STEMRobotics

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Current revision (18:49, 1 July 2015) (view source)
 
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{{HotTopic}}
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'''Welcome to STEMRobotics!'''
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== Compete in Vex Clean Sweep ==
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Here is the [[Vex Clean Sweep|Game Animation]].
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We are a non-profit group that is bringing '''S'''cience '''T'''echnology '''E'''ngineering and '''M'''athematics ('''STEM''') to students using competition robotics.
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== Throw-down at Christopher Dock High School ==
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Driving the robots in Competitions is a small part of what we do. From the beginning we teach each roboteer valuable life skills like communications, planning, getting a group consensus, cooperation and negotiations. We also bring to life STEM skills in areas of electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, programming by planning, designing, building (and sometimes rebuilding), testing and driving our robots.
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[[image:Cd 091106 IntoJaws.JPG|600px|left]]On our left, Christopher Dock's Peter Matus attempts to show the robot who is boss.
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{{HotTopic}}
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== Steve's Email Blast ==
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We had another throw-down at Christopher Dock on Nov 6th. Chief Roboteer, Steve Rhoads brought a playing field, 4 robots, and plenty of excitement to the Christopher Dock robotics team. Team members had a chance to learn the programming environment (RobotC) and try out some "claw" robots which Steve had designed.
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http://www.roboticseducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/VIQ-IQ-Clawbot-13July301.png
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This is in preparation for our first competition of the year at Penn State Abington on December 5th. The robotics team meets during Activities periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and is led by Mrs. Gail Anderson.
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Steve is focusing on VEX IQ [[http://www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/]] these days. He continues to help parents and educators (and other volunteers) run VEX IQ events. If you can provide a location to hold an event, Steve will generally be available to bring at least one official VEX IQ competition field, a computer to run the software, and the knowledge to help you do the rest.
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== Throw-down at Regency Apartments! ==
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If you'd like to help our region (metro Philadelphia) have the best young robotics kids in the world, and are willing to be part of making that happen; email Steve at Steve.Rhoads at STEMRobotics dot org.
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[[Image:Regency_Apartments_Throwdown_PreStart.jpg|600px|right]]
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On Thursday, Steve met up with our new mentors at Regency: Crystal, Blake and Amy for the first of the 2009-2010 throw-downs.  
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They turned on the music, assembled the field, set up the robots and began competing in fast-paced, heart-pumping 2 minute rounds.
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== PSU Scrimmage ==
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There were 10 kids and a number of parents cheering the action on. Each kid was Driver, then Operator, then Field Reset. They also rotated through all of the robots that were on the field.  
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We had a 21 robots at the [[Penn State Abington VEX Clean Sweep Scrimmage]], played 23 matches, saw some amazing play and ate 50 pizzas, 6 dozen cookies and 10 dozen doughnuts.
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There were two converted ProtoBots (the intake wheel had been converted to a paddle), and two Explorer Claw robots, one of each type for each alliance. They played a variation of the Elevation game from last year
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We also had an amazing team of Combat Coders help everyone at the event with their RobotC programming: Mike Long, Taylor Gore, Sadat Shaik, and Shashank Bhargava. These young men tackled every robot brought their way.
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All-in-all, it was a great time.
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Here is a link to pictures taken at the event:
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'''Next throw-down is October 22 at the [[Church Farm School]] from 7:00-9:00PM. See you there!'''
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PennState.2009.12.05
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http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=steve.rhoads&target=ALBUM&id=5412216148305104689&authkey=Gv1sRgCPbCqZnkt4GOwAE&invite=CLjaqcsB&feat=email
== Combat Coding ==
== Combat Coding ==
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Last night, our programmer group walked with Chief Roboteer Steve Rhoads through a RobotC competition template. We examined the grammar of "C" (semi-colons, sequence, branching, and looping) and the structure of a competition relative to the template.
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Wednesday (Nov 18, 2009), we met again.
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Mike Long, DEWBot Programmer, asked about using the 150+ sample programs to assemble a stellar competition program. Using his question as a guide, we copied basic movement code from the "Moving Forward.c" program from the "Basic Movement" folder and driving code from the "Dual Joystick Control.c" program in the "Radio Control Transmitter" folder. We put those lines of code into a copy of the "Vex_Competition_Template.c" program from the "Templates" folder.
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This time, Foster had the programming team working on mechanical construction with their respective teams, BUT Taylor Gore took a moment off building to demonstrate some solid Combat Coding! He programmed a holonomic drive for another team (?Team 84?). He made sure that he enabled the Y-Axis of both joysticks plus the buttons on the back of the transmitter all worked together to strafe, drive forward, rotate and back up.  
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The result? Code that I think might seriously be able to win most beginner-to-intermediate competitions (as long as the machine was mechanically sound).
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Very impressive! Good job, Taylor!
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Mike was put to the test almost immediately afterward. Foster Schucker, STEM Robotics Chief Roboteer, came over to the programmer area and asked if Steve could program a robot for a demo the next day. Steve said, "No, but Mike can!" Mike put his new skills to the test. He successfully programmed and verified a dual-joystick, dual-transmitter solution for the Protobot (4-motor base, tank drive: Lever arm with intake roller) in moments! GO MIKE!
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Previous [[Combat Coding]] demonstrations!
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That's what I call "Combat Coding!"
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Come next week, and participate in "Combat Coding" our Robot Relics. I will slap down a machine (dual motor, quad-motor, or holonomic drive), specify a game objective, a drive-control type (dual or single joystick) and any associated sensors along with an environmental manipulator.
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You make it work! (I am supposed to only take half the session time, so you need to do this in less than an hour.)
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Happy solutioning!
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== Low-Cost FIELD! ==
== Low-Cost FIELD! ==
There is NO REASON for every club/team not to have a field! It was easy to put together, and the cost was nominal (at most ~ $100. I think that my costs were closer to about $75.00) The result is very lightweight, yet sturdy, and transportable! Join us at one of our throw-downs and take a look.
There is NO REASON for every club/team not to have a field! It was easy to put together, and the cost was nominal (at most ~ $100. I think that my costs were closer to about $75.00) The result is very lightweight, yet sturdy, and transportable! Join us at one of our throw-downs and take a look.
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Steve
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== Workshops ==
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Looking for a location sponsor. Can you host these workshops?
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'''Welcome to STEMRobotics!'''
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We are a non-profit group that is bringing '''S'''cience '''T'''echnology '''E'''ngineering and '''M'''athematics ('''STEM''') to students by using competition robotics.
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We will be working through the Yolande Petersen Guides below in Resources. Our primary resource is ''VEX for the Technically Challenged''.
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Driving the robots in Competitions is a small part of what we do. From the beginning we teach each roboteer valuable life skills like communications, planning, getting a group consensus, cooperation and negotiations. We also bring to life STEM skills in areas of electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, programming by planning, designing, building (and sometimes rebuilding), testing and driving our robots.
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See [[Mentor Workshop]] for a week by week description on what is planned.
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== Workshops ==
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Tuesday nights: 6:30-8:30pm. We will be working through the Yolande Petersen Guides below in Resources. (Downingtown Education Center, 355 Manor Ave, Downingtown, PA 19335) Our primary resource is ''VEX for the Technically Challenged''.
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See [[Mentor Workshop]] for a week by week description on what is planned and [[Summer 2009 Mentor Workshop]] for what happened at each session.
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== Events: Throw-downs, Workshops and Competitions! ==
== Events: Throw-downs, Workshops and Competitions! ==
[[VEX Programming]] Information about the VEX Programming environments
[[VEX Programming]] Information about the VEX Programming environments
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[http://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/Cortex_UserGuide_1010.pdf  The latest Cortex User's Guide, it has all of the color codes for the status lights]
== Mid-Atlantic VEX Partner ==
== Mid-Atlantic VEX Partner ==

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