Caddo•Mills•High•School
Team•Number•60
MARS•Industries
•Presents•
J.A.C.K. 2.0
Table of Contents:
Page Title:
Page number
Implementation of Engineering Design Process
1
Research Paper
8
Brainstorming Approaches
9
Analytical Evaluation of Design Alternatives
10
Offensive and Defensive Evaluation
11
Safety
12
Support Documentation
15
Webpage 16
This is an early design of what we wanted our claw to look like.
These are our original ideas for what we wanted the robot to look like.
We used a piece of wood to help find more ideas for the robot, and to see if our earlier
ideas would work.
This is an early design of our robot.
This is a picture of our banner to help get people to join.
These are the pictures of posters we put around the school to get people to join.
These are pictures of t-shirt ideas.
Coco Best robotics has created the game/project Blade Runner to gather ideas from all
competitors to try and design a vehicle with the capability to transport and assemble wind
turbines. Although while they are trying to transport and assemble this machinery they have to
be precautious of the endangered prairie chicken species which poses a slight delay in the
transport and assembly.
In the game Coco Best is requiring every team to move across their playing space and
relocate the “endangered prairie chicken species” then move and access their oversize
overweight permit. Then they must transport the small turbine nacelle and assemble it to the
small turbine by going over either the rough road, or the bridge. Next they will go back and
transport the small turbine blade/hub assembly to the small turbine nacelle and releasing the
blades into extended position, and afterwards raising the small turbine into standing position.
Then by finishing adding three large turbine blades to the large turbine and raising it up into
operating position.
Coco Best picked this game probably to reenact the transport and assembly of turbines in
real life. In the real world Coco Best will probably pick the robots with the “best” parts to try
and take the ideas off the robot and apply them to a machine in real life made for the very
specifics of this task.
In our extensive research over the course that Coco Best as set up for us we’ve decided to
take a pretty straightforward approach to handle most of the obstacles in that pose both a benefit
and hazard to our robotic creation. First we wanted to figure out how we would transport most of
the turbine equipment to and from their starting and ending locations. So we took inspiration
from our last robot we made for the past game. Now since that robot has a two-part hand system
to where it can pick up and manipulate objects served as a great help for its job. However we did
not need the entire setup of the hand that the robot had. Instead we went with a claw to cling onto
and carry most of the equipment here and there.
However, through trial and error, we’ve found that there are holes on the equipment that
we could ‘hook’ into to where if the claw couldn’t latch onto the surface of the object that it was
designed to carry.
As of transportation and moving about we went with a straightforward concept of two
front and back wheels, where the front wheels served as both the moving and directional wheels.
Our research wasn’t limited to any extent, but we never really had to look up and ways or
means of achieving our goals. Most of all the information had come straight from our team
leaders and other working students. Everyone had input and inspiration on how the robot should
act, function, and do it’s oh so specific job.
When we were first introduced to the game, we began thinking of ideas for each section.
A large portion that we had realized that we needed to work on is that for this game we would
need to use more precision with our movements. For each part we thought of something that
would be the fastest way of completing each objective. For example: originally we thought of
using a long bar to catch the chickens, but then we figured out that it would take longer than we
were willing to spend on lining the bar up. We decided on moving one chicken at a time so the
best way to do that is to push the chicken from the bottom and the top and have supports on the
sides of the chicken.
We wrote down every idea we had on notebook paper. When we got back to the school,
we shared ideas as a team for each of the individual parts. We started drawing ideas on the dry
erase board and recorded the conversation and took pictures of the board so, we would not forget
anything that got erased.
The ideas we came up with were drafted onto paper. Whenever the team got ideas for any
of the parts, we would talk about each idea and what improvements it would make on the said
idea. Then if the idea proved worthy, we would improve the design and then test it on the course.
We made measurements of the course that we fabricated in order to get ideas for the size of each
piece. Then by making prototypes of each piece, we finished drafting.
Afterwards we took the prototypes down to the course that we built and tested them.
After testing the prototypes we saw what could be possible errors in the design. For example: in
the claw we originally did not have a hook on the claw so we tweaked the design to add a claw
and then decided to put a hook on the claw. We had to make measurements on paper to make
sure the hook did not get in the way of any other design that we had already made.
After taking the prototypes down to the course and finding the errors we improved the
designs on paper. Then we remade and tested the prototypes for more errors. If no errors were
found, we built the actual robot pieces and attached it to the constructed pieces of the robot.
After the robot was built we tested it on the course for any problems that might occur.
The process was repeated multiple times and we noticed very few errors with the robot. For the
errors that we did notice we repeated the entire brainstorming process in order to find fixes for
these errors.
Whenever we got the robot into liable working condition, the team would test the robot
more extensively. Finding no errors we practiced until mall day, where we contemplated the
other team’s designs. We took into account the other teams designs and improved on our own
after we returned to the school. For example: while at mall day we noticed a team had a better
hook design that did not bind while getting pulled out of the game pieces. We contemplated the
design and made our own adjustments and then added it to our robot and took the hook that we
had on our robot off.
After editing the designs we took the robot down to our home built course and tested the
new parts. We kept testing the parts until we knew for a fact that there were no errors with the
new parts. Soon after we went to competition, we noticed a few errors on the robot while we
were competing. After returning to the school we improved on the errors found and tested them
again.
Analytical Evaluation of Design Alternatives
We started by measuring all of the gaps in the course and decided on an 18x14 base to
make the robot fit in the smallest gaps in the entire course.
Second we began working on four wheels with a 7 ½ inch diameter; two wheels are
gliders and two are attached to a motor. Later we changed the two glider wheels to two smaller
wheels without any traction materials, and then changed the two front wheels to have traction
materials. The first traction materials we used were a foam rubber material in the consumables
kit. Later, we realized that our course was tearing up that material, so we covered it with bicycle
tubing. After we got to the mall day, we saw that constructing another pair of front wheels was
necessary and we decided to go back to the foam material by itself.
Next we began working on an arm design; initially we planned for a simple arm that
operated vertically and horizontally. Later we decided to construct a parallel arm assembly to
keep things upright and in the same position at all times. The parallel arm assembly allowed for
the claw to operate in a very small, fine arc. That has not presented a problem for the drivers
because we trained specifically to predict that arc.
For the claw, we toyed with several claw designs, and settled on a design similar to our
previous year’s robot. We began the design of the claw based off of the diameter of the large
windmill blades. We decided on doing a rounded claw due to the fact that we can get a wider
base allowing us to grab the blades more efficiently. We used double servos to power the claw in
order to have an excess amount of grip strength. We tweaked the claw until we had it as we
wanted it.
Game Strategy
 When we start the game we plan through strategic thinking, on picking up the 1st
Endangered Prairie Chicken then drive up to push the OSOW Permit which gives us 5
points. We set the chicken aside and move on.
 While the driver is doing this, the spotter raises the small tower so we can have full
access to the bridge, rather than it being in the way when we cross the bridge.
 We then move the middle chicken aside, away from the bridge. This clears the path for us
to use the bridge.
 After the bridge is cleared of the chicken we begin to start transporting the large wind
turbine blades to the other side. Once we pick up the first blade, we press the left arm of
the bridge which opens the entire bridge.
 Next we advance across the bridge with blade in claw and begin to insert the blade into
the tower.
 After that, we drive back to the other side and repeat this process two more times.
 Once all three blades have been placed into the large tower, the spotter will raise the
tower and assemble the blades into positions.
 We then go back to get the small blade nacelle and transport it to the other side. If we
have time, we will then transport the small nacelle turbine to the other side.
If all of this is completed we will gain a total of 306 points.
Safety Report
The rules of the wood shop are like the rules of the road, you learn them, you memorize
them, and you follow them. Caddo Mills Robotics team has created a system of safety
precautions in order to generate a secure atmosphere for all students and instructors. The rules of
the wood shop are basic but vital in keeping students safe. All students are informed of these
rules on the first day of school. The students also, learn the importance of wood shop safety. The
students also have many tests and pop quizzes over the rules. The test and quizzes insure that
every student knows and understands the rules and importance of them. Every day from those
countless days students are expected to obey the policy of the wood shop. The wood shop is a
fun environment for students to get to learn about the engineering world, but with that privilege
there comes rules that must be followed. The rules are in place for the protection of the
individuals in the wood shop, it is a priority for the Caddo Mills Robotics Team to enforce these
rules.
One of the many safety procedures that our club rules pertain to is acceptable clothing.
Certain kinds of clothing create a hurtful site for individuals wearing them or people they are
working with. Procedures for clothing include wearing goggles, no jewelry, no lose clothing, no
open toed shoes, and hair must be tied back. Students who are wearing jewelry or lose clothing
can create unsafe situations. That student can create a dangerous situation for themselves and a
hazardous environment for another individual.
Another rule we hold is, we do not eat or drink in the wood shop. There can be many
dangers when students engage in this activity while working in the wood shop. If a student is
eating or drinking in the lab, they may mistake a piece of equipment for their food and get very
sick. The way that our club prevents a harmful incident is by enforcing this rule, so everyone is
as safe as possible.
In addition our club obtains a rule of no horse playing. Horseplay is strictly prohibited in
the wood shop. There are many dangers when children horse play in the wood shop. An
example of an accident caused by horseplay is a student could trip and fall over a piece of
equipment. Not only is it dangerous to play around in the wood shop, but it also wastes time.
Each student is expected to follow the rules that are given to us. If a student does not
follow these rules they will be kicked out of the wood shop for the day and the teacher will
decide if further punishment is needed. We enforce the rule so; all students will understand the
consequences of their actions and decide to wear the proper attire. An example of this would be
if students showed up to class wearing lose clothing. They would not be allowed to go into the
shop, which would put them a day behind on their work. Most students on the team do not like to
get behind on their work, so it motivates them to wear clothing that will not get them in trouble.
The clothing rules are in place so students who are wearing these articles of clothing do not
create a dangerous environment for themselves or for the other people in the wood shop. These
rules are constant, and the punishment for wearing these clothes is strict. We enforce these rules
everyday in order to keep a safe working environment.
The purpose of all these rules, all the safety instructions, and all other documents
containing instructions are meant to keep students safe. Whether the student is working in the
shop or out of the shop, we incorporate these rules so they are safer.
Wood shop safety is extremely important, in order to keep a safe working environment.
The students, teachers and members of this team appreciate and realize the significance of the
policy for the team. Therefore all the members of the team practice and enforce these rules every
day the rules are a major priority for each member of the team. The team understands the
importance of the safety rules that are put in place. These rules keep not only one person safe;
they kept all of the team members safe. Safety is not only a key in the automobile world, it is
important in the wood shop working environment as well. With these rules we not only keep
students safe, we find ways to prevent accidents. In such ways to keep students safe while
working in the shop next to dangerous machinery and consistent loud noises, we have either
students looking over what is going on or a teacher/personnel that have higher authority over the
students and workers. We also have warning and danger areas on and around the machinery that
is in the shop. When a student wants to work on a project, they ‘have’ to ask the teacher or
person in charge at the time to us this device, with clear instructions on how to use it and where
the danger Areas are around and or in the machine itself.
This is a picture of Jack 2.0. We are looking to see what we could add to the robot.
These are pictures of our safety.
These are our programming pictures. We used pictures because we didn’t use AutoCAD.
In this photo they are working on the robot while its wheels are getting painted
In this photo one of our students is working with one of our intelligent teachers going over
blueprints, sizes, and other things concerning the robot
Webpage: marsindustries.yolasite.com