Megatron (Powerplay)

THE ROBOT

This is a CAD render of "Megatron". The robot's drivetrain utilizes mecanum wheels for superior field presence and omnidirectional movement. Mounted on top of the drivetrain are two linear slides to enable scoring on the high junctions. A servo actuated mechanism rotates the intake to double as an outtake, and a rotating wrist maintains orientation to increase efficiency and decrease scoring times. The use of a color sensor in the claw allows automated intaking of cones.

THE BRAINS

The Control Hub

The control hub operates as the brains of our robot, controlling up to 4 motors and 6 servos using programs created in Android Studio.

The Expansion Hub

The expansion hub can interface with the control hub, doubling the motor and servo limit, which is crucial to enable the use of a 4WD drivetrain and a pair of powerful Gobilda Viper Slides to ensure fast and consistent scoring.

THE Brawn

The Claw

This is an open-source claw from the Loony Squad, which is 3d printed with PLA filament. The claw's thickness was increased for enhanced grip on the cone. It is managed by a single servo and mounted upon it is a color sensor. The color sensor is used to signal to the driver that the claw has successfully obtained the cone.

The Drivetrain

This 14.17 in x 17 in base gives the robot the ability to maneuver within the field. This maneuvering ability is exemplified with the use of its four mecanum wheels. The mecanum drive provides omnidirectional movement due to the unique construction of the wheels, which feature rollers mounted at a 45° angle to apply force in multiple directions.

The Linear Slide

The linear slides are a major improvement to our robot. The linear slides allow the robot to reach the elevated junctions. This way we can earn more points during the competition. The linear slides are cable driven. The up and down cables are made of kevlar wire to endure the stresses of the powerful YellowJacket Motor driving the linear slides.

THe COde

April Tag Detection

Our first step during each round is in the beginning of autonomous. Our robot is set facing a custom made April Tag (pictured above). The April Tag is a condensed version of a barcode, which allows the robot to recognize it faster. The camera searches for the April Tag and returns a numeric value which is returned which corresponds to a specific parking space.

Autonomous Scoring

In between the beginning of autonomous and the parking time, our robot attempts to score a cone. To do this we utilize an infrared sensor to sense the nearest high junction. When the pole is detected, a while loop is triggered to align the robot to the pole. Once triggered, the robot will strafe left and right in order to fully align with the pole. After the robot has reached and aligned with the pole, a precoded sequence runs and scores the cone.

Roadrunner

Roadrunner uses mathematical values and equations to create a program that allows the robot to move the robot with precise accuracy. Although simple, it takes a large amount of time to tune the program to perfection.