2011:2/1/2011

Drivetrain

Drivetrain is complete. Spacers for sprockets are here and need to be put on. Current weight: 32.74 lb.

Arm/Manipulator

All the arm parts and most of the tower parts are out for manufacture. Somewhere between 1 and 20 small details need to be figured out for manufacture, but those should be done soon. Mounting points for deployer need to be integrated. Current weight for arm/superstructure/chain: 25 lb. Current weight for manipulator: 5 lb.

Minibot/Deployer

Changed from the big air spring to three smaller dampeners: slide tubing will now be 1" x 1" x 1/16", small air springs will sit inside the 1" x 1" tubes, and that will replace the surgical tubing for extending the slide. Will lay this out in CAD tonight, then work on the tusks. Parts for minibot have been sent to Harris. Current weight for minibot: 3.7 lb. Current weight for deployer: 12 lb.

Electrical Main

Electronics tray I/O has been done. Current weight: 17.34 lb. (with tray, but no wire weight). Brackets and material for battery has been re-done. Material for sides has not been determined yet.

Electrical Controls

Final design is done, with printed diagram of everything - one flat panel, no folding. There will be five presets: low, mid, high, feeder, and floor. Low/mid/high are set for the left and right pegs; the center column of pegs will require fine-tuning. May need to integrate variable speed for the manipulator spinning the tubes (i.e., changing their angle). May also need to integrate a "reverse" switch (maybe the throttle on the Saitek joystick). Need to decide on "lockout" (hardware or software) for tusks and minibot deployer. May be 18-20 lbs., might put backpack straps on it.

Programming

Working on preventing the minibot from deploying before the 10-second-left mark (by using a timer from match start). May also have a similar timer for the "tusks," but with a longer time range.