Mechanical Notes
Our to-do list after Hueneme is as follows:
Hardware
Hardware
- New swerve modules to swap & reinspect old ones (maybe big bearings dying) (Emma, Henry, Sabrina, Soren)
- brand new modules to build
- taking guts from comp to put in new modules
- C- becomes comp
- remember to wiggle test!
- Reinspect all falcons
- Use JJ tech on gears, buy shim stock from McMaster to shim gears & reduce backlash, results inconclusive as to feasibility
- put shim tape on gear not on the shaft
- Strap down battery (Michael)
- Maybe partial belly pan in the back to replace current battery holder (Michael)
- Get shavings and whatever out of the robot to stop the rain stick,
- Add led strips to inside edges of forks, clear heat shrink (Jack)
- Better radio mount (Jackson)
- move spot
- Replace the bearings on the arm pivot gearbox with bushings (Brendan)
- Look at making arm gearbox more serviceable (Brendan)
- Get max planetary 3:1 stages to put on arm (Mike)
- Inspect chain tension post 3:1’s being mounted
- Maybe add channels for arm to sit in when all the way down (Vamsi)
- Add reinforcement strut part way up elevator for string routing / anti-twist, position is in Sketch 247, need guidance bearings/bushings as high as possible, mounted to the plate, probably a 3d printed part or smth, needs to be basically tangent to the bolt for the pulley, bottom strut is ok low
- Remove exposed bolt heads so we on don't have to tape over everything
- Replace CF on intake with 2x1 or 1x1 polycarbonate square tubing to help with twist (CF might be bad, replace with poly)
- Less holes close to edges
- Go to 50:1 gearbox on wrist (needs to be uber-light, maybe buy lightweight gear from WCP) (Taye)
- Need gearbox to have hole for echain mounting
- Fix wrist wobble somehow (add reinforcing tube thx Taye)
Strategy Notes
- Fill up the high links and the low links first. (Optimally 3 low + 2 high to get the RP) Provides best mix of link efficiency and scoring while also achieving the RP.
- Low link 3rd bots are great! Subpar high link scoring just clogs up the grid and substations.
- CHARGED UP is harder than it initially seemed. Visibility of the grids, having humans players all the way across the field, & coordinating link scoring is extraordinarily difficult.
- Auto is massively important. Auto engage is critical & decides whether the triple engage is necessary. Most teams at HPR didn't have great autos— just scoring a preload was influential, esp when some teams averaged maybe 1 or 2 pieces a match. It'll get more competitive and crucial in future weeks that we have many reliable + compatible autos to work w our partners. On that note, I'd like there to be a quick list/drawings of autos we have available to be communicated right before Sac if possible
- COG matters—a lot of design elements of this year incentivize tippy robots and red cards are going to happen often. See https://www.chiefdelphi.com/t/port-hueneme-too-many-red-cards for more discussion.
- Activation (charge station) RP is comparatively much easier to achieve than Sustainability (link) RP.
- Really not sold on defense, especially against well driven swerves and with this many safe zones. Pushin' pieces + engaging early looks to be a more productive task for 3rd robots to do. Defense will probably be more prevalent and impactful as the season continues.
- Tank drive is indeed much worse for making side-to-side adjustments near the grid & navigating the community, but there are also a lot of poorly driven/implemented swerve drives. Mechanum is especially bad this year because of engaging. Locking swerve drive wheels is great.
- Double elims is difficult for strategy to assist with due to the unexpected matchups with little time to prep. Let's see if we can work out a better system before Sac.
- Roller intakes/Everybot intakes seem to be the best performing intake type over pinchy/rolley claws—simple intakes w wider acquisition zones seem to work well
- Good to establish which endgame engaging bot will be remaining stationary/climbing first, and who will be making the adjustments to the station.
- Critical to engage early, around 30 secs or earlier depending on driver ability of teams. We generally want to stay out and allow our partners to climb without us.
- Alliance partners can easily get in our way
- Fork is a great source of last minute, high risk, high reward pts.
Robot Changes
The gear ratios on both the arm and wrist are higher, meaning they're much torquier. No more failed fork climbs.
The new intake looks both stronger and more rigid, with aluminum square crossbeams instead of round CF (which snapped at Port Hueneme).
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We also got lights on the forks, which looks amazing.
We have some new autos, including this 2.5 + balance.
Here's what drive practice looks like heading into Sac. 15 game pieces means we can conceivably solo the link RP. We apparently had a 17 piece match, but nobody thought to take a video.