Team Frostbyte 754

OK Team,

This is the last weekend before our competition in Milwaukee.

Below is an e-mail from the Wisconsin planning Committee with some important information about the regional!   I will need a completed FIRST consent form, so our team can register.  Stop my the M&M plaza to pick up a form or print one off from www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=8128

As a reminder we are meeting this Saturday 9:00am -1:00pm at both the M&M Plaza and at NWTC. At NWTC we need help in cutting medallions; at the M&M Plaza we will be doing some driving practice.

We have last year’s robot driving just like this year, and the record for one lap so far is 16.1 sec held by Jeremy.

I look forward to seeing everyone.

OK team, yesterday we were able to get last years robot back up and running, Great Teamwork thanks to Rick, Matt, Jerrid, John, Victor, Matt Goldstine, Andrew, and Tyler. This is the type of teamwork we’ll need in the pit down in Milwaukee.

As a reminder to all, you will need to stop in at the M&M Plaza to get a FIRST Consent form, pls fill out this form and get it back to me prior to next Thursday.

We will be meeting tonight 4:30 -6:30 to practice driving and pre-stage the pit design.

Don’t forget Tue next week 11March the Marquette TV station will be at the M&M Plaza to interview student and film the robot running around the field.

On Thursday 13 March we will be departing from the back parking lot of NWTC at 0500am sharp to make it down to Milwaukee by 0800. I will need to have all the consent forms filled so our team can register.

I look forward to seeing everyone.

OK team,

This time next week we will be loading up the trailer and very early Thursday morning next week 13 March we will be on the road to Milwaukee.

Yesterday we had a little set back, in that during some practice driving we burned up gear box on last years robot. We have a spare gear box that Victor put together last week so we can mount that last years robot to get it back running. This evening, lets focus on getting the spare gear box on last year robot and getting the robot program to run with two CIM motor on both sides.

Also our web site has been updated with new pictures (thanks Sara).

The last few items are in preparation for the Milwaukee event, I will need FIRST consent forms fill out and signed by your parents if necessary.

Stop by the M&M plaza to pick up the consent forms this week.

I look forward to seeing everyone.

Mike Roer

OK team,
We are counting down the days to Milwaukee. Great job to everyone yesterday, we got a lot accomplished.
In summary, we got the high traction wheels on last years robot and Victor and Robby were able to get the CCM motors off the 2005 robot, ready to make up a spare gear cases, for this years robot.
 
Yesterday we did some brainstorming regarding our safety display and we determined we want to set up the small Octo-Bot that was build last year by NWTC students as our “Safety Bot”. We’ll run a safety video and have on the top of the “Safety Bot” some “SAFETY FIRST” flyers and maybe run a power point loop on safety. As you know we want safety to me first on everyone’s mind while we are down in Milwaukee, but in addition to being safe,  I think we have a good chance to win the safety award in the pit if we all concentrate on safety.
 
Also in the area of public relations we have the Marquette TV station visiting us on March 11th (Tue) at 4:30. I’ll pass more on that as that date gets closer.
Today we will need to look at the pit design and do some practice driving with last year’s robot.
 
I look forward to seeing everyone.
 
Go FROSTBYTE
Mike Roer

OK Team,
The first wave of regional’s were held last weekend, If you didn’t get a chance to watch some of the events were web casted just visit
http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/2008_frcwebcasts.php
 
On Saturday Matt was able to start some programming to trigger the lift motor when the ball makes contact with the robot; in addition, Victor and Shawn were able to cutting some medallions and formed a spare fork. The fork assembly still needs to be welded up though, Austin will you be available to weld this week?
 
As a reminder we are meeting this week at the M&M Plaza 4:30 -6:30, our focus has been practice diving and getting organized.
We will need to plan out how we want to arrange the pit and make sure we have travel and hotel list up to date.
 
I look forward to seeing everyone.
GO FROSTBYTE TEAM 754
Mike Roer

OK Team,

Great job yesterday! We got the lifting skis installed and both sections of the fork lift assembled. All that’s left on the fork lift is the fork design welded up and the motor and chain assembles installed. We still need to install some limit switches for the lifting skis, and print out some logos to go on the Plexiglas armament. Also, we weighed in yesterday and the robot weighed 100lbs minus the forklift motor and chains. I think we will be with-in the 120lb limit, but we really need to get the complete robot and then weigh-in again.

During the Open house on Saturday, we are ready to run around the track and if we can get the scope motor programmed we should be able to pick up a ball. Much thanks to Austin in welding up all those section of the skis, and to Hank and Andrew for tapping the hole in the fork lift plates, and John and Jerrid in mounting up the lifting motor and hinge assembly, and prepping the bumper for assembly.  In addition to all this Casey is finishing up the catapult design and was able to demo his full scale capture loop.

As a reminder, we are meeting this Saturday 9-1 starting at NWTC and we will need help setting up and moving robots over to the M&M Mall.

The open house will be at the M&M Mall from 11-1 for parents/friends/colleagues.

We ship the robot on Tue 19 Feb.

OK team,

Great job yesterday. Matt was able to wire up/program the circuit board, and the robot came to life, great job.

Austin was able to weld up the skids and the several pieces for the fork lift.

Jerrime helped Rick get the skids mounted to the tilt assembly and Victor was able to make the fork lift plates. Andrew and Ian ran the CNC lathe, and

Cassey finished up the spring steel for the capture pieces for the Catapult design.

We have tonight to mount up the tilt motor and get the skid cross beams weld up. Along with mounting the fork lift plates on.

Our goal is to have a running robot that can at least pick up the ball to demonstrate at the Open House.