Robot Quick Build Session

1. Robot Quick Build Session Pre-Kickoff PreparationsProduced byEd Latimer, Team 476Ken York, Team 476Ron Markum, Team 1750Special Thanks toOklahoma State UniversityCollege of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology

2. Overview • What is the Robot Quick Build Session (RQBS) • Facility requirements • Tool and material requirements • Personnel requirements • Time requirements • Pre-kickoff communications with teams • Rewards

3. What is the RQBS • Last year in Oklahoma we had 24 rookie teams and only a few veteran teams to mentor them. In years past, we’ve received calls in the third or fourth week of build season from rookie teams who, after being overwhelmed by the newness and initial complexity of the process had simply been staring at the KOP since kickoff, and still had not put one nut on a bolt. We had to do something to answer questions early in the season and get our rookie teams off to a good start or we would be constantly on the phone, or worse, on the road helping our new teams get over the steep initial learning curve.. “Where do I start???” was the universal question. To which our universal answer is “Build the kitbot.” If we tell teams on the third week of build season to build the kitbot, why not tell them on the first day. Further, if we tell them on the first day, why not show them how its done! That is how the RQBS was born! • We planned the RQBS to happen immediately after our kickoff lunch. Being in the central time zone, the NASA broadcast is usually over by 11:00 AM. This gives us an hour for the teams to brainstorm, issue the KOP and prepare for lunch, and for the RQBS presenters go through the KOP to determine if there are any surprises. In the past Oklahoma State University has provided lunch so we can keep everyone on site and begin the RQBS promptly at 1:00PM. Last year we had over 700 attend with 28 teams (four helper teams) staying for the RQBS. By 5:30 that afternoon we had 24 rolling robots and a room full of highly excited and energized students, not to mention several veteran mentors who were greatly relieved at the possibility of having time to mentor their own teams during the build season. • In short, the RQBS is a four to five hour process whereby teams can build, test and drive the kitbot under direct supervision of experienced mentors.

4. The Goal !

5. Facility Requirements • Depending on the size or your kickoff your will need four areas that will accommodate the following. • A Main Assembly Area. Everyone starts here for the first 30 minutes of instruction. The Frame and transmission teams, usually two to 10 persons per team, work here. (A second room for transmission assembly is desired, but not necessary) This area needs to have at least one table per team, full audio visual and PA capability to show the assembly process on a screen. Internet access to view the AndyMark.biz assembly videos is required. In Oklahoma’s case, this is the same large room where the kickoff broadcast is viewed and the KOP is distributed. Immediately after the RQBS introduction, this room transforms into the Frame and Transmission Assembly area. • An Electrical – Wiring Area. This room should be large enough to provide each team with at least 3’ x 6’ work table and space for several students per team. Full audio visual capabilities, PA, along with 120VAC power for team laptops are needed. Drilling the base plate will be done in this room (unless a separate area is designated) so some method to protect the table tops should be considered. Also, when the base plate is assembled, bolts will be exposed on its bottom and may scratch the table surface. • A Programming Area where two to four persons per team will install, upgrade and train on the new programming software. Again AV and PA capability is needed along with internet access. • A Team Training Area where team members and mentors that do not have a specific task in the RQBS can go for training on team building, preparing for awards and judging, team fund raising, and many other topics that would benefit young teams. • Two other areas are necessary. A cutting area for trimming the frame channels to length. Depending on the method chosen for cutting, this area may need to be isolated from the general public and hearing protection provided. A drive area where the completed robots will be tested should have adequate room (15’ x 15’) and protection for the operators and public should a robot “decide” to behave badly.

6. Facility Requirements • Cutting Area. Two of the aluminum channels in the frame kit must be cut to length. This process needs to happen as soon as possible and as quickly as possible. There are several method to cut the channels to length. The simplest way is have the teams use a hacksaw and cut the channels at their table or at a designated area where the chips can be easily cleaned. Last year we used a horizontal band saw in an enclosed trailer located in the parking lot. The saw and trailer were provided by one of the veteran team. This produced smooth and square cuts but was not a fast process. This year we will use a motorized miter saw (chop saw) with a fine tooth carbide blade. Two channels can be cut in a few seconds and the quality of the cut is excellent. A jig-stop can be set on the saw so all the channels are cut to the same length without measuring each piece. This process is quick and of good quality but it produces more noise than previous methods. Hearing protection and safety glasses should be provided. Power tools should only be operated by trained and skilled adults.

7. Facility Requirements • Drive Area. Teams will need at least a 15’ x 15’ area to test drive their robot. Because robots can behave in unexpected ways, this area should be large enough to accommodate the students and spectators at a safe distance. Also, any furnishing that can be damaged should be removed and the area should be located far enough away from walls so that the robot can be stopped before it hits them. Consider laying down the same floor playing surface as used in the game.

8. Tools • Each team will need to bring with them the following tools. • Safety glasses for each team member and mentor • A charged, cordless drill • ¼” Drill bit • 3/8” Drill bit • #2 phillips screwdriver • #2 Phillips screwdriver bit for drill • 3/16” Allen bit for drill • 3/16” Allen wrench • 5/32” Allen wrench • A small and medium sized flat screwdrivers • A non-marring hammer. (plastic or leather head) • 3/8” combination wrench • 7/16” combination wrench • 10mm combination wrench • Chain breaker (reference Mcmaster Carr # 6015K15) • Wire cutters • Wire strippers • Wire crimpers • Hack saw (is necessary for cutting frame if that method is chosen) • Small mill file (for removing sharp edges on cut frame) • Two or more spring clamps or C Clamps. (for holding up to 1-1/2 thick materials.) • Tape Measure • Paper towels • Magic Marker • Needle nose pliers • Drift punch 1/16 dia.

9. Tools • A bare thumb drive (no auto run programs) with only the following files on it. • DSUD_PKG.BIN available at (the download file will need to be renamed) • http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=10934 • The Labview or WindRiver upgrades available at • http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/lang/en/id/1180 • http://first.wpi.edu/FRC/frcupdates.html • An Ethernet cable.

10. RQBS Site Supplied Hardware Note: The numbers at the end of the descriptions are the McMaster Carr part number. • As the RQBS coordinator you will need to acquire the following materials. • A 17”x37”x3/16” thick base plate of polycarbonate or other insulating material (plywood, masonite, etc.) that accepts sticky-back Velcro. ** • An 8”x32”x3/16’ or thicker plate for the drivers station. Material should accept sticky-back Velcro. • A box of ¼-20 Nyloc nuts. 5 per team. Mounts the 120 amp breaker & electrical board. 90640A129 • Several ¼-20 x 1-3/4” SHCS bolts. 3 per team and the rest for spares. 92196A548 • A box of 10-32 x 1” machine screws. 2 per team. Mounts cRIO 93075A833 • A box of 10-32 Nyloc nuts. 2 per team. Mounts cRIO 90633A411 • Boxes of 10-24 x 1” self tapping screws. 12 per team. Mounts sprocket to wheel. 90087A247 • Hook and loop dots. (Velcro) Mounts all small control system parts to base plate. Teams will need to permanently mount the control system parts to their legal base plate once they get home. Each team will need approx 50 pairs of dots.9736K195, 9736K315 • A box of ¼-20 x 1 SHCS bolts. 2 per team. Mounts the 120 amp breaker. 92196A542 • Wire #10 stranded wire. For spare. 71245K51 Black, 71245K54 Red • Wire #14 two conductor stranded wire. For low power hookup spare. 9697T3 • 24” zip tie. 1 per team for securing battery. 7130K932 (or 2, 12” zip ties as an alternative) • Rolls of masking tape. Holding the drill templates in place. 1 roll for every 4 teams. • 1 can or tube of wheel bearing grease. This is enough for all teams. • Magic Markers for teams to label their parts. ** The length and width of this piece need to be as accurate as possible for the drilling template alignment. This part is not FRC legal for competition (unless they change the rules) because it is fabricated before the start of the build season. Teams will need to replace this base plate with their own version which is produced by them during the build season. The point of providing this part is to simply get them running on kickoff day.

11. RQBS Site Supplied Hardware • The hardware on the previous slide will need to be packaged, before kickoff, into team bags. This allows all the supplied hardware to be given out in the shortest time. • The site supplied hardware can be distributed at the same time as the KOP. • For a complete description of the contents of each bag, see the “2009 Kitbot Assembly Set-up” word document. • The two base plates, one for the electrical components and one for the drivers station, need to be cut to size before kickoff.

12. RQBS Supplied Printed Materials • Printed items. Print one copy for each team. • Sections 1-5 of the 2009 Control System Manual at http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=10934 This is also included in the Printed Materials folder on the CD. • Drilling templates for Robot base plate. Two sheets per team, front and rear. These are shown in the Electrical Assembly procedure and are included, to scale, in Autodesk Inventor format in the Printed Materials folder on the CD. These are 11 x 17 size and will take a special printer to produce. • FRC 2009 rules. Many sections of the rules will be made public before the kickoff. Have these preprinted and in 3 ring binders. As soon as the unlock code is broadcast on kickoff day, have a volunteer(s) print the remain sections and install them in the binder. This is no small task and is usually about 250 pages. One copy per team. This gives each team a copy of the actual rules to look at during the RQBS. • FRC Checklist by Benjamin Heaivilin. This is a good overview of the control system setup. • One copy each of the Frame, Transmission, and Electrical Assembly Powerpoints. • http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Relay%20Cable%20Memo.pdf PWM cable modifications.

13. Personnel • The RQBS coordinator(s) will gather all the materials and personnel. They will conduct the opening introduction and make sure everyone is on schedule. They should become thoroughly familiar with the RQBS process and areas. They will basically be in charge of the session. • The RQBS can not happen without informed volunteers and presenters. Each of the four areas need a presenter(s) that is thoroughly familiar with the materials and procedures to accomplish their tasks. The materials in this information release should be made available to them as soon as allowed by FIRST (signed NDAs, etc.). They should, after the KOP has been released on kickoff day, familiarize themselves with the location of all the parts in the KOP necessary for their area. They should be comfortable showing and explaining the PowerPoint slides for their session. • Several mentors that are comfortable with the tasks associated with an area should be recruited. Usually you will need one mentor (in addition to the presenter) for every 5 teams. Veteran team leaders and mentors are good choices. • Print materials volunteer. This volunteer will get all the printed materials ready for distribution. • Machinist. This person will be in charge of setting up the area and tools necessary to cut the frame channels to length. This process will be explained in the frame assembly procedure. If the band saw or miter saw method is chosen, this person must be responsible for the safety of the machine operators and the students waiting for their service. NO STUDENTS ARE TO OPERATE THE CUTTING EQUIPMENT. • Lunch Coordinator. In past years we have served lunch on site. This gives teams more time to brainstorm and work on their Kitbot. However, this year with over 1100 attending our kickoff we will plan a 2 hour lunch period so team can go and get lunch (our building does not allow for non approved food items to be brought in.) Your circumstances will direct how you can best handle lunch.

14. Personnel • One of the most important mentors that you must recruit is the Electrical - Control system expert. The complexity of setting up the new control system is not a quick or easy task for a novice. There are several detailed procedures that MUST be followed in order to configure the Driver Station, set up the IP addresses, configure the wireless router and bridge, flash the Driver Station, Image the cRIO, Upgrade Labview… It is absolutely essential that someone with experience (a Beta Test team mentor, or veteran team mentor familiar with this year’s system, or NI representative) on the system be available at the RQBS. The Electrical and programming sessions will be by far the most challenging aspects of the RQBS. The actual assembly of the components onto the base plate and their wiring should not take much more than an hour. But setting up the tethered and wireless communications, flashing the DS, and imaging the cRIO will take the majority of the time.

15. Time - Schedule • The RQBS should commence as soon as possible after the kickoff. • Allow at least 5 hours for the session. • RQBS Time Line • After kickoff Inform teams to have break their students into four groups, one group for each area. • Lunch • 0 hour Introduce RQBS, distribute RQBS parts, locate KOP parts for each of the four sessions. • 0:30 All groups with their parts should be in their areas. Each area shows the PowerPoint presentation and assembles their part of the kitbot. • 3 hour The Electrical - Control System group and the Frame – Transmission group reunite. The basic kitbot is assembled and readied for driving. Complete the tethered and wireless bench top tests. • 4 hour Basic robot should be ready for driving. Troubleshoot as necessary. • 5 hour Finish up, clean up. • 6 hour Go home and crash.

16. Pre-Kickoff Communications • Get a count of the teams that wish to attend the RQBS so you will know how much material you need to purchase. • As soon as possible inform teams of the tools they need to gather and bring with them to the RQBS. • Inform teams of the extra room needed to haul the KOP and robot back to their shop. • Inform teams that the RQBS will last approximately 4 hours (in addition to the kickoff). • Those teams that already have their control system should have the completed the following before arriving at the RQBS. Refer them to the FRC Control System Checklist by Benjamin Heaivilin and the 2009 FRC Control System Manual on FIRST’s web site. • Load the Labview – WindRiver Software and install the mandatory upgrade. • Complete the “out of the box bench test” as described in the 2009 FRC control system manual. • Update firmware in the Drivers Station. • Update firmware on cRIO and set team number. • Set up the system and laptop for wireless communication and completed the associated tests. • Teams that do not have an early control system must immediately, after receiving the KOP, find the control system box, get the software DVDs and install the software before the RQBS session starts. They may have to work through lunch. Remind them to have upgrades on the thumbdrive.

17. Rewards • The rewards will be completely evident as soon as the first team drives their robot. • The RQBS is designed to answer as many questions, up front, before a rookie team has time consider the impossibilities of actually building a robot from this massive kit of parts. • Veteran team mentors will have much fewer question to answer during build season from rookie teams and can focus on their students. • RQBS teams get a tremendous start to the season. Its almost like getting a two week head start. • RQBS gives rookie teams a more level chance in the competition with veteran teams. • RQBS shows new students they can actually build a robot. “If we can build this in four hours, just think what we can do in six weeks!”

18. Other Thoughts • Inform teams to prepare to carry the completed kitbot and the KOP boxes home with them. This requires considerable vehicle space and should not be overlooked. Although it may be good advertising for a team to drive through their town with the robot strapped to their car’s top carrier, it’s probably not the best method for getting the robot home. :-) • The RQBS will take most of the afternoon. That’s a long time for kids (and especially hard working mentors) to go without food or drink. Consider providing and mid afternoon snack. • Be safe when driving the robot. Have the mentors constantly remind the students of safety. One accident can ruin the day. • Don forget to reserve help to get the building cleaned up afterwards and the demo field disassembled and in storage. • Be calm. Things will not go completely as planned. One knee jerk reaction can spoil a lot of labor and excitement. • Have fun and enjoy watching kids “light bulb” turn on.