Saul Payan - 1 hour - Dewey

I figured that the Dewey claw we are using isn't strong enough to open the mailbox. It just slips off. I plan to make a 3-D printed hook mechanism that will be mounted on one side of the claw to be able to open the mailbox door easier.

I figured that the Dewey claw we are using isn't strong enough to open the mailbox. It just slips off. I plan to make a 3-D printed hook mechanism that will be mounted on one side of the claw to be able to open the mailbox door easier.

I added a longer piece to the claw,so it now reaches farther.


I plan to mount the camera in the front.

Christopher - AM - 45 minutes - Revisions

During testing, the arm of Dewey was too short to reach within the mailbox.

Our solution to do this is to extend the arm of Dewey so that it could reach within the mailbox.

The other thing we are going to do is to change the controls of Dewey so it becomes easier to control.

The battery chamber is also pretty loose as well which would get fixed soon.

Christopher - AM - 20 Mins - Potential Solution

Here are the links to solving the software issue:
https://www.vexforum.com/t/restore-default-code/31378

Just follow the steps and the software issue should be resolved. I connected a HDMI cable to Dewey to download the code, but a password is needed to download the firmware program.

Here's the link to configure the cortex code:
http://www.robotc.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19325

Mostly focus on the first link though.

Christopher - AM - 30 Mins - Controller Issue

The controller connection issue from yesterday hasn’t been resolved.

Today all the lights on the controller and Dewey would turn green, as it should, except there would be no response from Dewey. Dewey couldn’t move in any direction or raise its claw arm.

Troubleshooting actions 

Replaced the battery 

Checked the wiring 

Used wired connection to Dewey and the controller

User another controller 

Solution

It is likely that the code in the cortex, not the controller has been corrupted. The most likely way to resolve this is to restore the code to its factory settings. If the issue persists, it may be a controller problem.

Christopher - AM - 2 Hours - Great Progress

For most of class, I was at the skillsUSA meeting. But during the time I did work on it, I have made great progress. Of all the errors mentioned previously, they have been resolved.

Resolved issues:

-Rear right wheel is now capable of moving backwards. Furthermore, I connected all three gears of the wheels on each side together. Upon doing this, I noticed that it significantly moved and roared faster and more smoothly. 

I considered adding two smooth wheels instead of one Omni wheel and one smooth wheel. However, when I did this, I noticed that Dewey moved significantly slower and that the smooth wheels greatly reduced the turning speed.

-Claw arm is now fully operational. Before the claw arm couldn’t move up or down, but now it can. The issue was that the claw arm gears were offset and that the motor wasn’t properly connected. I resolved the issue by reinforcing the existing washers and adding an additional one.

-Zip tie connection is now fixed but I’m considering in moving the battery placement to be more visually appealing.

Potential issues and solutions

-The claw arm opens very slowly and closes very fast. Not much of a concern since it functions, but it could cost precious arms

-Wiring is messy, but that’s a very easy fix.

-I still need to decide on the camera placement as well, but would most likely stay in the front left corner.

Christopher - AM - 1 Hour - Issues

The problems I encountered were:

-The rear right Omni wheel is touching the ground and spins, but it doesn’t go backward

-The claw motor spins, but the gears are offset or not connected well, and so it doesn’t go up or down

-The claw arm does work, but it opens extremely slowly and closes fast

-Cable management is an issue but is an easy fix

During this time I fixed the issue where the Omni wheels were making contact with the gears. I added the blockers to resolve the issue. However, this may be causing the rear right wheel not to spin so I have to take a closer look at this.

Christopher - AM - 2 Hrs - Movement and Video Feed

After finishing the blueprint of the field, I worked on Dewey. What I accomplished during this period was that I reattached the wheels and gear since they came off. I need to attach a washer and a screw to keep the wheels in place. I powered on the controller and plugged in the transmitters to get video feed from the monitor. When the battery was attached, I was able to make the claw arm of Dewey open and close. Dewey was able to move forward, and spin very quickly. I might have to fix the structure of Dewey since the chassis it slanted down at angle. This may posed an issue when opening the mailboxes. Other than that, the main issue was that the claw arm didn't go up or down. Something may be wrong with the wiring or the way the axel was attached so I have to fix that. Cable management is another issue since the wiring of the camera gets in the way of the wheels.

Christopher - AM - Dewey

After cleaning the tables, I spent 10 minutes reassembling the omni wheels back on to Dewey. I finished completely removing the rear wheel of Dewey. I then spent several minutes testing the video feed of the camera which seems to work. Then lastly, I spent the remainder of the time drawing the blueprints of Dewey. I only managed to work on the top view of it.