Team Nine/Final Paper
Contents |
Introduction
Team 9 (i.e. Team Underpowered -- U.P.) consists of three practical and mechanically-savvy AeroAstro students and two C.S. rockstars. We formed because of strong UROP, fraternity, and course major ties, but we stayed together and finished strong because of our mutual respect and dedication to our beloved robot.
The Team
With Kurtzy, Tratt, and E.Jordan spearheading the design of the mechanical monster and Sandy + Lerner = let there be code, our team subdivides based on expertise to great effect. 3D printing blackbelt Kurtzy, also the woodshop master at Simmons, has the most experience with fabrication and assembly of badass projects. Resident chess expert Tratt helps with the strategic sacrifices. E.Jordan definitely carries the team when it comes to being lolzy. Sandy Cheeks cannot be bothered to debug since his code is so darn fly. Why is he called Lerner? Since he already learned everything he needs to know. In kindergarten.
Our Philosophy
Win.
Strategy Rationale
Imagine you have two stacks, one red and one green, with n blocks each. If you pick up a stack of 3 blocks, 2 red and 1 green, is it more beneficial to sort them and increased n^2 or to place them on the central table as a stack of 3? These are the questions you must ask.
Initial Thoughts
Given that the table option increased the score multiplier, unless n is less than or equal to 3, then it is beneficial to place the stack on the table. Our initial thoughts centered on maximizing points, but with changes to the game rules, our final strategy is to score in all possible ways, using two tall canisters to sort and stack the blocks while placing a stack on the center table to obtain the 3x multiplier if possible.
Key Design Considerations
Stacking the blocks flush with the ground at all times ensures point scoring even in the event of catastrophic robot failure. Tolerances on key hardware such as stack canisters, claw, and dispenser mechanism are engineered such that passive geometries will enable 100% success rates in block flow without jamming. Software is created as simply as possible to increase robustness; simple wall following and Boolean block finding methods enable easy block collection with minimal efficiency sacrifices.
Goal
Our goal is to collect all block stacks, place one with our color at the top on a middle table, and deposit one large stack in the purple area to score with the opponent's color while scoring with our color at our end position on the field. We should in theory get (6^2 + 6^2 + 3^2 ) * 3 = 243 points with 7 green and 8 red starting blocks on the field.
Key Hardware
Measure twice, cut once.
Claw
Our robot would be nothing if it could not pick up blocks. Through two iterations of claw design, we discovered that robustness is necessary when teammates step on components. The final version of the claw includes an approximately 3" diameter cylindrical grip with mdf paneling to allow for slippage when depositing blocks onto the turntable sorter. The diameter enables gripping of blocks in any orientation with respect to the xy-plane, and the geared, servo-actuated opening and closing enables a large enough sweep area for ease of control when aligning and picking up block stacks.
Turntable Sorter
The turntable slide is angled both backward and sideways to let science happen (gravity). Blocks are deposited by the claw into the channel where they rest until color is detected by a homemade LED-photocell sensor. Proper alignment for the turntable is chosen based on the sensed color; after the turntable is moved to the correct position by the 131:1 Pololu motor, a servo-actuated puncher pushes the block out of the opening and the block falls nicely into our stack. Even if it didn't fall nicely, the geometry of the components would ensure proper stacking. The puncher is designed to constrain other blocks from falling while the known-color block is being sorted.
