Rockford Robotics - Team 2039

*Welcome to the official website of FIRST* Robotics team 2039, Rockford Robotics**
We are a FIRST robotics team for high school students of the Rockford, IL community. We represent a uniquely diverse collaboration. Our team is open to any students in Rockford and the surrounding areas. The team is comprised of students from public, private, and home schools. This gives us the advantage of wider student diversity as well as distinctive organizational challenges. Click here to learn about our 2010 challenge Our 2010 Robot has shipped to the Wisconsin Regional! How does it work? Starting in January we attend a kickoff event at which time we learn about the game for the competition. From that date, we are given 6 weeks to design and build our robot. Those with the heart, skill, and a little bit of luck are then qualified for the national competition. Being a team member is not only a 6 week commitment however. During the rest of the year, we work to educate others, pursue much needed sponsorship, and of course encourage others to follow in our footsteps by seeing what FIRST has to offer. For more information, contact us, or check the calendar for events to come see us in action! If you or someone you know is interested in joining the team as a student or mentor, feel free to contact us for more information. We have much room to grow and welcome all. The build season is a time of much commitment and sacrifice, but the results are rewarding beyond belief. FIRST is a great opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, learn about a variety of careers, and even earn scholarships for college. Check back weekly for updates on our design and build process. Join us in anticipation of our performance at the Milwaukee Regional from March 11th through 13th.	2010 Sponsors - Thank You! Hamilton Sundstrand Woodward Governor Company Superior Joining Technologies Advanced Composite Industries Techworks Nypro IEEE Ingenium Test Ingersoll Production Systems The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois IL Society of Professional Engineers Women of Today's Manufacturing Computer Sciences Corporation GE Aviation Monster
2010 Team Updates
Week 6 Update In our final full week before the ship date, the team worked together to finish drive train and kicker construction, install bumpers, complete programming, and submit award applications. Students also designed a trading card which lists the robot's stats. Teams use these trading cards to provide information when forming alliances during the competition. The team will be competing in the Wisconsin Regional, March 11 - 13, 2010 at the US Cellular Arena. We will issue email updates of our progress during the competition.
Open House Team members, parents, sponsors and local media attended our open house on Friday, February 19. The open house included a robot demonstration that was featured on the WIFR Friday evening news. Click here to see their feature. It was also the perfect time to take team and robot pictures.
The Team at Work Pictured above left, Ty is machining a part for a t-shirt launcher. Pictured above right, Mark is soldering wires for robot electrical components. Team Picture Row 1: Front row: Adam and Jake Row 2: Matt, Felix, Mark, Jamie, Ty, Aaron, Amanda Row 3: Caroline and Joanna Row 4: Carol, Jaime, Eli, Max, Jamie, Brett, Bud, and Joe Our 2010 ROBOT is HERE! Open House We invite you to meet our team members and see our robot in action! 6:30 P.M. Friday, February 19, 2010 Techworks Building at Eigerlab 605 Fulton Avenue Rockford, IL 61103 Refreshments will be served.
Week 5 Update With only a week left before our February 23 ship date, Robotics team members are working hard to complete the bot with enough time left to practice field competition skills. The Drive Train and Kicker Teams combined their individual components into the final robot. They are now working on building the robot's bumper system. They also will install Plexiglass side and back panels. These panels will feature the team logo as well as our sponsors logos. The pressure is on for the Electronics Team to refine the robot's controls. Once this is done, we can practice our robot driving skills. Aside from mechanical and electrical work, students are developing our application for the FIRST Chairman's Award. This award was created to recognize teams that demonstrate the greatest commitment to spreading passion about science and technology into their communities and schools. Submission involves writing an essay of approximately 2,500 words documenting the team's efforts at spreading the message of FIRST, as well as student interviews with judges at the competition. Several students and mentors also participated in Rockford Discovery Center's Engineering Day on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The Team at Work Pictured above left, Caroline cuts the wooden base for a robot bumper. Pictured above right, Mark installs wiring in the robot frame.
Week 4 Update Robotics sub-team members continued to work on their respective projects. The Drive Train Team has finished the frame. They are now mounting brackets for the air compressor, battery and accumulator tanks. The robot uses compressed air as energy. It is stored in the accumulator tanks. When we release the stored energy, it moves a piston that releases a winch which allows the kicker to swing. The Electronics Team is programming the "photo eye" so that we can aim the robot towards the targeted goals. They are also are rewiring electronics board, i.e., the robot's brain, to meet FIRST standards. Our Spirit Team is designing trading cards. Teams use trading cards during competition to inform potential alliance members of their robot capabilities. The Spirit Team also completed a logo which will be printed on stickers and buttons.
CAD Rendering The team is using Computer Aided Design to create a three dimensional drawing of our robot. The picture at right is a CAD drawing of our robot. You can see the guides that help aim the balls. The kicker will push the ball when it receives an electronic signal
The Team at Work In the pictures above some students are working on CAD rendering of our computer while others are machining parts. Eigerlab has generously allowed us space to work on our robot in their machine shop. Week 3 Update The Drive Train Team completed a prototype. It was able to travel across the playing field, including maneuvering over bumps. Following drive train testing, students welded together the final robot frame. The Design Team completed the CAD robot design. They are now working on drawings for specific parts that will need machining. The Programming Team started work on the robot's "camera eye." The "eye" will focus on targets centered over the goals. This will help steer the robot when it is in autonomous mode. Other student teams built a model field for testing the robot and designed this year's logo.
The is a picture of drive train during assembly. Students welded the frame together. They were adding wheels and motor when this picture was taken. The corner wheels are Mecanum wheels. As well as moving forward and backward like conventional wheels, they allow sideways movement by spinning wheels on the front and rear axles in opposite directions.
Students designed a logo for this year's team shirts. It will also be used on promotional literature.
Week 2 Update Rockford Robotics spent the second week of this competition season building prototypes for the drive train and kicking systems. A student sub-team also continued to create a three dimensional model using CAD software. Next week's goal is to test and refine prototypes. Then we can start building final system.
	Lead Mentor Adam works with students to add gear boxes to the drive train.
Team Member Joe is assembling ratchet mechanism for robot "kicker."
	Students and Mentors brainstorm for lift design ideas.
Lead Mentor Adam helps assemble a brace for the drive train.
Week 1 Update This year's challenge, Breakaway, has a soccer theme. Teams earn points when their robots "kick" balls into the target. There are penalties for more holding more than one ball and pinning another robot too long. In the last 20 seconds of game, teams can earn bonus points for hanging their robot from a frame. Click here to see an animation of this year's game. Click here to see local news coverage of this year's team. Design Goals Team members came up with specific goals for this year's robot. It will: •Be fast and easy to maneuver •Move easily over bumps in the playing field •Kick accurately •Be able to lift itself The Team at Work - Week 1
In this photo, technical team members are programming the joy sticks that will drive and direct the wheels.
	Jaime and Nick, kicker team members, are trying to determine the best angle for kicking the ball over a bump