Author: Rand, Max

Our Programs

-First mission: Ambulance + supply Truck. We chose this mission because without the vehicles being out of the way, we would not be able to do most of our missions because they would typically get in the way of our robot, especially when we go to the red zone.
-Next, we chose the “Retrieve Green Man” mission, due to the fact that when we assemble all of the LEGO figures together, we gain lots of points for bringing them all into the same zone. On the way back to base after grabbing the man, an angled link arm subtly triggering the tsunami.
-We decided to recover the Cat and Dog next, also due to the fact that you may gain lots of points for placing them in the same zone. Combined with that mission is the tree mission, due to the fact that combining the two saved time, and we didn’t have to change any of our attachments
-We also have backup tsunami and recover the Cat/Dog missions, because sometimes the robot does not end up triggering the tsunami, and the cat scarcely does not make it back to base after attempting to retrieve the Cat and Dog.
-The last mission we do is bring the people, water, and pets to the red zone, push the evacuation sign up and get the robot into the red zone. This was important for it to be the last thing we do, because if our robot ends in the red zone at the end of the match we gain extra points.

Robot Facts

Number or sensors :
1 color sensor
2 touch sensors
Drivetrain details :
2 large motors for 2 wheels
2 medium motors for arms
Number of attachments :
10 attachments
Programming language :
Lego Mindstorms EV3 Home Edition
Number of Programs :
7
Memory used :
Average of 5 KB per program.
Most consistently completed mission:
Cargo Plane Mission

Contact us:
Email: typhoonshield@gmail.com
Website:
Glen-Ames-Robotics.weebly.com

RDES
Robot Design Executive Summary

Design Details

Design Process:
Our team first had a group vote on the basic robot design we wanted to use. This was a simple bot with two wheels and a ball acting as a third wheel on the back. We decided as a team that adding a frame around the robot might be the best way to move forward from there. We use voting processes but also try to make the decision unanimous so we can hear everyone's voices and opinions.
Strategy:
To ensure efficiency and success of programs, we used “port view”, a program in the robot that allows you to check the angles and degrees from different ports. This made all of our missions much more consistent and accurate. Our favorite mission is the one in which we grab the man from orange zone, and trip the tsunami waves. This is our favorite because we use two sensors, touch and color. Our touch sensor is used for the house lift for knowing when to lower the cage to trap the man. Color is used for positioning in front of the man. We have an angled link arm on the back of the robot which subtly lifts the tsunami lever on the way back.
Innovation:
We used a cool new Lego element in our robot design this year- the metal ball. The ball is used as an extra wheel, for balance, and aids bank turns by making the robot more maneuverable. We have dual touch sensors, and we find that pretty interesting, because no other team at our school has ever managed to find a use for touch sensors! Our favorite addition to our robot is the frame around it. It helps the robot by creating a barrier for balance and to stabilize the wheels at the same time making a perfect place for putting attachments.
Mechanical Design:
For mechanical design, we used the cross blue pegs to make the attachment easier to take off and put on. We used the medium motor to attach to a forklift that can flip up and down, to complete many of our missions, for example ambulance and truck, and man grab. We also built a frame on the outside of the robot so there would be more space to place attachments, also making our robot more stable. There are also two flat circular pieces on the back of the robot so it can self-correct. Our most interesting attachment however, is used for the Cargo plane mission. When the robot leaves base, it releases a two-piece arm, powered by elastics. The arm then comes down on the lever, triggering the plane and sending it to the runway.
Programming:
Our programming is very interesting and complex. Our programming language is Lego Mindstorms EV3 Home Edition. We use banks and some hard turns. Dual touch sensors and light sensors are used so our robot always knows where it is on the table. We also programed our robot to self correct against walls so it is lined up straight.
Fun:
The name of our robot is Ty Phighter. This is really cool and meaningful to us in two ways. One, it relates to our project on typhoons, thus being Ty Ph(oon)ighter. Also, we realized that everyone on our team likes Star Wars, and “TIE fighter” is the name of a ship in the movies. We think that the most fun part of the robot is the ball on the back. We had never seen a design incorporating the ball as a wheel and we thought it was unique and interesting.