2013 FIRST Robotics Competition Build Season

The annual FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is the major competitive activity for the Kalani High School robotics team. The team has six weeks to design, fabricate, assemble, and test a robot weighing up to 150 pounds.

The students are keeping a journal of the robot build as a blog at blogspot.com,

Kalani Robotics FRC Kickoff

The FRC Kickoff was held on Saturday, January 5^th, at McKinley High School, as usual, starting at 05:30.

The Oahu teams are gathered for the kickoff broadcast live from New Hampshire.

We gathered at the library at Kalani High School after the kickoff.

Team members read the newly-released rules for this year's game.

Students start prototyping a frisbee shooter.

Testing the prototype shooter while I sketch pyramid climbing ideas.

FRC Build Season Week Two

On Monday, January 14^th, I went to the Kalani Robotics Lab to help out.

I drove ZJ to Sacred Hearts Academy (which has an all girl's FRC team) to use their broach and press to put hexagonal
holes in the robot wheels.

They have a nice clean shop.

Back at the Kalani Lab, ZJ works on the frame assembly CAD model after I showed him a little shortcut using Pro Engineer.

We have a good turnout with girls on the team this year.

Students doing conceptual design for the disk (frisbee) robot transport system.

I went to the Robotics Lab on Thursday night, January 17^th, and found that the team had a good turnout and was making good progress.

Team leader ZJ shows the team the CAD model on the laptop computer and tells how everything works.

The electrical and programming team at work.

The team takes a break to eat dinner together.

Building a second shooter prototype with a two stage accelerator.

Week Three

On Tuesday, January 22^nd, I went to the Kalani Robotics Lab to help out.

I suggested that the shooter prototype be tested with upside down frisbees because there may be some picked up from
the floor that way. It needs modification for upside down shooting.

The Web site team at work.

Repairing last year's robot (basketball shooter) for outreach demonstrations.

Software development team with the testbed robot.

Week Four

The robot design and build process is coming along nicely. On Monday, January 28^th, I went to the Kalani Robotics Lab to help out again.

Monday, week four. The robot is taking shape. Most of the welding is done on the robot frame.

Students keep track of tasks.

Working on design of electronics board layout.

On Tuesday evening, Bryan Silver, team lead mentor, helps students lay out saw cuts on polycarbonate sheet.

Thursday evening, January 31^st, I drove to Kalani Robotics. The mechanical team at work.

Waylon, parent and mentor, brought his propane barbecue and cooked steaks for everyone.

The electrical and programming team at work.

Everyone enjoyed the steaks for dinner.

Build week four continued into February and Andrea and I brought dinner to the team on Friday evening, February 1^st.

The students enjoyed the Italian style chicken scallops that Andrea prepared for them.

View from the robotics lab, overlooking the pool with Diamond Head in the distance.

ZJ uploaded to Facebook this photo of a student helping a volunteer weld the shooter.

Week Five

Build week five saw the beginning of the assembly of the frisbee shooter and loader.

Working on the loader, welded to the chassis, on Monday, February 4^th.

Assembling the shooter on the bench.

On Tuesday, February 5^th, I drove ZJ to Sacred Hearts Academy to get help with some machining.

Students work on assembly later Tuesday evening.

Students working in the Robotics Lab on Tuesday.

Week Six

Build week six began with the team seemingly behind schedule. I suppose it always seems like the team should be further along, but I'm beginning to worry. Final assembly should be well underway, and we're not there yet.

Working on the shooter. Tuesday, February 12^th.

Mathematical calculations on the whiteboard.

Mr. Silver chats with a parent who brought dinner.

Everybody eats: rice, chicken, and bock choy.

Laying out a polycarbonate sheet.

Working on the shooter.

Andrea and I stopped at Kalani Robotics to check on things on Sunday, February 17^th. The robot is coming together.

The red cloth is to keep metal shavings from falling into mechanisms and electronics.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com