Team 6978 Week 5 Update
Week 2-5 • February 2024
Thank you for all your support of our team! Without your sponsorship, this build season would not be possible. Here is what we have been working on over the past week.
A visit from the MPP
On Saturday, February 10th, Quickstrike welcomed a visit from Sam Oosterhoff, MPP of Niagara West. During his visit, students provided an overview of this year's game and conducted a demonstration of the robot. The discussion delved into the intricacies of the robot's construction and assembly process, exploring the diverse skills necessary to accomplish these tasks.
We explored the potential skills and abilities that students can acquire through robotics, emphasizing teamwork and confidence-building. A notable aspect is that many students who may not have a typical interest in sports find a valuable avenue in robotics teams. Within this environment, they develop hands-on building experience and enhance their self-confidence in their abilities.
Testing
This week, we concluded testing on our four-wheel shooter. Our upcoming objectives involve incorporating vision technology to autonomously adjust the shooter's angle, allowing precise shooting from any location on the field. Additionally, we successfully completed testing on our climbing mechanism, a strategic move that promises valuable points towards the end of the game.
Our focus persists on refining our two-note autonomous program, with the ultimate goal of expanding its capabilities to collect three or four notes. A significant aspect of this effort involves the implementation of a path-following system. Leveraging encoder sensors on the drive motors for the drive train, we employ odometry tracking and differential drive kinematics to precisely monitor the robot's position on the field. To execute this, we utilize a closed-loop feedback controller, ensuring accurate path following during gameplay.
Here's a video of our autonomous program:
Next Steps
In the week ahead, our agenda includes the disassembly of the robot for sandblasting, followed by a fresh coat of paint in our team colours. Once the reassembly is finished, we'll proceed with extensive testing and programming, complemented by visits to the practice field for additional driving tests.
