Crescent Valley High Team 955: Off Season Project Possibilities

Projects which would be good objectives for the off-season.

• Mechanical
  • Each student gets one day: Turn a bolt into a clevis pin.
  • Each student gets one day: Make a clamp style shaft coupler.
  • Each student gets one day: Make a shift coupler.
  • One day: Fabricate and assemble idler wheel support.
  • Make all transmission side plates in one day.
  • Each student: Assemble and disassemble transmission in one day. If can't be built in one week, redesign and more practice.
  • Build rolling chassis (drive train+electronics). Minimize custom and special order parts. If can't be built in one week, redesign and more practice.
  • Design drive train so that axles can be straightened and chains can be tensioned.
  • Redesign wheels to be easy to build.
  • Stair climbing robot chassis.
  • Wingnuts are easy to lose. Find an alternative battery mount.
• Electrical + Software
  • Electrical Training:
    • Safety
    • Standards
    • wire color codes
    • wire gauges
    • wire labels
    • Wiring best practices
    • connectors (physical connections)
    • strain reliefs
    • neatness
    • Documentation
      • schematics
      • HDL
      • Documenting the interface
    • PCB/PCA and CAD
  • Each student gets one day: Write a state machine in C.
  • Each student gets one day: Fabricate a PCB.
  • Each student gets one day: Assemble parts on a PCB.
  • Each student gets one day: Write validation for a function.
  • How to write and validate a function.
  • Joystick with controllable turning.
  • Solid navigation, including all required hardware.
  • Motor current sensor
  • Bumper sensor
  • Vision system
  • Build and debug a servo arm.
  • Improved tracking turret.
  • Verilog.
  • State machines in hardware.
  • Sonar tracking.
  • Current sensors.
  • Data collection.
  • Coprocessor without FRC.
  • Coprocessor with FRC.
  • Clean up Battery Backup board. Make a PCB for it. Package it in a box.
  • Scouting system.
  • Easily dissassemble-able electronics
  • New joysticks
  • Spare parts
  • Schematics
  • Address PWM connector reliability
  • Good crimps
  • Electrical faults: short, open, parameter shift
  • Electrical components

    	How it works	Open it up	How it dies	Blow it up
    Wire	conductors, insulators, platings	yes	Fuse, insulation breakdown	yes
    Resistor	metal film, wire wound, carbon?	yes	fuse, degrade	yes
    Inductor	yes	yes	fuse, short	no
    Solenoid	yes	?	fuse, short	no
    Relay	thermal, magnetic	?	fuse, short, contact resistance or stuck	no
    Breaker	thermal, magnetic	?	fuse, short, contact resistance or stuck	no
    Motor	PM, inductive, stepper, brushless	yes	fuse, short, commutator burn, explode rotor	no
    Capacitor	film, ceramic, electrolytic	not electrolytic	short, reverse electrolytic	ceramic
    Diode	electrons vs holes	yes	fuse, melt, explode, degrade	yes
    Transistor Bi	yes	yes	same as diode	?
    Transistor Fet	yes	yes	diode	?
    IC	rough internal description	yes	diode, electromigration, fingers, ion migration	?

• Organizational
  • Send "Thank You" with pictures to all sponsors.
  • Cull old stuff.
  • Reorganize cabinets and bins.
  • Update checklists.
  • Fundraising done by Sept
  • T-shirts need-date
  • Track all forms
  • Track all deadlines on calendar
  • Parental assistance.
  • Presentations at events to show our technologies.
  • Hand cushion for totes.
  • Create a google map showing FIRST team locations. Submit it to FIRST.

Require rookies to do the actual work. Experienced students provide the instruction and direction.