FTC Meeting #1 – September 09, 2024

Icebreaker:

This was our first meeting. We introduced ourselves by saying our names and schools, and learned how to sign-in on the attendance tablets. Not everyone was at kickoff so we watched the game reveal video again.

Then we talked about the game and what made it interesting. We tried to remember what all the parts were called, like the SAMPLES and CHAMBERS of the SUBMERSIBLE. We discussed the general layout of the FIELD. Some things we had to look up in the game manual.

Things we wanted to understand first:

1. How big the robot could be (18x18x18 starting)
2. How big it could get (20×42 horizontally, no limit vertically)
3. How heavy it could be (no limit)

Then we made sure we understood how the game was timed and scored by reviewing the autonomous, teleoperated, and end game periods, and going over what points we could earn in each. The one-page document was really helpful. Then we talked about how we want to play the game. We decided that the things worth more points are better and probably take about as much time to complete.

How we want to play:

1. Autonomous
   a. SAMPLES in the HIGH BASKET
   b. LEVEL 1 ASCENT
2. Teleoperated
   a. SAMPLES in the HIGH BASKET
   b. SPECIMENS on the HIGH CHAMBER (if the BASKETS fill up)
   c. SAMPLES in the NET ZONE
3. End Game
   a. LEVEL 2 ASCENT

BASKETS and CHAMBERS

We are concerned about the time it will take to prepare a SPECIMEN. It might take too long and the extra two points might not be worth it, so we are going to focus on the BASKETS until they are full. We can also score YELLOW SAMPLES in the BASKET, so there should be less competition for resources if we focus on YELLOW SAMPLES first.

NET ZONE

We also decided that we need a pusher so we can push SAMPLES into the NET ZONE if they fall or are in our way.

ENDGAME

We wanted to try for a LEVEL 3 ASCENT, but after checking in the manual the robot would need to be fully supported by the LOW RUNG and then transition to the HIGH RUNG. It’s not impossible but would be harder. We will keep it as an option if we have extra time.

GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM

In general we agreed that these are our goals, and that we might not achieve them, but that we will try our best and see what happens. We also discussed GRACIOUS PROFESSIONALISM and what it means on the field and on our team. We agreed that even though we might disagree with each other’s ideas and not always get along, that every person is important and deserves to have their thoughts, ideas, and feelings heard.

What our robot should look like:

1. Arm:
   1. Extend outwards to pick up samples from inside the SUBMERSIBLE
   2. Strong
   3. Extend upwards to score in the BASKETS. Maybe it can pivot?
   4. Pull downwards if we want to score SPECIMENS
   5. Hook to hang from – a “manipulator on both sides”
2. Front
   1. Plow for easy points in the NET ZONE
3. Drive:
   1. Mecanum
4. Manipulator
   1. Rotating? Two arms? Clamp as a hanging hook? Not sure yet.
5. Sensors
   1. A camera to read the apriltags and figure out where we are on the FIELD
   2. A sensor to figure out where the arm is
   3. Something to tell the distance to the SAMPLES
   4. Something in the manipulator to tell it to grab or stop

After agreeing that we knew how we wanted to play the game, we started talking about what the robot needs to look like and what mechanisms it needs to have. We asked a mentor to cut a block of wood about the size of a SAMPLE so we could visualize better.

The Arm

We started by discussing how to get up high enough to score in the BASKETS and hang. We decided the robot should have some kind of arm. We learned about the different ways other teams have solved this issue, including scissor lifts, telescoping tubes, jointed arms, and linear actuators. One of the students on FRC 180 SPAM showed us two examples of linear actuators – a drawer slide and a collapsable carbon tube. We liked the carbon tube but it might be complicated to design. We will see what happens and decided that a two-jointed arm or a drawer slide would be a good backup plan.

Drivetrain and Other Stuff

We learned how to find the FTC website, game manual, and game animation video. Then we went on the GoBILDA website to decide on a drive train. We decided that tank treads are awesome, but probably too heavy and not maneuverable. We also discussed swerve drives like on the FRC robot, “car wheels”, and omni wheels. Then we discussed what we wanted the robot to be able to do, and decided we wanted to be able to rotate and translate, or be “vectorable”, and that mecanum wheels are a good fit for our needs.

Homework and Closing:

It was about time to end the meeting, so we quickly talked about what sensors we need and agreed that we should oil or remove the squeaky chair. We ended the meeting by making sure that nobody had any other ideas to discuss or didn’t get the chance to say something they wanted to. We agreed that our homework was to come up with robot designs for what we agreed on doing.

Links we want to save:

Specific:

The Game Video – https://youtu.be/WoqDavYyLLU

The Game Manual – https://ftc-resources.firstinspires.org/file/ftc/game/manual

The Onepage – https://ftc-resources.firstinspires.org/file/ftc/game/game-one-page

Robot Parts (GoBilda) – https://www.gobilda.com/

General:

INTO THE DEEP Information Page – https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc/game-and-season

Season Materials (game manual and updates) – https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/game-and-season-info