Search Results

Found 38 Article(s):

Using the Engineering Design Process for Design of a Competition by John V-Neun
This paper is designed to provide a basic understanding of the engineering design process and how to apply it to design of a competition robot. Though the engineering design process can be implemented in a variety of ways, this paper will highlight one particular method. This paper is targeted primarily at beginners but may also be useful for more advanced designers.

Cyber Blue Design Process: 7 Stages for Continuous Development by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presented by Christopher Fultz, FRC234, at the 2012 FRC Kickoff Workshops.

The presentation with audio is available through the link(s) on the right. Due to internet connectivity issues during recording, it is possible that some videos may have low quality audio at times, cut in and out, or not show video at all times.

The video links on the right likely required the GoToMeeting codec to be downloaded in order to be viewed successfully. Due to this, some Apple machines and products may have difficulty viewing, although we are working on creating Mac-friendly copies. To download the codec, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com

Applying the Engineering Design Process to Competition Robots by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation given as part of the 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference sponsored by Rolls-Royce and WPI.

Why Design First by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation from the 2011 FRC Kickoff Workshop by Autodesk.

Team Continuity Plans: Business Plans to the Next Level by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation given by FRC234 as part of the 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference sponsored by Rolls-Royce and WPI.

Innovative Design and Prototyping by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Dan Larochelle

Presentation by Dan Larochelle as part of the 2009 FIRST Kickoff Workshops regarding FRC 40's innovative process for designing their robot and developing scale prototypes.

Electrical Design and Technique For Building A Competitive Robot by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation given by Al Skierkiewicz as part of the 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference sponsored by Rolls-Royce and WPI.

Collaborative Problem Solving by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Bill Hommes

2005 presentation covering FRC 365's method of brainstorming and selecting a robot design.

Designing Competitive Manipulators: The Mechanics & Strategy by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Greg Needel

2008 presentation on manipulator design, from both strategy and mechanical design standpoints.

Chassis Design Considerations by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Zan Hecht

This 2008 Workshop presentation covers the basic mechanics behind a FIRST robot chassis and how to design the best chassis for your application based on these principles.

Improving FIRST Design Book Submission by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: Wilczynski, Slezycki

The book "FIRST Robots: Behind the Design" profiles award winning teams from the FIRST Robotics Competition. The selected teams won one of the engineering design awards during the FIRST Robotics Competition season. Teams were selected for publication based on the quality of their submitted images and text that collectively told the story how the team progressed from idea to realization of their design. The purpose of the article is to inform teams how to increase the competitiveness of their submissions. Images submitted for the 2006 competition will be presented to illustrate the types of graphics that are most appealing for publication. Examples will be presented to highlight how an effective "design summary" can be created to best tell the team's story for building their FRC robot.

How to Print Your Own T-shirts for Fun and Profit by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Rick Folea

This article will show you an easy and inexpensive way to print your own team T-Shirts. We will walk through the T-Shirt printing process with focus on step-by-step procedure for printing a simple T-Shirt. Each participant will print their own shirt to take with them. We will have extra shirts available for folks to purchase ($2.50) or you can bring your own.

Manipulator & Appendage Design by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation from the 2011 FRC Kickoff Workshop by Andy Baker, Co-Founder of AndyMark, Inc.

Robonaut’s Crab Drive Wheel Box by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presentation given by FRC118 as part of the 2009 FIRST Robotics Conference sponsored by Rolls-Royce and WPI.

Electrical Design by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: Michael Dessingue, Steve Shade, Al Skierkiewicz

2005 presentation with tips and good practices for wiring a FIRST robot.

FIRST Robotics and its Relationship to Students' Attitudes Towar by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Anita Lundy

As a teacher in an inner city public high school, I listened to students express distain for science and engineering careers while at the same time desiring high paying, high profile jobs, such as professional athletes or entertainers. Students said they did not want to attend college for the eight or more years required to become medical doctors or research scientists. During my third year teaching at the high school, I helped organize a FIRST Robotics team. Eighteen students joined the first year and while the challenges of building a robot were at times insurmountable, many of the students seemed to enjoy the process. Their attitudes in science and math classes appeared to improve and their grades began to increase.

Solidworks 2007 Basic CAD Class by Jonathan Morgan
This curriculum is based around a 2 month (8 week) class schedule with class meetings once a week for two hours. We will cover all of the basic features of Solidworks that will be required for manufacturing simple parts, assemblies and drawings. Each class will be based around a goal(part, sketch, assembly, drawing) that will be created by the end of the class.

Calibrating the Axis 206 camera for Green Light tracking. by Phil Malone
Initial experiments during beta testing showed that this camera had difficulty with the FRC green (cold cathode) target light because the camera saw the localized brightness of the light as white. This apparent “white” color made target discrimination difficult. Unfortunately there is no programmatic way to instruct the camera to reduce its exposure enough for the target light to be seen as “green”.

This document describes one method to “trick” the camera into running with the appropriate exposure. The process involves placing the camera in “Auto Exposure” mode while completely filling the camera’s field of view with the green target light. Once the camera has automatically reduced the exposure to the point where the light appears green, the exposure is set to “Hold Current” which locks-in the desired exposure. Since this setting is non-volatile, as long as the robot program does not put the camera back in Auto Exposure, the software will be able to identify and track the target light.

Strategies for Conceptual Modeling & Assembly Planning with CAD by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presented by Scott Morris and Jordan Cox, PTC, at the 2012 FRC Kickoff Workshops.

The presentation with audio is available through the link(s) on the right. Due to internet connectivity issues during recording, it is possible that some videos may have low quality audio at times, cut in and out, or not show video at all times.

The video links on the right likely required the GoToMeeting codec to be downloaded in order to be viewed successfully. Due to this, some Apple machines and products may have difficulty viewing, although we are working on creating Mac-friendly copies. To download the codec, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com

Low Cost Robotics: Using Vex in FRC Prototyping by Arthur Dutra III
FRC Team 228, Gus Robotics, has been using the Vex Robotics Design System to build prototype models of its FRC robots since 2005.

Effective FIRST Strategies by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Kangasabapathy

This presentation offers a variety of strategies for different portions of the FRC season, starting with methods of selecting a design then moving on to optimizing match strategies.

Advanced Drivetrain Calculations by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: removed

This 2005 presentation covers the basics of gearbox design, selecting a motor for the application and includes a spreadsheet to help you with the calculations.

Fast Track Your Robot Design by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presented by Phil Dollan, Autodesk, at the 2012 FRC Kickoff Workshops.

The presentation with audio is available through the link(s) on the right. Due to internet connectivity issues during recording, it is possible that some videos may have low quality audio at times, cut in and out, or not show video at all times.

The video links on the right likely required the GoToMeeting codec to be downloaded in order to be viewed successfully. Due to this, some Apple machines and products may have difficulty viewing, although we are working on creating Mac-friendly copies. To download the codec, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com

Using VEX to Supercharge your FRC Team by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: Dan Larochelle, Griffith

Many teams wish that they could test their strategies earlier in the season rather than at the competition. This presentation shows the method used by FRC Team 40 to decide upon a design for their robot. The method used is called mini FRC, which is basically a miniaturized version of FRC created with VEX kits.

Strategy, Game Play and Effective Design by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Strategy is essential to a successful FIRST team. This presentation describes strategies that can be used in each portion of the season, from dissecting the game to scouting to alliance selection to game play.

Brainstorming by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Paul Ventimiglia

A 2008 Rookie Workshop covering basic brainstorming techniques.

FRC Robot Design: A Team Approach by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Author: Andy Baker

The build season is the most active time for any FIRST team. This shows the approach of one team to organization. Tips are organized in to ten sections, based on the build season.

Agile Design for FIRST Robotics by Greg Marra
Recently, in the field of Software Engineering, a growing movement has arisen known as "Agile Development". The practices behind Agile Development were designed to help tackle large projects and manage engineering teams effectively. Many of the core Agile tenants can be applied beyond the scope of Software Engineering, and can help FRC teams focus their energy when designing and fabricating their robots. Hopefully you can take some of these practices back to your team to reduce design problems, increase hands on experiences and system understanding, and have more fun!

FRC 2010 5thGear Simulation by
The 5thGear FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) strategy and driver training simulation/tool has been updated to simulate the 2011 FRC game, Logomotion. With continuing support from Lockheed Martin, volunteers annually improve the simulator; and once again, together with FIRST and WPI, they are offering the simulator for FRC Teams and other users to freely download. In an expansion of last FRC season's similar activities, Lockheed Martin and volunteers intend to use 5th Gear in exhibitions and informal tournaments at many FRC regional tournaments and off-season events.

Axis 206 Camera Green Lamp Imaging by Dave Doerr
The Axis 206 Network Camera can be used to image the green cold-cathode lamp used in the 2006 and 2007 FRC games, but the default camera settings do not work well for that application. To complicate matters, the camera interface does not provide a method to directly set the camera to work well with the FRC green lamp. This article explains why the default settings do not work well and how to indirectly change the settings for excellent green lamp imaging.

Robot Games: Using FRC Skills to Become a Video Game Maker by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presented by Microsoft, at the 2012 FRC Kickoff Workshops.

The presentation with audio is available through the link(s) on the right. Due to internet connectivity issues during recording, it is possible that some videos may have low quality audio at times, cut in and out, or not show video at all times.

The video links on the right likely required the GoToMeeting codec to be downloaded in order to be viewed successfully. Due to this, some Apple machines and products may have difficulty viewing, although we are working on creating Mac-friendly copies. To download the codec, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com .

Robot Drive System Fundamentals by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
A presentation of the basic considerations that affect mobile robot drive systems. This presentation includes sections on drive system requirements, traction fundamentals, FIRST motors, gearing fundamentals, a system design example, and practical considerations. It reflects the lessons learned by two long-time competitors in the FIRST Robotics Competition. It discusses both real-world issues and uses basic equations and calculations. Extensive use is made of photos and diagrams. This presentation is aimed at students, teachers, and engineering mentors involved in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Wiring an FRC Robot by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: Michael Dessingue, Alan Skierkiewicz

Michael Dessingue and Alan Skierkiewicz, both long time FIRST veterans will discuss electrical strategies, design, wiring and termination techniques for efficient and robust robot electrical systems. Discussion will include layout, mounting techniques, wire choice and termination, component position and use and tooling choices. Included will be discussions on the new terminal blocks, common mistakes and misinformation, and a simple method for determining voltage losses in electrical wiring and how these losses affect the RC and motor operation. A comprehensive list of part numbers for tools and components used in the demonstration will also be provided.

Underwater FIRST? FIRST Teams in the National Underwater Robotic by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
The experience a team goes through in FIRST enables teams to enter other robotics competitions and be very successful. Using Innovation FIRST robot control systems, a team need only acquire a few more components to build an underwater robot to compete in the National Underwater Robotics Challenge. The competition is hosted by FRC team 842, previously featured in Wired Magazine and ABC Nightline and team 1290 in a collaborative effort to get FIRST teams involved in a new “angle” in robotics competitions. FRC team 842 has been one of the top underwater robot teams in the country for 3 years straight, beating teams like MIT. This presentation will show teams how they can use their FIRST training to use FRC and FVC control systems to operate an ROV, or remotely operated vehicle. The basics of ROV design and operation will be covered as well as the parameters of the competition.

Building a FIRST Robotics Team Utilizing the VEX System and Reco by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Authors: Ken and Donna Rillings

A 2007 presentation on successful use of the VEX platform as a gateway to FRC.

Team Spirit Presentation by Nicholas Galotti
A presentation given at the 2008 Rookie Workshops in Manchester, New Hampshire to give rookie teams an idea of what happens at competitions and how to prepare for them. The presentation covers choosing team names, team colors, t-shirts, and what buttons are.

Using Belts & Belt Drives by Robotics Resource Center (WPI)
Presented by Eric Bjork from Gates Corporation at the 2012 FRC Kickoff Workshops.

The presentation with audio is available through the link(s) on the right. Due to internet connectivity issues during recording, it is possible that some videos may have low quality audio at times, cut in and out, or not show video at all times.

The video links on the right likely required the GoToMeeting codec to be downloaded in order to be viewed successfully. Due to this, some Apple machines and products may have difficulty viewing, although we are working on creating Mac-friendly copies. To download the codec, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/codec?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com

Forming A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit For A Robotics Team by Arthur Dutra III
This document outlines the work Gus Robotics Team, Inc. has gone through to obtain 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation status. It is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice.