NinjaFlex Belt intake system
Task: Design an intake with the NinjaFlex belt
So far we have made a few Intake assemblies including the belt intake and the Tetrix tread intake. However, as is Iron Reign tradition, we...
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Deconstructing TomBot
Task: Create and Test a Arm Disk Launcher
This season of FTC has been quite difficult for most teams in Texas. As a state with high rates of COVID-19, It has been...
Auto Path Plan
Task: Layout a plan for auto paths this season
To begin, as you can see up above (a diagram that was generated on https://ftcchad.com/ ) our first auto path takes very little...
Code Planning For The New Season
Task: Plan changes to our codebase for the new season.
This year's game saw a significant boost to the importance of the control award, now being put above even the motivate and design awards in order of advancement. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze...
The First Launcher
Task: Create and Test a Arm Disk Launcher
One of the centerpieces of any robot this year is going to be the disk launcher. It’s likely that most robots in the competition...
Robot in 2 Days - But in CAD
Task: CAD a robot for the Ultimate Goal Challenge quickly in order to get ideas for a final robot design and prototypes
A new season, a new design challenge,...
FTC 2020-2021 Game Reveal
Task: Watch the FTC Challenge Reveal event live
Today...
Connecting with Motus Labs
Reaching out to Motus Labs September 08, 2020
Task: Reach out to potential sponsors in light of the 2020-2021 season
Earlier in the summer, we learnt of an...
Meeting Log
Talking Heads: Summary July 11, 2020
Task: Prepare for the 2020-2021 Game Reveal season
Today kicked off our first...
Narrowing Down the Configuration of the New Vehicle
Introducing MXP 2: Electric Boogaloo
As we have explained in earlier posts, Iron Reign is currently involved in the process of creating a new version of...
Code Changes The Week Before Regionals
Task: Assess Code Changes During The Week Before Regionals
Numerous code changes were made during the week before regionals, the most signicant of which were attempted two days before regionals, a costly mistake during competition. Firstly, three different paths were layed...
TomBot v2- Gripper Triggers
Task: CAD, 3D print and test new, better, and more aesthetically pleasing gripper triggers
Since our gripper follows a design similar to a slap-band it needs a trigger to close it, for too...
CNC a New Polycarb Robot Base
Task: CNC a new robot base
We finished manufacturing our new base today, with very little difficulty, but a few flaws. The CAM was already designed so all...
Wylie East Regionals Post Mortem
Task: Reflect on what went right and wrong at the regionals tournament
Iron Reign is so excited to be advancing to the...
Meeting Log Post Regionals
Task: Get back to work after Regionals
Alright kids, back to the usual grind now. As Iron Reign came back from regionals taking a lot away from it, we immediately...
The Revenge of TomBot
Introducing...The Revenge of TomBot!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a robot named TomBot. TomBot was a circle, a spinning circle with a turret...
Wylie East Regional Qualifier Code Post-Mortem
Task: Reflect On Code Changes And Choices Made During The Wylie East Regional Qualifier
Despite putting in lots of effort in order to pull off a working autonomous before regionals, small and subtle issues that surfaced only during testing at the...
Match Play at North Texas Regional Championship
Task: Compete in Qualification and Finals matches
Today Iron Reign competed at the North Texas Regional Championship...
Driving at Regionals
Task: Drive at Regionals
Driving at regionals was unfortunately a learning opportunity for our drivers. In our first few matches, for some reason we couldn't get our robot...
Wylie Regionals 2020
Task: Compete at the North Texas Regional Tournament
Preparation
Breaking our packing-the-night-before streak, we managed to start the night before....
The Night Before Regionals - Code
Task: Fix our autonomous path the night before regionals.
Twas the night before regionals, and all through the house, every creature was stirring, especially the raccoons,...
Milling The Side Shields
Task: Mill the spicy side shields for the competition tomorrow
In typical Iron Reign fashion we are making our side shields the night before regionals, as with many...
Spicy Side Shields
Task: Design and CAD/CAM some spicy side shields
In order to increase the spice factor for TomBot, we need to custom machine our own side plates out of aluminum using our CNC. The design...
Research Poster
Task: Create a poster encompassing all of our calculations from this season
From analyzing the friction coefficient of a variety of different materials, to calculating torque for our various robot sub-assemblies, and creating an equation for our tower-stacking abilities in our autonomous, Iron Reign has seen several different series' of calculations this season. Since these...
Big Thoughts for xPansion
Task: Put the budgetary and technical plans for the second MXP in motion
A long, long time ago, - well, 4 years ago really - alumni members of Iron Reign converted an old...
Designing a New Build Plate
Task: Model and CNC a new build plate for TomBot
The renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” This, however, is not the...
Final Weekend Before Regionals - Meeting Log
Task: Use feedback from our presentation at DPRG and get ready for regionals
A couple hours...
Presenting to the DPRG
Task: Present to the Dallas Personal Robotics Group about robot vision and Iron Reign
We reached out...
Control And Vision DPRG Presentation
Task: Present Control And Vision To DPRG And Gather Feedback
This saturday, we had the privilege to present our team's Control and Vision algorithms this year to the Dallas...
Presenting to Deloitte
Task: Meet with Deloitte's Bot-Development Team to discuss
Today, we presented to Deloitte LLC's Bot Development Team in their...
OpenCV Grip Pipeline
Task: Develop An OpenCV GRIP Pipeline To Detect Skystones
With this year's game awarding 20 points to teams than can successfully locate Skystones during autonomous, a fast and reliable OpenCV Pipeline is necessary to succeed in robot game....
Cumulative Drive Test Log 2/3 - 2/6
Task: Summarize the driver practice done throughout the week
Over the course of the following week we have done much driver practice so we can improve our...
Post UME Drive Changes
Task: Improve Robot Driving
Since the qualifier at UME, we have been focusing on tuning controls to make driving smoother. Our first set of improvements was...
Friction Coefficient and Energy
Task: Calculate the friction coefficient of various off-the-shelf materials
Before our last qualifier, we ran a couple material tests to find the friction coefficient of different materials. Now, since we've...
Preparation for the Dallas Personal Robotics Group Meeting
Task: Create a presentation for the Dallas Personal Robotics Group Meeeting Next Week
In a week, we will be giving a presentation...
Updated Bill of Materials
Task: Update the list of parts for TomBot for regionals
Being around 2 weeks away from the North Texas Regional Championship, Iron Reign has made significant...
Preparing for the Meeting with Deloitte
Task: Reach out to companies and their branches in the local Dallas area
Previously this season, Iron Reign has reached out and presented to various companies and individuals...
TomBot Calibration Sequence
Task: Create a calibration sequence to find a starting position for autonomous
Today we worked on the calibration sequence. This has been a problem for awhile now, as the robot has so many degrees...
UME Prep Qualifier Cumulative Post-Mortem
Task: Analyze what went wrong at the UME Prep Qualifier
It has officially been one week since the UME Prep Qualifier and we...
Coding the Snapdragon Gripper
Task: Code the new Snapdragon gripper
Last night we installed the new Snapdragon gripper, which means we needed to re-work the gripper code. We started out by getting the positions the servo would...
Snapdragon - The Sequel
Task: Improve the precision of the Snapdragon.
Last week, we prototyped a new gripper called the Snapdragon. Now it's time to give it more complexity. The Snapdragon...
Engineering Notebook Binder CAD
Task: CAD an engineering notebook binder that is to be custom made
We want to utilize our new CNC as best as we possibly can. Since we plan to CNC the second version...
Snapdragon - The Beginning
Task: Begin our 10th gripper design
As you could probably tell from our plethora of gripper articles, here at Iron Reign we have one too many grippers. And...
Code Changes At STEM Expo
Task: Use Vuforia To Detect Skystones And Tune Ticks Per Meter
This Saturday, we had the privilege of being a vendor at the Annual DISD STEM Expo. While this...
Auto Developments at the STEM Expo
Task: Improve autonomous and tune IMU
During the STEM Expo, while also helping volunteer, we worked on auto. There were a series of cascading events that were planned and completed. The first...
DISD STEM Expo 2020
Task: Operate an exhibit at the DISD STEM Expo
DISD STEM Expo has been our busiest event this year. Many kids, ranging from elementary...
Growing Pains and Reigns
Task: Expand the Iron Reign Robotics Team
One of our biggest challenges this year was learning to adapt our robotics program to the large influx of new recruits. Last year, most of us...
UME Qualifier
Task: Compete at the UME Preparatory Academy Qualifier
A solid month or so after our first qualifier, Iron Reign walked through the doors to...
Match Play at UME prep. Qualifier
Task: Compete in Qualification and Finals matches
Today Iron Reign competed at our second qualifier at UME Preparatory Academy with TomBot which...
Finger Gripper Morph Chart
Task: Create a morph chart to analyze all our 3-finger gripper versions so far in this season.
Just like with our gripper designs, we've also gone through a number of...
Dissecting the Turret
Task: Figure out why the turntable isn't turning
Just as Iron Reign was at the point of getting driver practice started and hunkering down to do autonomous, the turntable stopped working. The...
Drive Practice 1/6
Task: Practice driving with new code
Today we worked on driving the robot with new presets. Over the weekend, our coders worked on new presets to speed up our cycling time....
Driver Optimization Developments 5/1
Task: Improve driver optimizations
Today we worked on driver optimizations, since Justin was here. We changed around the controls for the arm to be more like the drivetrain and the D-pad on controller 1, with...
Testing Two Drivers
Task: Practice driving with two drivers
Today we started testing out our new two controller setup. The goal is to have one driver control just the base, and have the other driver...
STEM Expo Preparation
Task: Plan for the DISD STEM Expo
Next week, a week after...
Calculating Torque at the Turn-table
Task: Analyze torque at the turn-table and how it affects our choice of motor sets
We want to know if we are using the best possible motor set on our turntable....
Calculating Torque at the Drive-Train
Task: Calculate torque at the drive-train and analyze our choice of motors
During drive-testing, one issue we noticed was that our robot was not as fast as could...
Modeling TomBot Articulations
Task: Model TomBot's Articulations in Fusion360
Modeling articulations is important for many reasons. The first of which is being able to effectively strategize. Having an idea of how the robot can...
Logarithmic Spiral Update
Task: Update the Logarithmic Spiral
As the design and build of the robot progresses, many components must be updated to be compatible with the current design. The logarithmic spiral, which was...
Calculating Torque at the Elbow
Task: Design an equation to model the torque at the elbow linearly
In order to maximize our robot performance, we need to be able to use motors and gears with the...
Control Mapping v2
Task: Map out the new control scheme
As we progressively make our robot more autonomous when it comes to repeated tasks, it's time to map these driver enhancements. Since...
FIRST in Texas Grants
Task: Detail the FIRST in Texas Grants and understand how it will improve our business plan
It's the last day of the decade! With a new decade, comes new money, and similar to...
Assembling the Turntable Bevel Gears for a REV Motor
Task: Assemble the bevel gears to the turntable to fit a rev motor
Today we assembled a second version of our bevel gear assembly for...
Last Coding Session of the Decade
Task: Gripper swivel, extendToTowerHeight, and retractFromTowerHeight. Oh My!
Today is the second to last day of 2019, and therefore the same of the decade. Thus, I want to spend it at robotics. Today...
Sliding Foundation Grabber
Task: Design and create a more efficient and compact foundation grabber
Moving the foundation throughout a match is an important part of the overall gameplay of a...
Testing Friction Coefficient
Task: Measure the coefficient of friction of our potential gripper materials
We want to measure various constants of materials on our robot. These materials serve to improve the grip on our...
Extend to Tower Height and Retract from Tower
Task: Develop the controller so that it can extend to tower height
Since we have decided to move onto using 2 controllers, we can have more room for optimizations and shortcuts/...
Code Developments 12/28
Task: Gripper swivel, extendToTowerHeight, and retractFromTowerHeight. Oh My!
Today was a long day, clocking in 10 hrs continuously. In those ten hours, I was able to make tremendous progress. Overall, we have 4 main areas of...
Materials Test Planning
Task: Create a system to test our materials to better understand their grip potential
Here at Iron Reign, we're used to using off-the-shelf materials for our robot. For this season,...
Finger Gripper Version 4 CAD
Task: CAD a slightly different capstone version to improve upon v3's issues
On this minor update to our flat gripper design a dropper for the latest capstone was...
Turret IMU Code
Task: Code some driver enhancements for the turret
With the return of the king(Abhi - an alumni of our team) we were able to make some code changes, mainly...
Third Annual Townview Tournament a Success!
Thank you to all our volunteers!
Thank you to all the volunteers that gave up their Saturday to contribute to the FTC community in North Texas. Because...
Townview Qualifier 2019 - The Day Of
Task: Run the Townview Tournament
On Saturday, December 15, Iron Reign hosted 31...
Townview Qualifier 2019 - Set Up
Task: Prepare Townview for the upcoming qualifier
Tomorrow, December 14th, Iron Reign will be hosting the 2019 Townview Qualifier. 31 teams will be...
Future TomBot Articulations
Task: Plan out potential robot articulations to improve game strategy
Getting back from the tournament, we were able to immediately start to think about what was the big problems and possible improvements to the articulations of...
Capstone Iterations
Task: Go over all 3 of our capstone iterations
So far, we have experimented with 3 capstone models. While we do not intend to use all 3 of these models, they allowed us to...
Allen Qualifier Post Mortem
Task: Plan for upcoming tournaments
So our Allen qualifier was a success! Iron Reign won the Inspire Award, which we are so honored to have been given. We did a...
Short-term Post-Mortem Talks
Task: Begin analyzing our performance at the Allen qualifier
It’s officially been a week since our first qualifier at Allen. Although we succeeded in qualifying there’s still...
Capstone Version 3
Task: Design a minimalistic capstone that can be deployed by the stone gripper
This version of our capstone is to be 3D modeled and printed as well as be as compact...
Bill of Materials
Task: Create a list of parts needed for the new robot
To determine all the materials we need for the new robot, we started a Bill of Materials. To...
Creating a Robot Handle
Task: Create a handle for the robot to make it more inspection-worthy
The robot handle is a revolutionary piece of precision engineering, designed to allow the robot to lifted by a carbon-based...
Finger Gripper Version 3 CAD
Task: Design a more comapct and efficient gripper design
This version of the finger gripper is going to be mostly custom made to make it as simple and as...
SEM Robotics Tournament
Qualifying Tournament needs Volunteers!
Iron Reign (team 6832), The School of Science and Engineering and the Dallas ISD STEM Department are happy to announce that we are hosting our...
Allen Qualifier Post Mortem - Code
Task: Analyze our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for our code at the Allen Qualifier
Fresh off our first qualifier at the Allen STEAM Center, we decided to begin...
Adding to TomBot model
Task: Update the current robot model
Prior to updating the model, the model purely consisted of the chassis and the primitive turntable. Since then, both the turntable and chassis have been updated to...
Finger Gripper Version 2
Task: Design a swivel and add ninjaflex parts to improve the finger gripper
From what we learned at the Allen Qualifier the gripper needs some major improvements before it...
Swivel Mount
Task: Design a swivel mount to improve the degrees of freedom on the gripper
After the recent competition, we realized that a good way to increase precision would be to add, of...
Mentoring FTC Team 6964 Igutech
Task: Respond to a request for outreach help from Team 6964
Recently, Iron Reign received a request for advice on how we run our outreach events from FTC Team 6964...
Post-Qualifier Code Debugging
Task: Debug code after the Allen Qualifier
After the qualifier, along with articulation plans, we had a long list of bugs in the code that needed to be sorted out. Most of them were a direct...
Drive Issues at Allen Qualifier
Task: Identify points of improvement after driving at Allen
While using our untested code and inexperienced drivers at the Allen STEAM Center this weekend, we encountered many...
Build Post-Mortem
Task: Begin analyzing long-term build improvements
Moving on from the Allen qualifier, there are a couple issues we need to fix. Aside from the usual wear and tear a robot experiences in...
Inspire at Allen
This weekend, SEM sent four teams to the first qualifying tournament of the FIRST Tech Challenge 2019-2020 season. Iron Reign (6832) was a finalist in robot game and won the top award (Inspire) and has advanced...
Allen Qualifier
Task: Compete at the N. TX Allen STEAM Center Qualifier
Right off of a subpar performance at the Woodrow Wilson Scrimmage, Iron Reign walked on...
Match Play at Allen Qualifier
Task: Compete in Qualification Matches and maybe some Playoffs
Today was our first qualifier at the Allen STEAM Center and we were able to...
Night Before Competition Build
Task: Transform a mass of metal into a functional something in the span of one night in time for the qualifier tomorrow.
Twas the night before competition and the...
Last Minute Code Changes
Task: Debug some last-minute code to be ready for our first qualifier of the season
This article may seem a bit rushed, but that's because it is - for good reason. Tonight is the night...
Morph Chart
Task: Create a morph chart to analyze all our designs so far in this season.
Iron Reign has seen several iterations of several subsystems over this past build season....
Coding TomBot
Task: Use existing code from the code base to program TomBot
To code TomBot, we decided to use the codebase from Frankendroid, as its...
Linear Slides on TomBot
Task: Mount linear slides to the robot.
Today we focused on getting the arm and linear slide ready to be powered up. Our first task was to move down one of...
Woodrow Scrimmage
Task: Compete and work on TomBot at the scrimmage at Woodrow HS.
This Saturday Iron Reign attended a scrimmage at Woodrow High School....
Presenting Our Engineering Notebook
Task: Share with other teams how Iron Reign creates its engineering notebook
This weekend Iron Reign attended the Woodrow Wilson Scrimmage....
Logarithmic Spiral Design
Task: Design a system that could linearly reduce torque.
Since last season, we have conducted a significant amount of experimentation on our elbow and slide mechanism. We are using a similar design because...
Responding to Girl Scouts of Desert Southwest
Task: Respond to an email about the MXP to the local Idaho STEM director of Girl Scouts.
Today, Iron...
Mounting the Slip Ring
Task: Mount a slip ring onto TomBot's chassis
On our robot we have a turntable in order to increase the degree of precision at which we can maneuver skystones. We have one...
CNC Turntable Mounts
Task: Model and CNC way to mount the turntable to the chassis
Today we worked on creating a 3d model for a CNC cut part to mount the turntable to the chassis. Since...
Gripper Iterations Summary
Task: Go over our 9 gripper iterations
This season, we experimented with 9 gripper models - both for our robot in three days project and for our competition bot. While we do...
3-Fingered Gripper
Task: 3D Model and build an 8th gripper design
As our 8th gripper design we are trying out a compact design known as the 3-fingered gripper. This was 3-D modeled before being...
Turn-table Assembly
Task: Finish assembling the turn-table
During today’s meeting, we were able to complete the mounting of the pinion motor assembly to the turntable. This included drilling out holes and routing out a...
Stub Gripper
Task: Building gripper iteration #7
As our 8th gripper design we modeled a stub gripper, inspired by 7129’s Ri30H. Several of our previous grippers were designed with the intention of...
Transition from Expansion Hub to Control Hub
Task: Discuss the transition from using the Expansion Hub to using the Control Hub
Over the past month we have used the control hub our...
Round Chassis Assembly
Task: Attatch Omni wheels to Round Chassis
Today we finished assembling the round chassis for our circle robot, TomBot. The most important system we added was the omni wheels to...
Updating TomBot's model
Task: Update the model to plan TomBot's build
With our first qualifier being less than a month away, Iron Reign embarked on an ambitious project to create...
Ordering a Slip Ring
Task: Order a slip ring for the turn table
In order to spin the turntable on TomBot we need to use a motor with a specific gear to make it spin and...
Hedrick Scrimmage - Code
Task: Discuss what went and what needs improvement in our code
Taking part in the annual Hedrick Scrimmage, we got to test our Robot In 24 Hours, FrankenDroid. Specifically, since...
TomBot Suspension
Task: Design a suspension for TomBot
We've decided to design a suspension for our circular chassis for one reason. Under the neutral bridge, there is a 15mm lip...
Coding Before Scrimmage
Task: Finish the temporary auto and work with drivers for teleop
Tonight, the night before the scrimmage, We worked on making the depositing of the stone and parking of the robot more reliable. Or as reliable as possible, as we are planning to use...
First Season Scrimmage at Hedrick MS
Task: Compete and observe important things needed to continue the build of circle robot and for future competitions.
This...
Driving at the Hedrick Scrimmage
Task: Figure out what went wrong at the scrimmage
We didn't do too well in teleop driving at the Hedrick Scrimmage, with our max stone deposit being...
Control Mapping
Task: Map and test controls
With the Hedrick Middle School scrimmage being a day away, the robot needs to be in drive testing phase. So, we started...
Investing in a CNC Router
Task: Invest in a CNC router using our grants from the previous season.
Last year was a very successful season for Iron Reign, financially speaking. We earned around $11,000 in...
Coding 10/19/19 (Putting meat on the skeleton)
Task: work on actually filling out the auto
As seen in the last post, the skeleton of the auto was done. Tonight...
Dr. Woodie Flowers, in Memoriam
Task:
As most people in the FIRST community know by now, Dr. Woodie Flowers passed away on October 11th. As a team...
TomBot Progress
Task: Start assembling the TomBot chassis
Today we made some progress on our round robot. We moved the rev rails and big wheels on the Bigwheel chassis to...
Auto Path 1
Task: Lay out our robot's path for autonomous
To kick off our autonomous programming, Iron Reign created our first version autonomous path plan. We begin, like all...
Discuss the Impact of Our Robot in 2 Days Reveal Video
Task: Analyze the viewer statistics of our Robot in 2 Days Reveal Video
...
Beginning Auto Stone
Task: Design an intake for the stones based on wheels
Initial Design: Rolling IntakeWe've been trying to get our start on autonomous...
FrankenDroid - TPM Calibration
Task: Calibrate FrankenDriod's Ticks Per Meter in preparation of programming autonomous
Today we worked on the calibration of FrankenDriod's TPM. This is used to accurately and precisely move during...
Autonomous and TomBot Robot
Task: Autonomous coding and TomBot progress
DISD students have been blessed with a long weekend, which we plan to take full advantage of as our first...
Gripper Testing
Task: Test block gripper
Here is us testing the gripper we designed to pick up the blocks in this years SkyStone challenge. This gripper combines the Pivoting Accelerated User-Friendly...
Presenting to Representative Colin Allred's Office
Task: Meet with Representative Colin Allred's office to discuss FIRST robotics and STEM-based legislation
Today, we presented to Mr...
Preparing for the Meeting with Representative Colin Allred's Office
Task: Reach out to congressional representatives in our area to improve the implementation of STEM-based legislation
This summer, our team reached out to three congressional...
Fixing the Mechanum Chassis
Task: Fix the old mecanum chassis from last year
Tonight, I worked on fixing the Iron Star robot from last year, since its a viable option for replacement of...
Modeling Planetary Gears
Task: Modeling a planetary gearset for robot turntable
We decided on using a turntable on the robot to allow for maximum articulation...
Recruitment Update
Task: Plan for 30+ influx of team members
Just like last year, this year has been pretty successful recruitment-wise. We have had 24 total signups, up from -5 last year. In addition to our...
TomBot CAD
Task: Design a concept for a circular chassis
A challenge we face this year is running into other robots. Last year, it was possible to easily get around other robots; however,...
Skystone Gripper Version 2
Task: Design an Intake Wheel
Last season, we designed a ninjaflex gripper for Icarus, our World championship robot. This season, we are...
P.A.U.L
Task: Design a new intake system
After the end of the two day robot build, we had come up with two main gripper designs. One...
Meeting Log
Task: Help the freshmen teams finish their code and continue the development of gripper designs.
This meeting we made substantial progress on designs...
New Recruits for the 2019-2020 Season
Task: Train the influx of new recruits
Test Driving New Robot
Task: Test the "Robot in 2 Days" robot
Today we were able to drive test our "robot in 2 days" robot. We used our robot from the previous...
Field Set-Up
Task: Clean our work space and set up the field
Today we started preparing for the first meeting with the new recruits. Some of the...
Robot in 2 Days Grippers Comparison
Task: Analyze all our grippers from the Robot in 2 Days challenge
During the making of our Ri2D we prototyped and...
Robot in 2 Days - Day Two
Task: Finish Robot in 2 Days
Since the reveal was released yesterday, Iron Reign embarked on a project to build a...
Ri2D Code
Task: Code a Basic TeleOp Code for the Ri2D bot using pre-existing classes and methods
As the Ri2D bot nears completion, the need for TeleOp code becomes apparent to actually make it move....
Parallel Gripper
Task: Prototype a parallel gripper
While there are many different solutions and gripper designs, one of the most common is the parallel gripper. The purpose of a parallel gripper is to grip objects,...
Mentoring Rookie Team Wattever
Task: Show team 16296 Wattever how we run our meets
During our time participating in the robot in 2 days challenge, rookie...
Rack and Pinion Gripper
Task: Build a gripper system for the 2019-2020 Skystone Challenge
The rack-and-pinion gripper system is one of the 4 gripper systems we built this weekend...
Robot in Two Days - Day One
Task: Build prototype subsystems that pick up the stone elements
This season Iron Reign decided...
Wheel Gripper
Task: Design an intake for the stones based on wheels
Initial Design: Rolling Intake 
The first idea we came up with for gripper designs during our Robot in 2 Days...
Aaron’s Super Cool Gripper That Works 100% Of The Time
Task: Prototyping a rolling gripper
During the 2 day robot challenge, one of the gripper designs that we built on the first day...
Modelling a Points System
Task: Model a points system for the Skystone Challenge
A couple hours ago, Iron Reign attended the reveal for the 2019-2020 FTC game - SKYSTONE. Since we intend to...
FTC Skystone Kickoff
Task: Attend the kickoff event
Today Iron Reign attended the FTC 2019-2020 season kickoff event at Williams High School. Team members and prospective...
2019-20 Recruitment
Task: Recruit new members for the 2019-20 season
Today we held an interest meeting at our campus - Townview Magnet Center. Over 30 people of varying grade...
RIP Big Wheel
Task: Tear down BigWheel and harvest parts
Big Wheel, Iron Reign’s first iteration of our Worlds competition robot Icarus, had been sitting outside in the tent for months and we needed parts...
Online Planning Session
Task: Brainstorm current and future plans on a google docs and try to switch to Trello
Tonight we set out to organize our thoughts and projects...
Fixing Mini-Mech
Task: Fix Mini-Mech in time for the Skystone reveal
In two weeks, Iron Reign is planning on building a robot in 2 days, based on the 2019-2020 Skystone Reveal Video. We've never really...
Sustainability Goals
Task: Plan to support at least 3 teams for the incoming Skystone season
One of the biggest challenges we will face this upcoming season is the fact that 6 of our members graduated just a month ago....
Letters to Congressional Representatives
Task: Reach out to congressional representatives in our area to improve the implementation of STEM-based legislation
This past year at the world championship, the founder of...
Mayor’s Back to School Fair
Task: Educate students at the Mayor’s Back to School Fair on robotics
Iron Reign was given...
SEM Nest Camp
Task: Introduce incoming freshmen to our robotics program
Iron Reign was given the opportunity by our school, The School...
Moonday
Task: Reach out to the community and present at Moonday
Iron Reign went to the Frontiers of Flight Museum again with the DPRG...
SuperMan Wheel Fix
Task: 3D model a fix for Superman using Fusion 360
During the Discovery Faire Icarus' Superman wheel broke as the gears were skipping, rendering most robot articulations useless. For reference, Icarus was our robot...
Discovery Faire at Central Library
Task: Teach students how to block program and 3D model at the Discovery Faire @ Central Library
On July 13th Iron Reign attended...
Discovery Faire at the Frontiers of Flight Museum Prep
Task: Prepare everything for the Discovery Faire next week
I(Jose) fixed the battery box and charged the robot phones and batteries so that we could charge Icarus before next Saturday....
Frontiers Of Flight Museum Outreach
Task: Motivate children in STEM fields at the Frontiers of Flight museum
Janavi teaching kids how to build EV3 Robots
...Leg Drive Prototype
Task: Prototype a Leg Drive for next year's (possible) stacking game
Although most teams go for a traditional chassis, a different type may be needed for next season as speculations suggest...
Meeting Log
Talking Heads: Summary June 08, 2019
Task: Prepare for the 2020-2021 Game Reveal season
Today kicked off our first...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log June 08, 2019
Task: Prepare for the 2019-2020 Skystone season
Today kicked off our first meeting for the new Skystone...
DPRG RoboRama Competition
Task: Compete at the DPRG RoboRama and present Icarus
Ready and prepared, our two man team came to compete at the Annual Dallas Personal Robotics Group's RoboRama.
The...
DPRG RoboRama Prep
Task: Prepare for the DPRG RoboRama Competition
Tomorrow Iron Reign is to send out a team of two people to compete at the annual Dallas Personal Robotics Group (DPRG) RoboRama as well...
Discover Summer Fair
Task: Teach kids how to program and 3D-model at the Discover Summer Fair
This Saturday was the Discover Summer Fair organized...
Worlds Day 4
Task: Participate in Alliance Selection and attend the Award Ceremony
Today was the last of the 2019 FTC World Championship and...
Worlds Day 3
Task: Compete in even more qualification matches
Match 7(Q121) We won 292-280. With the elbow motors fixed we were ready for...
Worlds Day 2
Task: Compete in more qualification matches
Match 2(Q28)
We lost 340-280. We had a flawless auto this time and followed...
Worlds Day 1
Task: Set up our Worlds pit, complete inspection and judging, and compete in robot game matches
Presentation
Our presentation went...
Project Management Post-Mortem
Task: Evaluate the Project Manager position
This year, I started the role of project manager, and there have certainly been plenty of growing pains. Iron Reign had previously learned to embrace chaos, frequently pulling all nighters...
REV Beta Test
Task: Test the new REV Control Hub at the REV Scrimmage
Founders of REV working with our team
REV...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log April 13, 2019
Compete at the REV Scrimmage and do...
Auto Paths, Updated
Task: Reflect and develop auto paths
It has been a very long time since we have reconsidered our auto paths. Between my last post and now, we have made numerous changes to both the hardware and...
Control Hub First Impressions
Task: Test the REV Control Hub ahead of the REV trial
Iron Reign was recently selected to attend a REV Control Hub trial along with select other teams in...
Final Gantt Chart
Task: Update the Gantt Chart
Earlier in the year, we posted an early version of the Gantt chart as seen in (T-17, Project Management). Since then, the chart has seen many changes, which can be seen...
Ninja Flex Intake V2
Task: Design, implement, and test a newer version of the ninja flex intake
The new ninja flex intake is good, but it...
Machining Gears for Superman
Task: Machine replacement gears for Superman
Shortly after creating the new Tetrix gear system, we got a response from one of the CNC shops we'd reached out to, offering...
Intake Update
Task: Custom design an intake to improve intake times
In testing, we found that the intake didn't perform adequately - the balls would slide back out in the inverse articulations. So, we designed...
New Superman Arm
Task: Redesign the Superman arm to be more robust for Worlds
In posts E-116, we found that we were putting pressure on the individual teeth of the Superman gears on...
UIL 2019 Postmortem
Task: Reflect on what we did correctly and incorrectly at UIL
Pit & Packing & Roles
- Pack more robot parts -...
Code updates at UIL
Task: Update code to get ready for UIL
It's competition time again, and with that means updating our code. We have made quite a few changes...
Assisting Mechanicats with Code
Task: Help Mechanicats, the other DISD team, debug their code
Competition is always stressful for everyone. There's so much that can go wrong, and when something does, it feels like all your hard work has...
UIL 2019
Task: Compete at the Texas State Championship
Today, we competed at the Texas State Championship, UIL Robotics, Division 5A-6A. We finished our robot earlier this week, so this served as a testing ground for our new robot and code.
Intake Flappers
Task: Design and test intake flappers to speed up mineral intake
Due to our new intake articulation involving the superman wheel the ice cube tray intake is slightly too...
MXP Expansion
Task: Plan the next stage of the MXP
In post B-7, we announced that BigThought received $150k on our behalf for the creation of a new MXP. Now, we've created a tentative...
Wiring Icarus
Task: Wire Icarus to be functional and move utilizing code
With the construction of Icarus nearing completion we need to start connecting wires from the motors and servos to the REV Expansion Hubs...
Project Management Mentorship
Task: Ensure skills are passed to underclassmen
Since our project manager is leaving for college next year, there has been an effort to teach the younger students on our team to take on this role and...
Connecting the Hook to a Servo
Task: Connect the hook to a servo
When attaching the hook to the servo, it was very important that the configuration gave the hook its widest possible range of motion. The open position...
Icarus' Arms
Task: Install intake arms
Since the last post, in which we installed the Superman Arm, we've installed the second stage of the linear lift and the belt drive that accompanies...
Center of Gravity calculations
Task: Determine equations to find robot Center of Gravity
Because our robot tends to tip over often, we decided to start working on a dynamic anti-tip algorithm. In order...
Reverse Articulations
Task: Summary of Icarus Movements
In post E-116, I showed all the big wheel articulations. As we shifted our robot to Icarus, we decided to change to a new set of articulations as they would work...
Icarus Code Support
Task: Implement dual robot code
With the birth of Icarus came a new job for the programmers: supporting both Bigwheel and Icarus. We needed the code to work both ways because new logic could be developed...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 28, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Objective Summary
Fix camera mount, attach lift motors, make custom cables for the drive motors, and forge the hook
Today's Work...
Icarus' Superman Arm
Task: Design and install a lifting arm for Icarus
At the same time as the elbow joint was being done (which can be found in the article "Constructing Icarus'...
Constructing Icarus' Elbow
Task: Build the elbow for intake
In the last Icarus' blog post, it was just getting the basic flat, support frame of the robot. The next step in the...
Updated Meetinglog Template
Task: Update the meetinglog template to more accurately reflect efforts
An essential part of the project management role is the meeting log, where the project manager records all progress made in each subteam during each session....
New Elbow
Task: Design an elbow for bigwheel that we can 3d print
To speed up the build process of the new robot, we made a 3D printable part of the elbow joint. The...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 23, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Agenda
Objective Summary
Today, our main goal...
Intake Speed
Task: Analyze efficiency of our intake system
A big part of our redesign is improving our intake system. To see where some of the errors may lie, we took detailed videos of our robot intaking silver and...
Bill of Materials
Task: Create a list of parts needed for the new robot
To determine all the materials we need for the new robot, Karina and I started a Bill of Materials....
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 22, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Agenda
Objective Summary
Over the course of today’s meet, we plan to create new axle...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 20, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Objective Summary
We plan to build the base of the chassis for the new robot, mainly by aligning the...
Finishing Icarus' Base
Task: Perform the final steps to complete Icarus' base
Since we finished the polycarb base, our robot went through some major changes. We last left our robot in the...
New Robot Base - Icarus
Task: Build the base for the new robot
Since BigWheel was never intended to be a competition robot, we decided to build an entire new...
Balancing Robot Updates
Updates on Balancing Robot
Today we managed to get our robot to balance for 30 seconds after spending about an hour tuning the PID gains. We made significant progress, but there is a flaw in our algorithm that needs to...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 16, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Agenda
Objective Summary
Our main objectives for today are to gather...
FIRST in Texas Grant
Task: Recieve a grant for the Iron Reign program
Iron Reign has received $1,000 from FIRST in Texas for tournament fees and robot parts. This will go a long way for...
Balancing Robot
Initial Work on Balancing Robot
Since our robot has two wheels and a long arm, we decided to take on an interesting problem: balancing our robot on two wheels as do modern hoverboards and Segways. Though the problem had already been solved by others, we...
VEX 393 Motor Testing
Task: Test VEX Motor 393 as a faster servo for intake
We need to speed up our intake to spend less time in the crater collecting minerals....
Planning Sessions
Task: Outline new planning sessions
Beyond the Gantt chart and meeting logs mentioned in (T-17, Project Management), another one of the biggest additions to the team with the project management role are planning sessions. Planning sessions are...
DPRG Visit 2.0
Task: Present to the Dallas Personal Robotics Group about FTC app and our modifications
Today we had 2 goals: present the FTC control system and allow everyone...
Localization
Localization
A feature that is essential to many advanced autonomous sequences is the ability to know the robots absolute location (x position, y position, heading). For our localization, we determine the robots position relative to the fields coordinate frame. To track our position, we use encoders (to...
Off-Schedule Meeting Log - Spring Break
Meeting Log March 08, 2019
Friday
- Widen Superman Cooper and Ben O widened our Superman wheel from one omni...
Issues with Driving
Task: Widen Superman's wheels and plan the new robot
Since we just qualified, we have a lot to do. On the list for tonight, between the 6 of us, we...
Code Refactor
Task: Code cleanup and season analysis
At this point in the season, we have time to clean up our code before development for code. This is important to do now so that the code remains...
Road to Worlds Document
Task: Consider what we need to do in the coming months
ROAD TO WORLDS - What we need to do
OVERALL:
- Read More
North Texas Regional Postmortem
Task: Analyze what went wrong at North Texas Regionals
We performed really well at Regionals; we actually won our first game of the season...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log March 02, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Since we qualified for worlds, we are using today as an opportunity...
SEM FTC Robotics advances to State and Worlds Championships
On Febuary 23, 2019, SEM Robotics sent three teams to the fifty two team North Texas Regional Championship, the largest showing of any school.
Left...
Wylie Regionals 2019
Task: Compete at the North Texas Regional Tournament
Preparation
Unlike other tournaments, we started packing before morning. We packed as...
How to connect gamepads directly to RC phone without a DS phone
How to tweak ftc_app to allow you to drive robots without a Driver Station phone:
A lot of teams have been asking about how we were able...
Up-to-Date Bigwheel Model
Task: Finish the Bigwheel model
Updating the Bigwheel model to the robot’s current configuration was a challenge. The new linear slides are not standard parts, so we had to model them from...
Cart Hack
Task: Tweaking ftc_app to allow us to drive robots without a Driver Station phone
As you already know, Iron Reign has a mechanized cart called Cartbot that we bring to competitions. We used the FTC control system...
Big Wheel Articulations
Task: Summary of all Big Wheel movements
In our motion, our robot shifts multiple major subsystems (the elbow and Superman) that make it difficult to keep the robot from tipping....
Off-Schedule Meeting Log - Week before Regionals
Meeting Log February 19, 2019
It's the week before Regionals, so...
Latch Designs - A Retrospective
Task: Analyze past successes and failures in our latching system
Version 1
The first version of the latch worked decently. We started out with the idea of a one-way, passive...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log February 16, 2019
So, its the last week before Regionals, so we...
Elbow Rebuild
Task: Rebuild the elbow after total gear annihilation
In a previous post, we detailed the extent to which we had stripped our gears - they were missing teeth in...
Research Poster
Task:Create a Poster amalgamating all of our math
Throughout this season our team has completed various calculations from the torque of our robotics arm, to the speed of the wheels. Since these calculations are...
Robot Issues - Gear Grinding
Task: Analyze the issues with the elbow arm of our robot
The elbow arm of the robot is what allows us to rotate the arm of our robot - the...
Control Mapping
Task: Map and test controls
With regionals being a week away, the robot needs to be in drive testing phase. So, we started out by mapping out controls...
Pulley Spacers
Task: Design and implement pulley spacers to prevent belt interference
We had an issue where the belts that allowed our arm to slide upward were misaligned, resulting in the belts frequently slipping. We...
BigWheel Upgrades
Task: Fix some issues on BigWheel before the build freeze
We made more secure way of activating our hook, so we switched our piece of wire attaching the servo to the hook with a much stronger and...
Bigwheel Model
Task: Design and update the Bigwheel Model
We are updating our bigwheel model to represent our current robot. We had a model of just the chassis from the chassis study, so we are...
Autonomous Non-Blocking State Machines
Task: Design a state machine class to make autonomous easier
In the past our autonomous routines were tedious and difficult to change. Adding one step to the beginning of an autonomous would require changing the...
Woodrow Wilson Scrimmage
Task: Compete at the Woodrow Wilson Scrimmage with Woodrow teams
This past Saturday, Iron Reign competed in the Woodrow...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log February 09, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Today we participated at a scrimmage held at Woodrow Wilson High School. This was...
Latch 2.0 - Forged in Flame
Task: Design a new latch for hanging
Our latching system is too complicated to use quickly; it requires too much reliance on driver control and becomes jammed. So,...
Drive Testing at STEM Expo
Task: Test robot performance at the STEM Expo to inspire younger kids and practice
We had the privilege...
Code Updates
Task: DISD STEM EXPO
The picture above is a representation of our work today. After making sure all the manual drive controls were working, Karina found the positions she preferred for intake, deposit, and latch....
DISD STEM Expo
Task: Present at the DISD STEM Expo
DISD STEM...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log February 02, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
The DISD STEM Expo took place today. While incredibly...
Fixing Mineral Dropper Components
Task: Fix any issues with the mineral dropper
At the STEM expo we saw a clear issue with the mineral dropper: it is very poorly geared and doesn't deposit minerals well. A quick...
Latch V.3.5 Assembly
Task: Assemble the V.3.5 latch and attach to the robot
We assembled the fourth version of the latch today. Some of the improvements on this latch include using bigger bearings and thrust bearings inside. This latch...
STEM Expo Preparation
Task: Plan for the DISD STEM Expo
Tomorrow, Iron Reign along with members from the other 3 teams, is participating in the DISD STEM Expo for our third year. As...
Mechanical Depositing
Task: Create a mechanical deposit for our selective deposit
To relieve driver stress, we decided to put a mechanical release mechanism that would drop the minerals into the passive sorter to then further...
Intake Omnis
Task: Add omnidirectional wheels to intake arm
We need to add omniwheels to the intake arm to allow the arm to rest on the ground, while still maintaining the necessary height for collecting the minerals. If the...
Gearkeepers
Task: Create and install gearkeepers to reduce slippage
We need to install gearkeepers on the Superman arm to prevent gear skippage which damages gears over time. We designed a simple rectangle in...
Superman Calculations
Task: Calculate torque and other values of the Superman arm on our robot
We want to have our robot completely replicable through the journal. So, we found it necessary to include the power calculations of various subsystems...
Road to Regionals
Task: Consider what needs to be done before regionals
Engineering Notebook:
- Read More
Latch Updates
Task: Update the latch
Our first attempt at a latch was made out of flat metal L brackets that would slide into the hook, but they slid off under...
Wylie East Postmortem
Task: Analyze what went wrong at Wylie
We performed well at Wylie, comparatively speaking. But, there's always room for improvement.
Problems:
The Robot &...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log January 26, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
We are going to use our experience from last week to guide our improvement...
Three SEM Robotics Teams have now advanced to the FTC North Texas Regional Championship!
This Saturday our two all-freshmen rookie FTC Robotics teams took it up a notch at their last qualifier tournament of the season. Iron Core was...
Tokens!
Task: Design tokens to hand out at the North Texas Regional
We recently taught ourselves how to use the laser-cutter. Now that we've gone mad with power, we've decided to make little handouts for...
Competition Day Code
Task: Update our code
While at the Wylie quaiifier, we had to make many changes because our robot broke the night before.
First thing that happened was that the belt code was...
Wylie East Qualifier 2019
Task: Compete at Wylie East
Wylie East was Iron Reign's second qualifier of the year. Having qualified at the first one, we planned...
Pool Noodle Intake
Task: Design a quick intake for the robot before competition
The night before our final qualifier, we decided that the intake system on the robot was not up to our standards. To...
Selective Intake
Task: Design a new sorting mechanism for gold and silver particles
The differentiation between the different shapes of minerals has been something we’ve been thinking about since day one. At the time we...
Designing Side Shields
Task: Create side shields for BigWheel
Iron Reign has access to an Epilog Mini laser-cutter through our school, so we decided to use it to create side shields to protect our robot...
Belt Drive
Task: Install a belt lift on our robot for depositing
The most recent addition to BigWheel has been the addition of a belt drive lift on either side of the linear...
Code Updates
Task: Detail last-minute code changes to autonomous
It is almost time for competition and with that comes a super duper autonomous. For the past couple of weeks and today, we focused on making our depot...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log January 12, 2019
Today's Meet Objectives
Today our goals include presentation practice, autonomous testing and fine tuning, and build changes from the newest update...Minor Code Change
Task: Save Bigwheel from self destruction
The other day, when running through Bigwheel's controls, we came across an error in the code. The motors on the elbow did not have min and max values for its...
Vision Summary
Task: Reflect on our vision development
One of our priorities this season was our autonomous, as a perfect autonomous could score us a considerable amount of points. A large portion of these points come from...
Latch Model
Task: Model and print the Latch
Early in the season, we made a hook, Although it was durable, it required a higher amount of precision than we would have liked to have, especially in the...
Issues with Driving
Task: Get ready for Regionals
Regionals is coming up, and there are some driving issues that need to be addressed. Going back to November, one notable issue we had at the Conrad qualifier was the lack...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log January 05, 2019 Today's Meet Objectives
Modeling Slide Barriers
Task: Create barriers to prevent the linear slide from falling
Recently, we added polycarb barriers to our linear slide system. They were created as a temporary measure by bending the polycarb with...
Auto Paths
Task: Map and code auto for depot side start
Today, we implemented our first autonomous path. Since we we still didn't have a complete vision software, we made these manually so we can integrate vision without issues....
Debug OpenCV Errors
Task: Use black magic to fix errors in our code
We implemented OpenCV support in our code, but we hadn’t tested it until now. Upon testing, we realized it didn't work.
The first problem...
Off-Schedule Meeting Log, Winter Edition
Meeting Log (Week of)January 03, 2019
We have quite a few tasks this week, including:
- Latch design We've had an idea for a latch...
Teammember Statistics Update
Task: Look at the commitment changes over time of our team
It's a new year! And, with this new year comes new tournaments, new experiences, new projects, and more. But, to grow, one must reflect. Iron...
OpenCV Support
Task: Add OpenCV support to vision pipeline
We recently refactored our vision code to allow us to easily swap out vision implementations. We had already implemented TensorFlow, but we hadn't implemented code for using OpenCV instead of...
Refactoring Vision Code
Task: Refactor Vision Code
Iron Reign has been working on multiple vision pipelines, including TensorFlow, OpenCV, and a home-grown Convolutional Neural Network. Until now, all our code assumed that we only used TensorFlow, and we wanted...
Meeting Log - Dec. 19, 2018
Meeting Log December 29, 2018
Hello and welcome to the Iron Reign...
Creating Side-Latches
Task: Allow the robot's arms to stand on their own
The issue with the lift is that many of the pieces that need to be made require specificity that’s hard to obtain using...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log December 22, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
Our goals for today include a battery box, repair and improvement of our intake system, and...Scoring Mechanism
Task: Create a way to hold minerals
We now have a lift and an intake system, but we're missing a way to hold onto and deposit the minerals after intake. To achieve this, we...
BigWheel Arm Locks
Task: Create locks to keep BigWheel's intake arms in an extended position
An important part of this year's challenge is scoring minerals in the lander. Additionally, our upright elbow cannot raise the...
The Return of BatteryBox
Task: Create a charging station for our phones and batteries
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, Iron Reign once had a battery box. This was a fabled...
End of TIG Welding
Task: Detail TIG welding plans and why they failed
At the beginning of the season, we saw that our robot base was not as well crafted as we originally thought it...
REV Headquarters Visit
Task: Visit REV headquarters and learn more about the engineering process
Today, a group of Iron Reign, Core, and Star members ventured down to the...
Selecting Intake System
Objective: Determine the type of intake system that will allow us to efficiently obtain and deposit minerals within the lander
In our post "Selecting Lift System" we decided that the linear slide system that we will...
Townview Qualifier 2018 - The Day Of
Task: Run the Townview Tournament
On Saturday, December 15, Iron Reign hosted 30 teams at the Townview Magnet...
Helping PiGuardians with Code
Task: Help teams at the Townview Tournament
On Saturday, December 15, Iron Reign hosted 30 teams at the Townview Qualifier tournament. As a part of hosting the tournament, we wanted to ensure that all teams...
Townview Qualifier 2018 - Setting Up
Task: Prepare Townview for SEM's qualifier on December 15th On December 15th, Iron Reign is hosting an FTC qualifier at Townview...
DPRG Vision Presentation
Task: Present to the Dallas Personal Robotics Group about computer vision
We presented to the DPRG about our computer vision, touching on subjects including OpenCV, Vuforia, TensorFlow, and training our own Convolutional Neural Network....
Presenting to the DPRG
Task: Present to the Dallas Personal Robotics Group about robot vision and Iron Reign
We reached out to the Dallas Personal...
Rotational Nylon Wear Test
Task: Test the amount of wear on a moving nylon part over time
After our last tournament, we noticed several 3D-printed sprockets that had worn down significantly. So, we wanted to measure how much wear...
Arm Repairs
Task: Fix elbow and Superman
This is a follow up to Post E-64, Code Issues Break the Superman Arm. We made some hustles and got them fixed. We reinforced Superman by ganging up...
Code Issues Break the Superman Arm
Task: Analyze the code issues that led to our robot breaking
After constant use, our robot's Superman arm broke. At this point, it is important to analyze our failures. This error was not...
Linear Nylon Strength Test
Task: Measure linear nylon wear
We've had some issues with our nylon sprockets, mainly through excessive wear and tear. So, we want to test what circumstances cause what deformation.
Linear...
Selecting Lift System
Objective: Determine the type of lift system will allow us to delatch and reach the lander
In our past post Choosing Drive Train we decided that we will use the chassis BigWheel. After deciding the base...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log December 01, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
We plan to prepare for a few events coming up, the tournament we are going to host at Townview and...Friction Coefficient and Energy
Task: Measure the coefficient of friction of our oven mitt intake
We want to measure various constants of materials on our robot. Earlier this season, we found that a nylon-mitt collision on our intake sapped...
Agenda for Dallas Personal Robotics Group
Task: Set up an outline as to how the DPRG Presentation will operate
Next Saturday, December 8th, Iron Reign will be giving its judging presentation to...
C.A.R.T. Bot Side Shields
Task: Design sideshields for the Townview Tournament
Iron Reign takes pride in the Townview Tournament; we really enjoy making it a great experience for everyone. One small way we plan to...
Conrad Qualifier Post Mortem - Long Term
What could have gone better?
This is a document for analyzing what we can do better, not just what went wrong at the Conrad qualifier. The format of this will be in...
Chassis Mark Two Planning
Task: Plan a new BigWheel chassis
Our next tournament is a while away, in about two months. So, we have a little bit of time to redesign. And, our current chassis has plenty of faults....
Mentoring SchimRobots at Rice MS Tournament
Task: Mentor a middle school team at the RMS Qualifier
Earlier today, I attended the Rice Middle School Qualifier in order to mentor my middle school team, SchimRobots, as an alumnus. Last year, when I was a member...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log November 17, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
We are going to discuss multiple facets...
Conrad Qualifier Post Mortem - Short Term
Task: Analyze what went wrong at Conrad
Iron Reign didn't necessarily have the best time at Conrad. As...
Materials Testing Planning
Task: Design a lab to test nylon properties
So, Iron Reign is used to using off-the-shelf materials on our robot: silicone oven gloves, ice cube trays, nylon 3D-printed parts, and more. But, we've never actually done...
Code Post-Mortem after Conrad Qualifier
Task: Analyze code failure at Conrad Qualifier
Iron Reign has been working hard on our robot, but despite that, we did not perform well owing to our autonomous performance.
Our autonomous plan was fairly simple: perform sampling, deploy the...
Inspire at Conrad Qualifier
This weekend, SEM sent four teams to the first qualifying tournament of the FTC Robotics Rover Ruckus 2018-2019 season. Iron Reign won the top award (Inspire) and advanced. For reference, Iron Reign is last year's...
Conrad Qualifier
Task: Compete at the N. TX Conrad Qualifier
Right off of a mortifying experience at the Hendricks MS Scrimmage, in which we got the...
SEM Robotics Tournament
Our deepest thanks to all volunteers!
Iron Reign (team 6832), The School of Science and Engineering and the Dallas ISD STEM Department are happy to announce that we...
BigWheel Upgrades
Task: Get BigWheel ready for the tournament
Today, we built mounts to attach both types of intake to the rack; the rack-and-pinion corncob intake and the red-flapped intake. We also created a new way of mounting the...
RIP CNN
Task: Farewell Iron Reign's CNN
FTC released new code to support Tensorflow and automatically detect minerals with the model they trained. Unfortunately, all of our CNN work was undercut by this update. The silver lining is that...
Linear Slide Lift
Task: Design a lift for MiniChassis
For extension both into the crater and lifting our robot up to the crater we have decided test a linear slide system. We plan to utilize linear slide...
Torque Calculations
Task: Calculate the torque needed to lift chassis
After seeing how well the robots that could latch onto the lander performed at the scrimmage, Iron Reign knew that we had to be able to score these points....
Pose BigWheel
Task: New Pose for Big Wheel robot
Historically, Iron Reign has used a class called "Pose" to control all the hardware mapping of our robot instead of putting it directly into our opmodes....
Meeting Log
Meeting Log November 03, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
So, we have one week before our first tournament. This isn't great. As you...
Full Circle
A reflection on my time at Iron Reign
In 2012 I began competing in FTC. That year our team built a robot with a giant central arm on top of a six wheeled...
BigWheel Arm
Task: Design an arm for BigWheel
Bigwheel’s intake arm is one of the most important parts of the robot. Since our scrimmage, we have learned how to make this arm much more efficient,...
Dallas Chamber Leadership Council
Presenting to Leadership Dallas Class of 2019
Today, we presented to the Leadership Dallas program, run by the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, to fundraise for Iron Reign...
DISD Scrimmage at Hedrick MS
Task: Compete at the Hedrick MS DISD Scrimmage
Today, Iron Reign competed in the DISD scrimmage at Hedrick Middle School. This was the...
Off-Schedule Meeting Log
Meeting Log October 21 to October 23, 2018
Iron Reign will be attending a scrimmage on Saturday, but to attend a scrimmage, you usually...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log October 20, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
Our first scrimmage is next weekend, so we need to complete our chassis...
Intake Update
Task: Update the intake for the new robot size
We created the corn-cob intake a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was a little too big for the Minichassis, so...
Rewriting CNN
Task: Begin rewriting the Convolutional Neural Network using Java and DL4J
While we were using Python and TensorFlow to train our convolutional neural network, we decided to attempt writing this in Java, as the code...
Mini Mecanum Chassis
Task:
Over the summer, we designed many robots for the North Texas Chassis Project, including one based off of last year's Worlds robot, Kraken. The robot chassis had 6" mechanums. But, based on...
Travis High School Night
Task: Present about Iron Reign to 120 prospective members
Today, we went to the Travis H.S. Night to talk to prospective freshmen about our robotics...
SEM STEM Spark
Task: Volunteer at SEM STEM Spark, a girls-in-STEM event
For the past year, members of Iron Reign have been planning this event and getting...
SEM STEM Spark Preparation
Task: Prepare for and set up SEM STEM Spark
The National Honor Society at our home school, the Science and Engineering Magnet, has been...
Recruitment Update
Task: Plan for 30+ influx of team members
So, as we've stated in prior posts, this year has been a successful year for recruitment. We have had 30 total signups, up from...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log October 13, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
Today we are taking part in a massive outreach event to...
Developing a CNN
Task: Begin developing a Convolutional Neural Network using TensorFlow and Python
Now that we have gathered and labeled our training data, we began writing our Convolutional Neural Network. Since Abhi had used Python and...
BigWheel+
Task: Continue work on BigWheel
BigWheel has gone through a few major changes. First and foremost, it now has a flipper arm, AKA Superman. Since the robot itself is the lift mechanism, we...
Project Management
Task: Improve Iron Reign's team organization and time management
Iron Reign sometimes struggles with our team organization and time management. There have been many instances where we have fallen behind in different subteams...
Mining Base 2.0
Task: Rethink our static robot idea
So, our dream this year is to create a static robot. Last week, we found out about a rule change that would prevent our mining robot from staying within the...
Upgrading to FTC SDK version 4.0
Task: Upgrade our code to the latest version of the FTC SDK
FTC recently released version 4.0 of their SDK, with initial support for external cameras, better PIDF motor control, improved wireless connectivity,...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log October 06, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
We set up some tables with FTC Starter Kits for our new recruits...
Labelling Minerals - CNN
Task: Label training images to train a Neural Network
Now that we have software to make labeling the training data easier, we have to actually use it to label...
Another Design Bites the Dust
Task: Discuss a new rule change
At one point, we were thinking about creating a "mining facility" robot that stays static within the crater and delivers the blocks into the mining depot. In our...
Team Marker Fun
Task: Create the Team Marker
Last week, we decided to take up the task of creating the team marker, a simple project that would surely be overlooked, but can score a significant amount of points. We...
Corn-Cob Intake
Task: Design an intake system unique for balls
Right now, we're working on a static-deposit system. The first part of this system is having an intake mechanism that passively differentiates the...
Designing the Corn Cob Aligner
Task: Design an aligner for the beater bar intake
The ice cube tray is 9 holes wide and each hole is 16.50mm wide and long. Using these measurements,...
Iron Reign Grants!
Task: Detail the grant awards that Iron Reign and its associated teams received ($11k)
So, Iron Reign is currently training an influx of new members - so much that we've started two...
Designing Wheel Mounts
Task: Create wheel mounts for our Mini-Mecanum chassis
Today, we modeled two possible designs for mini-mecanum wheel mounts. The purpose of the mounts is to hold a churro or hex shaft in...
Intake Sorter
Task: Design a sorter for the balls and blocks
To increase the efficiency of our robot, we looked into ways to passively sort minerals during intake and deposit. It is important to sort because it requires...
CNN Training Program
Task: Designing a program to label training data for our Convolutional Neural Network
In order to use the captured training data, we need to label it by identifying the location...
BigWheel Chassis
Task: Work on a possible chassis
We've been toying around with the idea of using BigWheel, our Summer Chassis Research Project bot, in this year's competition with a few modifications. The idea for this robot is that...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log September 28, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
Since our overflow of new recruits, we have opened up...
Hanging Hook Prototype
Task: Design a hook for pulling the robot on the lander
To get a head-start on latching and delatching from the lander during autonomous, we got a head...
Autonomous Path Planning
Task: Map Autonomous paths
With the high point potential available in this year's autonomous it is essential to create autonomous paths right now. This year's auto is more complicated due to potential...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log September 22, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
As we are starting to make more serious strides in...
Chassis Brainstorming
Task: Brainstorm chassis designs
At the moment, we've used the same chassis base for three years, a basic mechanum base with large wheels. However, we don't really want to do the same this year. At...
CNN Training
Task: Capture training data for a Convolutional Neural Network
In order to train a Convolutional Neural Network, we need a whole bunch of training images. So we got out into the...
Vision Discussion
Task: Consider potential vision approaches for sampling
Part of this year’s game requires us to be able to detect the location of minerals on the field. The main use for this is in sampling. During...
Meeting Log
Meeting Log September 15, 2018
Today's Meet Objectives
As...
Brainstorming Two
Task: Have a 2nd brainstorming session
We had another brainstorming session today, which allowed us to break down into some new building tasks.
Intake System 3 - TSA Bag Scanner
This part...
Selecting Wheels
Objective: Determine the type of wheel that best suits the chassis
In the Choosing Drive Train E-16 we decided that we will use the chassis BigWheel. We know that our wheels need to be light weight but...
Choosing Drive Train
Task: Analyze the game
In our last post, we created a chart where we listed each task asked based on point value and the level of difficulty, separated by autonomous and teleop. Our goal is to...
Rover Ruckus Strategy
Task: Determine the best Rover Ruckus strategies
Testing Intakes
Task: Design a prototype intake system
In our first practice, we brainstormed some intake and other robot ideas. To begin testing, we created a simple prototype of a one-way intake system. First, we attached two...
2018 Kickoff
Task: Attend the North Texas FTC Kickoff
Today, we went to the Rover Ruckus kickoff! This year's main challenge is getting blocks (gold) and balls...
Rover Ruckus Brainstorming & Initial Thoughts
Task: Come up with ideas for the 2018-19 season
So, today was the first meeting in the Rover Ruckus season! On top of that, we...
Post Kickoff Meeting
Meeting Log September 08, 2018
Today Iron Reign attended the FTC 2018-2019 season kickoff at Williams High School. After the event, we gathered...
North Texas Invitational Presentation Series - Worlds
Task: Present about Worlds to new teams
This was our last presentation in a series of presentations in conjunction with teams from around Texas...
Garchomp Presentation
Task: Present in the Inviational Presentation Series
Today, we participated in the Chassis Presentation workshop for teams all around the North Texas region; the project was to design robots and perform various tests with them,...
Bigwheel Presentation
Task: Present about Garchomp
As a new freshman on Iron Reign, I took on the responsibility of a robot we called Bigwheel. Karina and I worked on getting the robot into something that could be...
2018-19 Recruitment
Task: Recruit new members for the 2018-19 season
Last year, Iron Reign lost two members, so we're only looking for 2-3 members to replace them and their particular skillsets. However, our...
Organization!
Iron Reign Clutter
One of Iron Reign's greatest weaknesses is the organization of our physical space. It is rare that our workspace is...
Mentor Involvement from MIT
Task: Discuss potential support from MIT
In a previous post, I mentioned how the knowledge I gained in machine learning at MIT could help the team. But another way our team could...
BigWheel CAD
Task: Create a mockup for BigWheel
We've been working on a design for the chassis workshop for quite a while now. We already presented it at the first meeting, and now we need...
Hey New Members!
Hopefully, you're here because you heard our announcement or saw our flyers. Even if not, welcome! We are team 6832 Iron Reign Robotics. We've been a FIRST team since 2010 and currently compete in
My Summer at MIT
Task: Spend a Summer at MIT
Hello all! You might have been wondering where I went the entire summer while Iron Reign was busily working on tasks. Well for those of you interested,...
Adjusting Garchomp's Chains
Task: Build the Chassis
In our last post, we thought that we had finished Garchomp. However, as we came back to the next practice, we realized that Garchomp's chains were incorrectly linked.
...Dallas Back to School Fair
Task: Present at the Dallas Back to School Fair at O.W. Holmes
Today we brought the MXP over to O.W. Holmes Academy in South Oak Cliff for our...
Best Buy Grant
Task: Receive a grant from Best Buy for continued MXP operation
Last year, we received a $10,000 award to continue our RV operations, cover staffing costs, and pay for additional technology\repairs....
C.A.R.T. Bot Summer Project
Task: Enhance our robot-building skills
At Iron Reign, we hate to waste the summer since it’s a great time to get all the ridiculous builds out of the...
SEM Nest Outreach
Task: Present about STEM to new freshmen at SEM
Today Iron Reign presented at the New Student Orientation (NEST) camp at our school, SEM. All incoming freshman were there. We had...
Replay Autonomous
Task: Design a program to record and replay a driver run
One of the difficulties in writing an autonomous program is the long development cycle....
Summer Chassis Project - July Meeting
Task: Compare & Collaborate on Chassis
At Big Thought's offices in downtown Dallas, three teams met. Technicbots (Team 8565), EFFoRT (Team 8114), Schim Robotics (12900), and Iron...
Chassis Flyer
Kraken
This is Iron Reign’s world-championship robot from last season. The basic rundown is this:
- Weight - 42 lbs
- Size - 18x17.8x17.5 inches
- Drive - Mecanum
- Main parts kit - REV
Moon Day 2018
Task: Reach out to the community and spread the magic of robotics
Iron Reign had a great time today at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for the 2018 Moon Day. We...
Position Tracking
Task: Design a way to track the robot's location
During Relic Recovery season, we had many problems with our autonomous due to slippage in the mecanum wheels and our need to align to the balancing...
Central Public Library Outreach Event
Task: Present at the J. Erik Jonsson Public Library
This Saturday, we drove down to the J. Erik Jonsson library to present at the Dallas City...
2018-2019 Recruitment
Task: Recruit members for the upcoming robotics season
At the end of last season, we had two members graduate, Austin and Tycho. Their upcoming "goodbye" posts will be posted here, the same as last year. So, we...
CNC Machine Rehab 1
Task: Refurbish an Apple II CNC Mill and Lathe Set
We were helping our school's FRC team clean out their parts closet, which hadn't been cleaned in 10-ish years. Under the layers and...
Turn Up! at Dallas Love Field
Task: Present at the Dallas Love Field for the DCOL Turn Up! Event
Every year, the Frontiers of Flight Museum hosts Turn Up!,...
Big Wheel Ideas
Task: Create a Unique Chassis
This summer, we're working on creating unique chassis that are outside of our comfort zone. Often we choose safe bases - opting for ones that we have tried in...
Swerve Drive Prototype
Task: Build a Swerve Drive base
Over the past week, I worked with Christian and another member of Imperial to prototype a drive train. Due to the limited resources. we decided to use Tetrix...
Swerve Drive Experiment
Task: Consider a Swerve Drive base
Last season, we saw many robots that utilized a swerve drive rather than the mecanum drive for omnidirectional movement. To further expand Iron Reign's repertoire of drive bases, I wanted...
UIL 2018
Task: Attend the 2018 UIL Robotics Competition
Background
For those who don't know, UIL Robotics is the premier state robotics competition for Texas. Iron Reign has...
Finishing the Chassis
Task: Build a Chassis
We have been working on this chassis for over 3+. In out last post, we had thought the wheels were ready to go....
School of Science and Engineering Freshman Orientation
Task: Speak to 200 prospective recruits about Iron Reign
Today, we attended the Science and Engineering Magnet's annual freshman orientation. All prospective students are required to...
Iron Reign earns FTC World Championship Motivate Award
Last week at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics World Championship in Houston, Team 6832, Iron Reign, from the School of Science and Engineering in Dallas ISD earned the Motivate award which ranks them at the top in the outreach category.
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Contact Us
E-Mail: ironreignrobotics@gmail.com