rd Party Driver Suite Using Xander's 3rd party driver suite Mr. Diamond

Automated Functions Automate routine functions Robots are good at Doing the same thing Repetitive tasks Controlling/manipulating multiple parts at once Humans are less capable of Exact repetition Performing under pressure Rachel

Preset Positions Nathan This video shows an example of automated functions on our Ring It Up Robot! We created 3 preset positions for each height on the rack using automated functions activated by one button

Bowled Over Robot Nathan An example of more complex automated functions that are coordinating the movement of three joints

Sensors, MUXes, SMUXes, and Wires

MUXes HiTechnic Sensor MUX HiTechnic Touch MUX Sean Sensor multiplexer has an independent battery power source. The SMUX pictured uses the old style 9v box, the newer SMUXs use AA batteries. Touch multiplexer does not have its own power supply, and it can only be used for touch sensors.

NXT Sensors Gyro IR-Seeker Light Accelerometer Angle Color Ultrasonic EOPD Nathan Sensors SMUX More sensors! To give a sensor its own power supply Gyro To know the direction we are pointing Compass can be affected by the other metal around it Odometry can be affected by hitting other objects and wheel slippage IR-Seeker Used to detect the IR beacons that usually used during the autonomous period of the game Light Finding lines Lets you know exactly where you are by known field element locations (recalibrate position) Accelerometer Used to detect acceleration or angle Angle Measure angle on driven axle It stores it between power cycles (even if it has moved with the power off) Don’t have to worry about gear changes EOPD Measures distance Color Can tell the difference between actual colors rather than the amount of light reflected off a surface Can also be used like a regular light sensor

Encoders and Thermal Motor Cables Encoders are used to measure distance More accurate than time-based movement Will keep pushing until travels far enough Fragile and expensive, so be careful Only use thermal cables for testing Nathan Thermal cables should only be used for testing because they limit the amount of power the motors can receive Additionally, after a thermal cable trips, the threshold for failure will increase, eventually creating an unusable cable

Custom Parts

Prototyping Use easy to manipulate materials (cardboard, foam board, duct tape, etc) Revise as needed before final part (saves time and money) Brianna

CAD Programs PTC Creo Pro Autodesk Inventor Gear Generator http://woodgears.ca/gear/index.html Joey Design First PTC Creo-Sponsors First Autodesk-What Metro uses -Easy to learn -Measure Twice, cut once, i.e gearboxes worked on first assembly Gear Generator -Creates patterns for involute gears, to be made with various materials -Involute=curved teeth -Understands the complexity of the gears -4251 cuts gears with teeth a little bigger, needs finer tools

Tools Laser Cutter CNC Machine Sheet Metal Shear Sheet Metal Brake Polycarb and PETG Sheet Metal Brake Machine Lathe Evan

Steel and Plastic When to use steel Your best plastics PETG Delrin Polycarbonate Lauren

3D Printing When to print your own parts Web order 3D printing (Shapeways) Some companies can print steel Andymark Samantha brackets Sean Good for prototyping In general not very strong unless you have access to a high quality printer Andymark has a file for a 3-D printable Samantha Bracket available for free on their website (based on our original laser cut design)

What to Buy

Important Extra Parts Extra channel “L”s, “C”s, and inside “C”s 1.25in aluminum stock “L”s, “C”s, and inside “C”s Other size and length (still 6/32) nuts and bolts Plastics PETG Delrin McMaster Carr Nylocks Locking set screws Countersunk screws Nathan Petg plastic is stronger, and cheaper than delrin. It also is translucent which makes it good for shields. Delrin is good for gears and other moving parts because it is self lubricating. Both can be cut on most laser cutters.

Sources of Information

Useful Websites Official Game Forum http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/forum.php Chief Delphi http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=146 ROBOTC Forum http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=52 Xander Soldaat http://botbench.com/blog/ Cougar Robotics http://cougarrobot.com/ Patronum Bots http://www.patronumbots.com/ Sean

Additional Useful Websites Hitechnic http://www.hitechnic.com/ Lego Education http://www.legoeducation.us/ Digikey http://www.digikey.com/ McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/# Instructables http://www.instructables.com/member/Cougar+Robotics/ FIRST Fundraising Toolkit - for notebook and fundraising information http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/first-fundraising-toolkit Sean

General Discussion and Open Workshop