During the Central Southern league qualifier, we were part of the winning alliance (1st pick) with 14204 Super Scream Bros and 10303 Robot Rebellion. We achieved the Illinois high score, 282, with Super SCREAM Bros (Check out the video Here)
Judged Awards:
3rd place for Inspire
2nd place for Control
1st place for Innovate
Thank you to our coaches, mentors, and sponsors for making this possible!
Updated Capabilities
In Autonomous we target 50 points
Use delays to prevent autonomous paths from intersecting
Detect and place a pixel on a Spikemark using our custom prop
Detect and place a pixel on the Backboard according to the April tag
Can park on either side of the backboard once our path is finished
In Tele-op we
Place Pixels 2 at a time onto the backdrop, as high as 3 set lines
Can rearrange pixels already on the backdrop
Can drive under either of the bridges/main gate
Work to complete a mosaic pattern, like this ->
This can be done with one team placing white pixels while the other goes for mosaics
In Endgame we target 50 points
Suspend our robot consistently
Consistently score our drone in zone 1 or 2
The Game
CENTERSTAGE is the most complex challenge we have faced to date. Our robot needs to tackle more challenges than ever before. The field is divided into two sections by a truss, with a gate in the middle for robots to traverse through. On the back half, there are two tilted "backdrops" upon which hexagonal "pixels" are placed as a primary scoring mechanic. Other point-earning opportunities include:
Creating tri-pixel "mosaics"
Crossing the white set lines on the backboard
Shooting a paper "drone" over the field and into marked zones
Parking in the taped-off area around the backdrop or hanging from the alliance's section of truss during endgame
Game Strategy
Maximize autonomous and end game;
pixels placed during TeleOp count towards either set line or mosaics.
· In this years game, the open field layout might indicate high scoring potential during teleop. We found that autonomous and end game are the decisive factors as field traffic negatively impacts pixel cycle time during teleop. So, we focused on consistent autonomous, a reliable drone shooter and hanger, and making every teleop pixel count towards either set lines or mosaics.
· Autonomous: See team prop, purple pixel to correct spike mark, read AprilTags, deliver yellow pixel, park = 50 pts
· End Game: Drone to zone 1 and suspend = 50 pts
· Human Player: Develop communication system between alliance coaches and human player to indicate pixel status in the claws. Train the human player to provide correct pixel combination to optimize scoring. (Four colors options in 2 claws makes 16 different possibilities for human player.)
· Drive Team: A gentle tap on the backboard could spell the end of a good game. Train drive team to be careful around the backboard, provide ‘nudge’ drive and ‘crawl’ drive to give them better control.
Robot Design
Notable Accomplishments
waterjet Panels
waterjet Panels
This year we decided on a chassis with very specific dimensions, increasing the structural integrity of our robot in order to meet the game's requirements. We made this using a custom waterjetted metal plate from Wagner Machine Co.
Pixel-indicating leds
Pixel-indicating leds
For CENTESTAGE, we realized we needed LEDs to help our drivers know whether the claws are open or closed. We use left and right side LEDs to indicate claw status at all times during teleop:
Blue/Orange: Pixel in claw/Empty
Blinking/Solid: Claw is open/closed
Left/Right: Left/Right Claw
Scoring website
Scoring website
To support the team during matches we developed a CENTERSTAGE scoring website, using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The website serves to verify match scores, and as a visual to coordinate strategy. The system is publicly accessible to any device with a web browser.
The website can be accessed at https://ftc.ajaxcore.com/
Season Progress
Meet 1 - Rank 1
Won 5/5 matches
Averaged 97 points/match
Placed purple pixel 3/5
Parked 2/2 opportunities
Teleop avg 8 pixels/match
Hung 4/5 matches
Drone scored 2/5, zone 3
Former Illinois high score video
Meet 2 - Rank 4
Won 2/5 matches
Averaged 95 points/match
Placed purple pixel 5/5
Placed yellow pixel 0/5
Parked 5/5
Teleop avg 4 pixels/match
Hung 4/5 matches
Drone scored 3/5 in zone 1 and zone 2
Difficulty reading AprilTags
Alliance traffic issues
Meet 3 - Rank 7
Won 3/5 matches
Avg of 134 points/match
Placed spike pixel 4/5
Placed yellow pixel 2/5
Parked 4/5
Teleop avg 11 pixels/match
Hung 2/5; drone scored 3/5
Bad wiring routing caused a sensor disconnect, leading to erratic autonomous
