1. Robot Kit Familiarization
Carolyn Bauer
July 20-21, 2017

2. We Provide Materials to Build a Robot
What
Includes
Agreement
Returnable Kit
Electronics, Motors, Servos, Roller Blade Wheel, Pulleys, Returnable Tote, Consumable Tote, and Inventory sheet ~$900
Loaned to school, must be returned at Game Day in good condition or by early February if loan form completed.
Consumable Kit
Plastic & Metal; Wood and Foam; PVC pipes & fittings; Hardware; Electrical; Tapes & Adhesives; Threaded Fasteners; Misc. and Inventory sheet ~$250
May return any leftover material by early February – helps reduce our cost
Game Field Pieces
A sample of some of the objects the robot maneuver during the game
May return any leftover pieces by early February
Software License
Robot control and design software options
Varies by Software License. One optional license requires low cost

3. Returnable Kit
Provided to you in a red tote with a kit number at Kickoff with kit loan form
Use the returnable kit items carefully – we inventory, test, refurbish & use next year
Return the red tote and all the contents
Do an inventory immediately after Kickoff!
Do it again before you return the kit to us!
You will be charged for damaged / lost items

4. Returnable Kit List Reference Return Kit Photo Guide
BEST Control System Kit
Cortex Microcontroller, Joystick, batteries & chargers, communication keys
Large / small motors, motor controllers
Sensor & motor i/f cables, servo power cables
Programming hardware, USB A-A cable
BEST Servo Kit
4 Futaba 3003/3004 servos, horns & wires
BEST Motion Components Kit
Belts & pulleys & roller blade wheel & axle
Red and Blue Totes

5. NEW Returnable Kit Modifications
Wires are added to motor tabs:
soldered
heat shrink
zipped to protect
Battery charger switch caulked in safe mode

6. Consumable Kit
Provided to you in a blue tote with a kit number at Kickoff
Also provided are big items that don’t fit in the tote
Use / keep the Consumable kit items
Or return unused items to us
Return the blue tote

7. Consumable Kit List Reference Consumables Parts Guide
Igus® donated parts
Plastic & metal stock
Lumber / wood stock
PVC pipes & fittings
Hardware
Electrical
Slight modifications from previous list
3 items are removed each year (for a year) & previous items are returned
Tapes & adhesives
Threaded fasteners
Miscellaneous
Game field parts – you’ll need to create some for yourselves
Approved Optional Items you can use:
And they’re all cheap

8. Consumable Kit Parts Removal
Three pieces removed from last year’s kit will be returned to the list
Three new pieces will be removed from this year’s list

9. Team Custom Parts (2) No other kit parts may be embedded
No hazardous materials
No welding
Melting is ok
Chemical change is ok
See Generic Rules!
Made from uniform team-supplied material
Must fit into 2” x 4” x 4” cuboid
Single continuous piece of material
Basic raw stock form of the material must be used for construction

10. What About Sensors? Common in many robotics competitions
FLL uses optical sensors to “walk on a line”
Physical connection is to a digital port
Measures light or dark
Logic tells you if you are on the line or off
What kinds of sensors has BEST used?
Potentiometer (in Consumable Kit) measures the angle of something (like angle of arm)
BEST used a reed sensor to tell whether an egg had a magnet inside
Other sensors exist: e.g., touch sensors

11. BEST Generic Kit Usage Guide
Issued at Kickoff & includes these topics:
Batteries
VEX Cortex Microcontroller Operation
Basic Operation, Re-syncing the Controller & Joystick, Tethered Operation, VEXnet keys
VEX Cortex Microcontroller Connections
General, Servo Connections, Motor Connections, Analog & Digital Inputs
Using the Microswitches, Servo Notes
Wheel Attachments, Motor Mounting
Drive Component Usage

12. Proper Care & Use Most of this will be in the Generic Kit Usage Guide
Motor mounts protect the motors: at TMI, we’re using pipe hanger tape w/ special precautions: place near gear box & don’t overtighten
Motor controllers protect the motors
Servo power adapter cables protect the servos
DO NOT tape (other than blue electrical tape) on returnable items
Return Key Covers to Keys
Use correct Motor and Servo depending on weight lifted
Use your good sense!

13. Servos can handle only a fraction
Motors vs. Servos
Futaba S3003 servo
Torque:  2.75 in-lb Gear Type: Plastic
BEST Small Motor
Torque 9.49 in-lb Gear Type: Metal
BEST Large Motor
Torque in-lb Gear Type: Metal
Servos can handle only a fraction
of the load of motors 

14. Charge Batteries Charge batteries overnight before competitions.
Every team will have power in the pit.
Team-owned chargers are not allowed.
Have extra 6-packs of AAA batteries as backup.
Plug joystick into a/c adaptor at driver station.
Note battery cable modifications – unplug at red/black connections.
Take one up to demo

15. At Game Day
Inventory & return your Returnable Kit – including both totes OR
Keep your kit longer by submitting a Request for Loan of Returnable Kit Form
Return no later than February 28, 2017 (unless approved by your Hub Director)

16. Software List Software
easyC – program the robot
RobotC – program the robot
Mathworks Simulink – programming & simulation software
SolidWorks & SolidWorks Training– CAD software
Inspirtech HSM Works – CAM (Computer Aided Machining)
Mathematica Student Version – Computational
Links & keys provided at Kickoff in teacher packet

17. Software tools (1 of 2) Company Product Company Web Site Description
intelitek
easyC® v5 for Cortex
Robotic programming - easyC’s simple to use graphical interface does all of the syntax and spacing, allowing focus on program flow and design.
Robot C
Robot C for Cortex & PIC
Robotics programming - C-based programming language with a Windows environment for writing and debugging programs.
Company
Product
Company Web Site Description
MathWorks
Simulink (access to MATLAB)
Graphical editor, customizable block libraries, and solvers for modeling and simulating dynamic system. Build the model, simulate the model, analyze results, manage projects, and connect to hardware.
Wolfram
Mathematica
Computational Tool - applies intelligent automation in every part of the system, from algorithm selection to plot layout and user interface design, reliable, high-quality results without needing algorithm expertise.

18. Software tools (2 of 2) Company Product Company Web Site Description
Dassault Systèmes
SolidWorks
3D mechanical CAD, design validation, and data management - Intuitive 3D design puts your focus on innovation, accelerates your design process, higher process efficiency, improved collaboration.
HSM Works
Integrated CAM for SolidWorks - Create high-quality toolpaths within minutes, comprehensive 2D and 3D CAD capabilities of SolidWorks mechanical design solutions and quickly extend any knowledge gained to the CAM process.
SolidWize
Solidworks Tutorials
SolidWorks Training & Tutorials - structured training solution, with examples and exercises, structured in such a way that each topic can be either thoroughly examined or quickly understood, based on the student’s aptitude.

19. Kit Paperwork Reference
Returnable Kit List
Inventory list inside the red tote
Consumable Kit List
Inventory list inside the blue tote
Returnable Kit Agreement
You sign & submit at Kickoff to get the kits
Request for Loan of Returnable Kit
If you want to keep the kit after Game Day
Generic Kit Usage Guide
slightly modified from year to year
Software List
From BRI Resources listing
If they want to purchase from VEX, what do they need to buy?
2012 Returnable Kit agreement