Overview

Worked with a few buddies out of a basement to build robots for the VRC Spin Up competition.

Problem Statement

To score points in VRC Spin Up, robots compete against other teams to get as many points as possible. Earning points by completing tasks such as:

• Scoring discs into the high goal nets
• Spinning a coloured roller along the field perimeter to your team’s colour
• Maximizing the number of floor tiles covered at the end of the game.
• Autonomously completing specified tasks during the driverless portion of the match.

Final Design

The final design comprised five subsystems

• Drivetrain: Allowing the robot, powerful and fast, to navigate
• Shooter: As discs are fed in, a flywheel launches discs due to the energy stored in the flywheel
• Intake: Transporting the discs from the front of the robot up its shooter
• Rollers: Two rotating rubber wheels on the back of the robot, allowing for the scoring of field perimeter rollers.
• Expansion Units: Six pneumatic-activated string launchers, capable of covering the entire game field

How

The robot’s design was created in Fusion 360, enabling visualization and easy fabrication. I prototyped metal and plastic parts using tools such as a bandsaw, drill press, belt sander, angled grinder, CNC Machine, and 3D Printer.

I designed and built prototype subsystems to validate design functionality and tune designs before final assembly. As the competition season lasted 10 months, we validated the robot design through local tournaments, analyzing match results and identifying which aspects worked and which didn’t, enabling improvements and iteration.

Results

By the end of the season, our team had earned 11 tournament awards and won the Ontario Provincial Championship, qualifying us to compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Most importantly, I had a lot of fun throughout the entire season! and met some really cool people!!! :))