For the last post of the FIRST® Robotics series, we sat down with our sponsored FIRST® Tech Team, Mechanical Paradox. They did an excellent job this year making it to the finals of Worlds in St. Louis winning their Division – Edison and allowing them to become finalists. The team consists of 8 home-schooled students ranging in their twenties to teens. They operate through the Howard County 4-H Group, a youth outreach program. We continue to be impressed with this team’s use ofmisumi.整個年多年來他們的機器人零件！在過去，他們已經使用過misumi.鋁製擠出和線性指南，查看他們今年使用的是什麼以及它如何讓它們到頂部！
Q1：簡要概述機器人的設計。
This season, one of our main goals for our robot was to create a fully modular design, such that each major subassembly could be removed from the robot and improved, tested, or fixed without affecting the other components. As such, the robot design is easily broken down into the individual modules.
對於粒子（車輪）管理，我們的旋轉器進氣係統利用一係列旋轉的PVC軸，該旋轉的PVC軸具有突出的橡膠管，以垂直向後敲擊後壁。壁含有成角度的屋頂，使得顆粒自動漏鬥到機器人的一側，這使得它們沉積到我們的粒子料鬥中更容易。料鬥是一條蜿蜒的lexan路徑，將粒子直接指向我們的射手係統。
我們的射擊係統主要基於來自氣槍槍的射擊室。它利用滑動齒輪拉下連接到滑動筒的齒條。汽缸是彈簧加載的，使得當滑動齒輪達到沒有牙齒的區域時，它以橫跨電池電壓的方差保持恒定的速度向上推進。
另一個主要機製子集是我們的帽子升降機。要拿起蓋球，我們有一個簡單的叉車，通過大致拋物線金屬底座的前部通過兩個伺服驅動的臂在機器人中握住球。然後通過一係列互連抬起叉車線性指南that are pulled vertically upwards with a spool and滑輪係統。
Q2: Whatmisumi.你使用的是零件？為什麼？
我們機器人使用的主要機製Misumiparts is our cap ball lift. For the linear slides, we needed to use very robust assemblies to support the weight of the roughly 2.5-pound cap ball being lifted 47 inches into the air. We had problems with this type of challenge in the past due to the friction of successive slide stages preventing them from lifting quickly. To avoid this problem, we usedMISUMI線性指南(SSEL2BML13-445) with wide ball bearing sliders. We connected four of these together using 3D printed pieces we designed to have slots for us to implement the pulley system. This design has worked amazingly well: the linear guides create an extraordinarily smooth and fast lift that has been one of our most reliable and durable throughout this season.
Additionally, we implementedMISUMI同步帶滑輪(BTP15XL037-B-PUC)在我們的微調器進氣係統三角我dlers(HBGA25-11) to ensure that the serpentine belt system could spin with minimal friction. These pulleys have made the system very easy to maintain due to having high side walls and convenient set screw access points.
Q3: What was the biggest design challenge of your robot?
One major design challenge we faced during this season is connected to our drive train. During our prototype phase, we decided that it would be most effective to use a bevel gear system on our drive train such that the motors would not encroach into the space for our cap ball lift and shooter mechanisms in the center of our robot. Unfortunately, the bevel gears had recurring issues with gears slipping and the teeth stripping. We took multiple precautions to combat these issues along the course of the season. To prevent slipping, we inserted precision shims between each of the components in any given subassembly to ensure that the fit of the two bevel gears remained snug regardless of the set screw’s hold on the shaft. We needed to drill out the steel axles and implement half dog bone set screws to ensure the components would not gradually slip. Additionally, we used threadlockers quite liberally to make sure the assemblies would not gradually come apart. Through fixes like these, we were able to create a fairly robust and easily maintainable drive train while also allowing enough space for our other major mechanisms.
Q4：有多少團隊成員渴望進入Stem田野？
我們團隊中大多數成員渴望進入Stem田野（盡管許多成員有幾年來決定，所以這一估計可能會隨著時間的推移而波動）。雖然其他人對他們將學習的內容具有不同的願景，但他們將從TheT®程序的不同方麵帶來知識和經驗，例如工程文件和公共關係組件，他們進入他們的領域。
Luke: I am going to study Computer Science in college.
Aaron: Mechanical Engineering/Undecided
傑克：航空航天或機械工程
朱莉：數字動畫/未定
Kieran：機械或生物醫學工程
Siobhan：生物學
德國：英語
Jared: Game Programming and Development
Q5：今年冠軍最大的課程是什麼？
Across all of our previous competitions, even with a relatively large team, we tended to struggle with scouting other teams and gathering match data. At the World Championship, we decided to create a specific plan of how to break up the scouting subtasks and who would take on each one. We also had a member dedicated to organizing the notes such that they were easy to reference. This enormously increased the efficiency of our scouting, and helped us learn that a defined and universally understood approach to a problem is much more likely to work successfully when operating as a team.
Congratulations to Mechanical Paradox on a job well done at the 2017 FIRST® Tech Challenge Championships in St. Louis! We are looking forward to seeing you again next year!
For our past posts regarding FIRST Robotics, check out them out here:
You can find more information on Team MP on social media and on their website:
Website:MeachicalParadox.org.
TWITTER:@FTC1782
