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Articles by Jean Wilczynski
Getting started again
Will they go for the high goal? Holding my breath!
@ FIRST championships
Scenes from St. Louis
Best Match for the Ticks so far
128 points …. Moving up
Ready for our Next Outing in Hartford
Wishing good luck at the Midwest Regional to Tick Alum Tim Wilczynski mentoring Team 111 – WildStang!
Our Second Match …
Breached rough terrain and chevalier de frise!
First match set up
O- Red alliance won Qualification Match #2 — 67 – 15
Will the electronics fit?
Robot is starting to take shape…
The system works – our students are making parts with guidance and oversight of mentors!
Manufacturing Parts with the Plasma Cutter
After the Snow … Jumping into Saturday Morning
Busy Ticks Making Progress – Feb 3-4
A Productive Week with plenty of Student Activity!
Holding Strong at the end of January
With 23 days remaining in the 2016 Build Season, the Team is holding strong to this year’s mantra of designing FIRST.
Physical prototyping has been minimized but ideas have continued to flow. Now we will see how the ideas come together in the physical robot…
Short Week – Productive Design Work
With Mid-term Exams and a Saturday snow closing, our work week was compressed, but we are making progress with our student-led, strategy-based design process and defining our programming needs.
Discussing the Basic Design Using “Chunky CAD”
Challenge Day 2
Practice is critical to success of any team. Tonight we practiced designing in CAD, using new machining tools, and programming techniques.
In Between Competitions – March 11th
With a few weeks between District competitions, the team spent a Wednesday night reviewing and contemplating modifications to their strategies, their driving and the robot itself. Continuous improvement!
Happy Valentine’s Day – Beating the the Next Blizzard
Refining the various components to improve our competitiveness…
Getting down to the wire with a blizzard warning on the radar!
Day 40 – Productive Testing
Making the most of a slow night in the shop
Day 39 – Driving, Testing, Modifying
Following yet another snow day… many students were out due to rehearsal for the Band Concert. But some good testing took place and led to discussions of modifications and programming needs.
Day 36 – Testing the Design and Production
This was a day to continue adding components and to test and refine the design. All the teams are coming together and fitting their components into a complete, functional robot.
Prototyping Protective Cones – February 7, 2015
To provide protection for the intake motors at the ends of the intake mechanism, protective cones have been designed. The ultimate goal is to produce them using the 3-D printer. Because the 3-D printer supplies are costly, the team opted to prototype with a vacuum-molding process. The prototype was designed in CAD. The mold was cut into foam on the Shopbot and then smoothed and covered with aluminum foil to prevent melting of the foam during the vacuum molding process. The molded cones (made of a thin plastic material) were then installed on the robot for testing. A few modifications have been made to allow for wiring and testing. Any modifications will be added to the CAD drawing to ensure that the final design is available for the 3D printing process. Laura Lee and Everett were the key design/production managers on this project, with assistance from Mr. Derry, Mr. Trudeau, and Mr. Goss.
Day 32 – Hard at Work
Day 30 – Elevator Operational!
After a delicious pancake breakfast hosted by the local Lions Club, the Ticks got to work. By the end of the day the elevator was operational and the intake was revised and improved. Progress!
Pancake Breakfast Hosted by Lyme-Old Lions Club
One Month Down … Starting to look like a working ‘bot
Chassis Team checking master links and monitoring testing for issues as components come online Elevator Team working on the carriage Fork Team milling flaps Intake Team installing stops, modifying wheels and working on belt system Programming and Wiring Team working on getting the control system into the chassis and...
Installing the Elevator Shafts
Day 28 – Starting to Get it Together
A productive Friday evening in the shops…
Day 27 – Post Storm Action
We missed 4 days this week due to weather-related school closures. A sense of urgency and purpose prevailed all evening. Parts being made, supplies ordered, designs refined.
Day 23 – Before the Storm…
Day 20 – Busy Thursday
Day 11 – Skeleton Crew…
With Mid-terms pending, many students spent the work window studying instead of working in the shop. But those of us here made the most of our time – testing programs, modifying designs and documenting our activities.
Day 10 – Testing Ideas
Day 9 – Divide to Conquer
Dividing the team into small groups has us moving ahead this weekend with refining the various elements to meet our overall desired strategic goals. We have observed interactions among the groups and each group has progressed to CAD and prototyping to test different ideas. The control/programming group is supporting the other groups’ efforts as well as developing their own programming and control system skills.
Jared Sophie & Hunter reviewing some drawings with Mr. Bersing & Mr. Derry
Norman and Hunter workign with Mr. Derry
Mr. Congdon and Aiden looking at wheel options for the drive system
Mr. Petri helping Anna with a part
David with Mr. Hendrick and Mr.Foster
Mr. Gentry showing Shannon & Sophie how to develop the parts list
Programmers review code from Saturday
Gabriel & Sam handle some wiring
Mr Borden shows Sam & Gabriel some techniques
Norman & Justin work on Chassis
One Week Down!
Nate & Mr. Bersing selecting materiel
Max working on CAD drawing
Tom & Burnes workign on CAD
Mr. Hendrick, David, Patrick, Mr. Foster, Max
Anna working on intake
Anna & Hayden discussing intake methods
Mr. hendrick, David & Mr. Foster looking at fork
Mr. Bersing & Laura Lee with elevator
Norm & Justin on chassis prototyping
Matt with electrical components
Mr. Trudeau, Norm, Aiden, Mr. Congdon review chassis and drive ideas
Mr. Borden, Matt, Jared checking out the wiring on 2014 bot
Matt, Jared, Shannon testing wiring
Mrs. DiCarlo & Shannon checking the connections
Mr. Bozenhard & Anna on intake ideas
Intake Mechansim
Chassis/Drive with basic electronics
Elevator Mecahnism
