Issaquah Robotics Log
2007 FIRST Competition

Build Period: Pre-Build - Week 1 - Week 2

Another year, another competition and another early morning at Bellevue International. We arrived at the school around 7 am to view the live video from the east coast. This year’s competition, Rack ’n’ Roll, involves hanging toroids (aka doughnuts, PFT – pool floaty thingies, or inner tubes) from a rotating “rack” sitting in the center of the field. Following the video, we moved to the cafeteria and had about half an hour to start reading the rules and eat doughnuts. We then moved to their gym to discuss the game and see a wooden reconstruction of the rack. We were broken into smaller discussion groups with different people from different teams and each discussed various aspects of the game from how to score to how to get the robot off of the field at the end of the match. We split up and headed out to lunch to meet back at Issaquah High around 12 to decide what we wanted to build for our robot. After 5 hours of intense (like camping) discussions we decided on building a short, heavier bot with an arm that could reach the lower and middle layers of the rack. The drive train will be similar to the past two years, with 6 wheels and the center wheel at a different height than the other two. We planned on discussing the arm’s design at Monday’s meeting.

A day to sleep in and rest up for build season.

We meet after school at 2:30 and took a short quiz on “The Game” document. Branden Gunn, from Flow water jet company, had built some models of a drive train, possible arm and section of the rack. We broke into groups of 5 people to design an arm and weigh the pros and cons of its design and effectiveness. Each group then presented their ideas to the main group. After a few hours of discussion, we voted on the arms and decided on one with a joint at the robot and a rotating wrist. This session went until around 5:00, leaving an hour for playfield and drive train to begin making plans. Playfield began looking through the specs to determine how to build one section of the rack. They decided on using PVC as the main supports so that it will be easy to assemble, disassemble and store. Drivetrain continued to discuss their design.

Due to a threatening snow storm, the meeting for playfield and drivetrain was scheduled to end at 4 instead of 6 so that students could safely get home. Playfield reviewed their plans with Mr. Endicott in the woodshop and headed back to A-10 to make a shopping list. They decided to build a half of the rack using PVC supports. Drivetrain began dismantling then 2005 bot to salvage parts.

School cancelled due to snow storm and icy roads.

School cancelled again. No robotics…

Build Period: Pre-Build - Week 1 - Week 2