2011:Controls 1.16

Attendance

Start time:12PM

End time:

Members present: Crystal, Rachel, Eric, Collin, Gafei

Members Attending Next Meeting:

Tasks Completed

• Completed a preliminary prototype for a proposed controller design using 4 joysticks.
  
• • There will be two joysticks for thd drivetrain, one joystick for an arm, and another joystick mounted 90 degrees next to the joystick for the arm used to control the manuipulator.
    
• There was a 1PM-2:30PM meeting with the Electrical Controls group, the Strategy group, and the programming group to discuss the design, and possible capabilities to accomplish the robot's tasks.
  
• XBOX 360 Controllers are NOT going to be used; Instead a preliminary design of four joysticks will be used.
  
• We voted on which controller types we were going to use for the arm and manipulator.
  
• The arm will be joystick based.
  
• The Manipulator is going to be a "Twister" type. (sigh.)
  
• A 2nd meeting started at 7:15PM with the strategy team numbers, programming team numbers, and members of the electrial controls team.
  • We defined Control functions as a consensus
  • We showed our mock prototype using different combinations of old controllers to show how the current proposed design would look like.
  • We proposed to change the layout of the controls to something more practical.
  • The control team argued that the joystick was awkward.
  • Members of the strategy and some programming team numbers determined that it was NOT awkward and that it felt "natural" to use a "twister" type of control.

Tasks In Progress

• Discussions with the strategy, programming, and drivetrain team are still in progress. This will allow us to solidfy our designs.
  
• There are current ongoing discussions about the manipulator usabillity, practibility and whether or not it could be implemented another way.

Tasks to Complete 

• Parts need to be ordered relatively soon.
• Design needs to be somewhat solidified or finalized before the ordering of parts.
• Materials for the controller enclosure need to be determined.

Materials Needed

• No materials needed at this moment.
  
• Possible purchasing of joysticks for the twister.