2009 Build Log

Week 1

	Week 1
	Build Season Begins! On kickoff day, we went over the basics of the game and strategized, ensuring that everyone understood the game sections, scoring, and robot rules. We also had other teams such as those from Cupertino and Mission San Jose as guests during this time. More than 120 mentors, students, and parents attended kick-off, which took place in the auditorium. The discussions included STEM education as well as an in-depth analysis of the game and possible strategies which could be implemented. Guest speakers present at the event included Representative Albert Beltran from Congressman Mike Honda's office, the MVRT alumnus Patrick Wang, and MVRT mentor Mauri Latinen.
	Brainstorming Then, we divided into two prototyping groups and brainstormed different designs for the robot. Afterwards, the two best candidates for the final design were the one with the conveyor belt and the one with the elevator. Our biggest concern as of now is that the ball will get jammed if it is not continuously moving.
	Planning & Prototyping After a almost a week of prototyping, we decided to hold our first design review on Monday, January 12 instead of Thursday the 8th, giving us more time to perfect the designs. We continued to work on the prototypes to get them ready for the first design review at the beginning of next week.

	Week 2
	Design Review I The first design review on January 12 was a success - several parents and mentors attended to give us their input on the two main designs. Right now, it seems that the conveyor design is doing better amongst the parents. We have never made a robot using a conveyor belt before, so some members of the team are a bit nervous. But overall, both prototypes were well-liked and they worked efficiently.
	Choosing a Design We finally had to decide between the conveyor belt design and the elevator design. The team went over the pros and cons of each design, grading each design on various aspects such as efficiency. After three tied votes, the team chose the conveyor belt over the elevator.
	Dividing into Groups We broke up into new groups which inventorized the design and worked on the chassis. The conveyor belt prototype was tested and worked, but some changes need to be implemented. Electical division members are going through LabView tutorials to get familiarized with the new interface.

	Week 3
	Programming The electrical members tested out drive code in LabView and began programming the gyro and accelerometer. Then they began experimenting with the autonomous code provided by FIRST.
	Design Review II The shooter, chassis, and two conveyor belt designs were presented during the review. Some issues that came up included wheel alley problems and possible weight problems. Some parents and mentors were concerned that the robot would go overweight or would tip over during competition.

	Week 4
	Testing Prototypes In order to test the prototype to make sure it wouldn't tip over, we crashed last year's robot with the new prototype and it only fell over once during the many tries. Also, the shooter needs some work because it doesn't shoot far enough.
	Programming Problems The drive code seems to be working fairly well after several different versions. However the gyro code still has some problems and we are hoping to integrate PID into the code. There is a lot of work yet to be done and only a few more days remaining!

	Week 5
	Progress Slowdown... In the past days, Build attendance has sharply dropped and its seems as though we aren't making too much progress. Yes, many members still come and work on programming or building the final conveyor belt, but many haven't come and we need to finish our robot in just over a week. However, the robot is in good shape and it should be ready to test and drive in a matter of days.
	Adding Pneumatics Over the weekend we added the pneumatics system to the robot and tested it out with the newly-written LabView code. The tests were successful and the wall next to the conveyor belt goes in and out, allowing the robot to store the balls there.

	Week 6
	An Early Start On the last day of build, MVRT members met at 10 AM to complete building, testing, and other final touches. Another trip was made to NASA to continue driver practice and to complete all coding. We also took the time to clean up the mess that was piling on the tables in the woodshop and F108.
	Shipping After the compressor code was fixed, the robot was placed into the crate and prepared for shipment. After six stressful yet incredibly fun weeks, MVRT successfully shipped El Toro! We are all excitedly waiting for competition.

News

Be sure to come to F108 during lunch on February 2 for an important meeting regarding regionals!

Since build is underway, please check the Snack Schedule to find out which week you are assigned to bring snacks.

Check out the Breakout Game Review presented during kickoff to learn more abou this year's game.

Watch the NASA webcast of the live kickoff in Manchester.

Please remember to check our calendar for updates regarding other upcoming events.

Important Links