C Robotics

DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals

Team Number: 902
Engineering Notebook

Blade Runner 2014

Table of Contents
Main Body: Engineering Process
Prologue ..iv
Section 1: Define
Research (Paper) ..1-4
Identifying the Problem5-6
Discussing Solutions.7
Establishing Goals Based on the Work Criteria7
Separation of Team into Subgroups & Tasks ..7-9
Section 2: Evaluate
Brainstorming Design Alternatives & Game Strategies .10-13
Analytical & Mathematical Evaluation ..14-16
Developing Prototypes.17
Testing and Experimenting with Prototypes18-20
Section 3: Implement
Coming to a Consensus Regarding the Design.21
Utilizing the Robot Effectively22
Section 4: Safety .23

ii

Appendix
Strategizing Process..24
Building Process25
Design Process..26
Programming Notes...27-29
Mall Day30
Remote Control Diagram.31

iii

Prologue
Being a new robotics team to the BEST challenge has undoubtedly brought much
enthusiasm and inspiration into our diverse group of members. Our team is comprised of DCC
students in grades 5-12. Our team has been mentored by individuals from different walks of life
including teachers, engineers, and medical professionals. Their wisdom has been invaluable.
We have spent the weeks prior to kick-off honing some important skills. Dr. Stringer,
team mentor, introduced us to SolidWorks and provided us which a basic understanding of this
software. We were also introduced to the engineering process: defining, evaluating,
implementing, and keeping it simple overall. We then had opportunities to practice the
engineering methodology with technical challenges provided to us by our mentors. Furthermore,
we took a field trip to Atlas Pressed Metals, where we observed this method in action and got a
chance to see industrial robots at work.
Beyond this, we have developed our team structure. We have named our team C (Central
Catholic Cardinal) Robotics. Also, we have initiated numerous production groups within our
robotics team including building, strategizing, programming, marketing, and documenting. Each
of these groups has an adult leader who advises the individual members. In the future, one of our
goals is to incorporate student leadership positions within each division of our team.
This school activity has brought together a diverse group of students working to achieve
a common goal. In the past several weeks, our strengths and weaknesses have become evident
and we have learned to capitalize on our talents to work towards our goal. Although our
meetings have undoubtedly been productive, and we have learned a great deal, we have also had
a blast.
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The Engineering Process

Section 1: Define
Robotics Research Paper
Living in western Pennsylvania, magnanimous wind turbine blades and components are a
recurrent sight on the narrow roads that navigate through our small hometowns. Often times
these turbine parts have demolished traffic lights and caused unreasonable waiting times for
impatient drivers. It is no secret that wind energy is a part of everyday life in Pennsylvania, as
wind farms dot the horizons of our landscape. Wind energy is the central theme of the BEST
2014 challenge. This year the robot has to efficiently transport turbine blades and components
across a complex course set in West Texas, while avoiding environmental damage to endangered
cacti and chickens. This is not an easy task, and so prior to working on our game, we first had to
engage in extensive research regarding wind energy. We look at how the science and technology
related to this topic has been developed at companies and industries in West Texas and
Pennsylvania. What we found was not only interesting but also eye-opening.
This years BEST Robotics Games theme finds its roots in West Texas. Like PA, West
Texas has a rich history in wind energy. In fact, West Texas is one of the top leaders in the wind
power production industry in the U.S.A. West Texas proudly houses the Roscoe Wind Farm,
which ranges a whopping 100,000 acres and houses over 630 wind turbines. Furthermore, the
West Texas State University began experimenting with numerous forms of wind energy
technology in 1970. It's definitely no secret that the U.S.A. is very active in wind energy. The
wind energy industry has grown by 30% in the past 5 years and Pennsylvania has ranked 15th for
total megawatts installed. In 2015, one of our country's goals is to create 5,000 new megawatts of

renewable energy power. We believe that by participating in this extraordinary robotics

challenge, we will learn more about this type of energy and someday, we too will be able to
positively impact our world's energy resources.
Wind energy is a clean form of energy that uses wind turbines to create power. Wind
energy is an alternative source of energy that many states have started to use like Texas and
Pennsylvania. Wind is a form of solar energy caused by uneven heating of the Earths
atmosphere. When the wind blows, wind turbines harvest the energy for use in residential and
industrial applications.
Wind turbines turn when the wind blows creating kinetic energy which it in turn converts
into mechanical power or electricity. This mechanical power can be used by homes, farms, cities,
and machines. Wind turbine blades spin on an axel that is connected to a generator which
generates the electricity or mechanical energy. Within the turbine several components make the
turbine spin and move. A turbine has the blades and the rotor. It also has a drive train composed
of the gearbox and the generator. The whole turbine is supported by the tower.
The massiveness of the components of the wind turbines creates transportation and
assembly challenges. Blades can have a shipping length of 185 feet and weigh 45 tons. The
nacelle can have a shipping length of 202 feet and weigh 370 tons. The tower itself comes in
multiple pieces and can have a shipping weight of 200 tons. The sizes and weights challenge
industry to devise safe and effective transportation vehicles to support the load and navigate
roads.
Cities and towns within Pennsylvania such as Erie, Montgomeryville, and Dublin are
home to industry utilizing science and technology to address wind turbine transportation,
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assembly and maintenance. Erie, Pennsylvania is home to GE transportation systems. As the

name suggests, these transportation systems assist in the movement of wind turbine parts.
Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania is also an active contributor to wind energy. The ITW
Windgroup technologies are used to build, install, repair, and maintain wind turbines. A third PA
city, Dublin, is home to Omniwind energy Systems LLC. This organization is centered on
creating blade designs that effectively produce power at low wind speeds. It also takes into
account new innovative ideas that have arisen in the intricate field of wind energy. Thus, much
like our own robotics team, these companies are also utilizing the scientific engineering process
which involves defining the problem, evaluating, and implementing designs. It was truly
phenomenal to find that companies as close as Erie, Pennsylvania are using similar technological
ideas
In researching how the wind industry deals with transportation and public
relations issues we consulted with Penn Dot District II Clearfield Office. Nick Ninosky, permits
manager, came to talk to us about why oversize/overweight permits need to be acquired and how
to get them. Wind turbine components are classified as oversized/overweight or super loads. This
requires specialized vehicles to transport the loads and pre planning of routes. We discovered
that each state has very different regulations stating when and how these loads are to be
transported. Marla Fannin, public relations officer, also spoke with us about the need to alert the
public regarding how these loads will impact travel delays and the efforts of the transporters are
making to protect the environment.
In conclusion, our game theme correlates to the science and technology that is currently
being used at companies and industries in Pennsylvania. The challenges of transportation and

assembly of wind turbines are unique. They require specialized designs to address these issues
and research in this area is ongoing. Perhaps our design will stimulate the wind industry.
Works Cited:
"Wind Energy Basics." Wind Energy Basics. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/>.
"Wind Energy Pros and Cons - Energy Informative." Energy Informative. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
<http://energyinformative.org/wind-energy-pros-and-cons/>.
"About Wind Energy: Benefits of Wind." About Wind Energy: Benefits of Wind. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.pawindenergynow.org/wind/benefits.html>.
"Blade Runner BEST 2014 Game Specific Rules." Blade Runner 1.17 (2014): 2. Print.

Identifying the Problem:

Our C (Central Catholic Cardinals) Robotics Team started off the engineering process
with a bang by discussing and identifying the problem that needed to be solved. They came to
the consensus that the primary problem that our team had to address was navigating through a
course while avoiding harm to prairie chickens (knocking them over) and Saguaro Cacti
(crashing into them). Furthermore, our problem includes pressing an overweight overload permit
button, cautiously moving chickens to a safe zone, efficiently and safely crossing over a bridge,
and successfully transporting and assembling turbine blades.
We further defined that our robot would have to accomplish a number of tasks including
logistics, transportation, assembly, positioning, and expanding/installing. Associated with
logistics, we need to acquire the oversize/overweight (OSOW) permit and relocate the Prairie
Chickens to a safe environment in an upright position. Affiliated with the transportation of
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components are the tasks of loading and moving turbine constituents from the stockpile vicinity
to an assembly site by traveling across a bridge or the damaged road. This includes three large
turbine blades, one small turbine nacelle, and one small turbine blade assembly. Another task
that we look to accomplish is the assembly of turbines that includes small turbines and large
turbines. The tricky component of this particular task is utilizing the robot component to attach
the blades to the hub, the hub to the nacelle, and the nacelle to the tower. Although the order in
which these are assembled does not matter, the small turbine blades must be successfully
attached as they will be permanently attached to the hub but begin play in the folded transport
position and secured with an elastic shipping strap. The large turbine blades can be assembled to
the hub in two scoring positions. Upright positioning of wind turbines also adds to our list of
problems to solve. Once a turbine is (small or large) fully assembled, it is raised to the upright
position by the crane (rope and board) and crane operator (spotter). Similarly, expanding and
installing the turbine blades in the expanded position must also be done with great caution.

Discussing Solutions:
After labeling our major problem, we amalgamated as a team and discussed numerous
possible solutions to our problem. We closely examined all ideas from student contributions to
our discussion and narrowed down our options to several feasible solutions. We came to the
decision that we will focus on a few primary challenges that our robot will successfully be able
to solve including acquiring the OSOW permit, transporting windmill components, protecting
the environment, and carefully moving prairie chickens. The team decided that windmill
assembly will be a secondary concern as our product develops.
Establishing Goals Based on the Work Criteria
Based on the work criteria and the solutions that were previously discussed, our team
established numerous goals that we want to achieve. The first goal we formed as a team was to
have a functioning motorized base by the end of week two. Next, we wanted to keep it simple.
The prototype needed to be easy to build and easy to maintain. Then, we wanted to construct a
robust robot as the terrain is difficult to navigate and has multiple obstacles. Our final goal was
to construct components to complete to our base to accomplish specific tasks. Teamwork and
innovative thinking were utilized frequently in effectively executing our ideas and goals.
Separation of Team into Subgroups& Tasks
Separating our team into subgroups helped us to accomplish many of our goals.
Subgroups included a building team that was separated into strategizers, constructors of the claw
and constructors of the arm of our robot. Beyond this, we had a programming team that was
subdivided into a robot programmer, a SolidWorks expert, and a trainee. One of the most
important things that we learned in this process was that robotics is so much more than simply
putting parts together to form a moving machine; it incorporates marketing as well as critical

thinking. We also had a marketing team to promote our product. Lastly, we had a notebook team
that tied together all of the work that was done into a formal compilation of documents.
All of these subgroups had advisors who assisted us in accomplishing the goals that we
set out to meet. Mr. Swalligan and Mr. Pifer aided the builders with their engineering process
while Dr. Stringer worked with the programmers. Similarly, Mrs. Gray assisted the strategizers
and Mrs. Korthaus advised the marketers. Mrs. Pifer worked with our documentation subgroup.
Our subgroups have been able to collaborate effectively with each other in this engineering
process and our advisers have majorly helped us along this journey.

C Robotics

Building
Team

Mr. Swalligan
& Mr. Pifer

Strategizing
Team

Programming
Team

Marketing
Team

Dr. Stringer

Mrs.
Korthaus

Documentation
Coordinator

Mrs. Pifer

Mrs. Gray

Each of our subgroups had specific tasks that they set out to accomplish. The primary
goal of our building team was to construct a functioning robot that will fit within the boundaries
of the regulations of the competition. Furthermore, this robot must be able to efficiently navigate
throughout the course without causing any harm to the Lesser Prairie Chickens or Saguaro Cacti
and successfully cross over a bridge or rough road. Turbine blades must also be effectively
transferred across the course to the assembly area. These tasks were at the core of our design
process.
Our programming team worked cooperatively with the building team. They assigned
programming code to the motors to control them with analog sticks and programmed a servo
motor to buttons to ensure that the drivers will easily be able to maneuver the robot. Moving the
arm to operate the claw and turning the motor to get the robot to move were both integral tasks
that our programming team addressed. The drivers are crucial members of our strategizing team.
Their task was to develop a feasible strategy. Our documenting team took notes and diagrams
from all of the members and gathered them into a formal notebook. Our marketing team worked
alongside all of these subsidiary groups to promote the B.E.S.T. program and our prototype by
creating brochures, posters, and presentations demonstrating our progress to the public (our
school and society). Our subgroups were able to work very well together and benefitted greatly
from phenomenal advisors who helped us to stay on task.

Section 2: Evaluate
Brainstorming Design Alternatives & Game Strategies
Our building team brainstormed design alternatives and various game strategies while
making sketches and designs reflecting their ideas. They collaborated to decide upon a few of the
best alternatives and worked together to improve upon them. Here are some of these sketches
and notes:

Above is a diagram of the measurements

of our base. On this day, our builders
started to discuss how to attach the wheel
onto the motor.

10

Attachments & Screws

Set
Screw

Above is a diagram that our builders drew when they learned how to calculate the distance of one
wheel rotation. To do so, they created a spreadsheet to calculate the wheel distance. Following this,
they figured out how to successfully attach the wheel to the motor. In this diagram, they marked where
they needed to drill holes in the aluminum.

To the left is a diagram of drilled holes

in the wheel mount that were made with
a drill press by our builders.

11

Here is a thorough list of our game strategies:

1) Obtain Permit: the time that this will take with 3 1/4 inch wheels is approximately 4 seconds.
The grand total amount of time that this will take will be 7 seconds.
Complexity level of this task: medium
The points that will be gained from this task: 5 points
Potential obstacles:

Avoiding Prairie Chickens (this will add 7 extra seconds to our time)

Windmill Parts (this will add 3 extra seconds to our time)

Arm Falling Off (this has been tightened multiple times and we shall ensure that it will
not fall of during our game time) and wheel hubs need to be tightened.

2) Move Prairie Chickens: the time that this will take is approximately 8 to 12 seconds
Complexity level of this task: easy
The points that will be gained from this task: 10 points by transporting one chicken to a safe
zone. Up to 30 points if all chickens are taken to the safe zone.
Potential obstacles:

Knocking over the Prairie Chickens in an attempt to grab them

Accidentally moving windmill parts (will add 5 seconds to our time)

3) Transport Big Blades: we will have to pick it up by grabbing it by the eye hook or by the "T"
end. Then, we will have to drive it to the destination without touching the road, bridge, safe zone,
or permit station. Then, we have to establish whether or not we will travel by the bumpy road,
which may fail. If we travel by the bridge, we will get points.
Complexity level of this task: medium

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The points that will be gained from this task: blade assembled is worth 10 points, and therefore, a
total of 30 points will be acquired by assembling all 3 blades.
Things to consider include where to pick the blades up from, how to correctly position it, how to
maneuver around obstacles, and maintain our speed.
4) Bridge Button: It is 11 ft. from the safe zone to the bridge and it will be 11 seconds to the
bridge.
Complexity: medium
Points: The button is 5 points.
5) Put on the Small Nacelle: this will take 30 seconds.
Complexity of this: hard
Points: 30 points total
6) Transporting the Small Nacelle: this will take 9 seconds.
Complexity: medium because when the nacelle is dropped in the assembly area, it cannot touch
the road, bridge, safe zone, or permit station.
Points: 30 points
7) Put on Small and Big Blades:
Complexity: hard
Points: 30 points for installing the small blades and 20 points per big blade. There is a 20 point
bonus if the blade is in the correct scoring position. There is a 40 point bonus recorded for blade
3 in the scoring position with the tower in the upright and attached position.

13

Analytical & Mathematical Evaluation:

Our building team utilized excel spreadsheets to calculate robot speed and travel time versus
wheel diameter.

14

15

Our programmers established the following arm piece measurements for solidworks:
Right piece: 10 inches in length
Left Piece: 6.25 inches in length
Right Piece: 5.75 inches in height
Left Piece: 5.75 inches in height
Step: 2.75 inches in width
Thick: 0.5 inches

16

Developing Prototypes
One of our first base designs was a square. However the square was bulky and did not
allow for good measurability. In the end, we decided not to go with this design. Another design
was a triangle. This design would allow maneuverability. Even though it had this advantage, it
had to place and mount wheels in an orderly fashion. Our final design was a mix of the first two
base designs. It allowed maneuverability for wheels to be mounted straight.

Our first idea for the claw was too hard to build on the track as the grabbers would not
slide on. Idea two was to have a box with 2 servo motors in it. Each servo had its own arm and
they would close together to grab the chicken. Idea 3 (our final idea) was a modification of the
2nd idea. Instead of using 2 servos we would only use one. The other grabber would be
stationary. Also the servo would not be in a box, instead we used a metal brace.

17

Testing and Experimenting with Prototypes

After testing and experimenting with our prototypes at our building site (our school) and at the
course at mall day, we established numerous things that we could improve upon and what was
going well. The following are images of experimentation:

18

19

After testing and experimenting with our prototypes, we documented the following errors
in our design:

Our battery exceeds length limitations by two inches

The belt that drives the arm comes loose easily
We need an effective hook to hit buttons with
We need to practice backing directly up
We have to approach obstacles with the claw side facing downward
Our wires and bolts need to be checked and tightened
We have to adjust to the sensitivity of the remote control
Our drivers need more practice with our robot
We also documented the following good aspects about our robot:

We are excellent at picking up Prairie Chickens

Our robot can travel across both the good and bad roads
Our robot is small and nimble, and is thus easy to manage
We have a low base that assists us in mobility
We kept our designs simple and easy to understand and utilize
Our drivers stayed focused throughout the testing and experimentation process
We bettered our designs by doing the following:

We cut the base 3 inches shorter by using a saw

We drilled a hole for the golf ball and put the golf ball into the hole that we previously
drilled
We cut pieces out for a battery protector
The longer portion of this piece was 6 5/8 inches and the shorter part was 1 inches
We then glued these parts to the base
We tightened the washers and nuts to the base of the robot with a screw driver and pliers.
We drilled the motor back into the base
We connected numerous wires to parts
The programmers worked on improving the switch programs
The programmers put the arm parts into the robot assembly drawing and drew the claw
assembly.

Furthermore, our drivers practiced driving our robot and grew familiar with the remote
control.

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Section 3: Implement
Coming to a Consensus Regarding the Decision
After much evaluation, testing, and experimenting, we came to the final decision
regarding our robot design and strategy. The following describes our design consensus:

Base is 1/2 inches thick plywood shaped as a trapezoid

Two wheels I inches in diameter are mounded with aluminum motor mounts to 2 large
DC motors.
A golf ball is placed at the rear of the base to provide a variable angle drag contact.
Plywood is used to provide arm mounting location.
Arm with plywood wheel is mounted to locating plywood supports. Arm is moved by
pulley system and by the small DC motor.
Arm has a PVC pipe joint mounted to a Plexiglas claw by a servo motor.
A secondary arm mounted to a servo motor moves through a 60 degree angle to push
permit and gate buttons.
The cortex is mounted to plywood arm supports.

21

Utilizing the Robot Effectively

On mall day we got the opportunity to utilize our robot effectively by working together
as a team to maneuver through the course laid out for us. We alternated drivers and spotters and
worked cooperatively to accomplish our tasks and goals. Here are pictures of this in action:

22

Section 4: Safety (Test)

Prior to coming in contact with engineering and mechanical tools, all of the members of
our robotics team were required to take a prerequisite safety class and test. We were taught the
proper ways to utilize equipment in a safe manner. Mr. Pifer also explained rules and regulations
regarding the usage of tools. We then took a written test and went over the answers together.
Afterwards, we were each permitted to try using some of the tools under adult supervision. Here
is a copy of the safety test that we all took:

23

Section 5: Appendix
Strategizing Process

24

Building Process

25

Design Process

26

Programming Notes

27

28

29

Mall Day

30

Remote Control Diagram

31