For those of you that don't know, OCCRA is Oakland County Competetive Robotics Association. I am part of team 43, out of Holly High School in Michigan. Here I am journaling my experience.
Today was our first competition. Our robot was pretty good considering that last year, it didn't even move and this year we HUNG ON THE BAR!!!! Think about it: we are probably one of 3 teams that made it! Our robot is also about 50lbs underweight at its 74.5lbs. We still have a lot of work this week, though. I need to tidy up the control box and the hook needs to be re-designed so that it won't a) turn as it comes out and b) crack as it holds the robot up. We were in for a bad surpirse at inspection, though. We had 2 motors on a Victor and needed to make one joystick control 2 Victors (one for each motor). I came up with a crappy solution: I hacked 2 PWM cables apart, and twisted the two male ends together, and put one female end on. Add a little tape, and you've got a special PWM cable. Surprisingly, it worked. We weren't the winners today because there was too much bad luck. The first match we were in consisted of us running into our ally and getting caught under their robot. They couldn't move, we couldn't move. Second match the pneumatic hook wouldn't move, and upon inspection, the signal cable for the relay had been pulled out. The third match the left motor's chain popped off, and the fourth match we successfully got over to the bar and hung. Ohhh, sweet victory. Thursday we should be awesome!
(more to come later, and pics to come if I get off my butt and get my digital camera out)