2-4.2.12

Well things are finally coming together. Thursday and Friday were relatively typical meetings, in neither of which was I particularly useful. Saturday I was able to put (some) real time in and get a few things done. Mostly thinking, but the fact is that must happen just as much as the making. After an integration disaster in which subsystems were not planned to be compatible (the elevator was designed and built to go exactly where the inner frame assembly is) was worked through with grinding gears and high-revs, the team got into let's-build-a-robot mode and got some good work done. In one day we went from a pile of aluminum scraps to several sub-assemblies fitted together. There is still a good amount of work that has to happen, but this season's baby is beginning to take shape.

Over the past couple of days I have developed a plan I will execute to the best of my ability and discover where it takes me. Oak Ridge High School has a manufacturing lab with (literally) millions of dollars worth of machinery. I am going to visit on Tuesday and talk to Mr. Wilson (manufacturing teacher there) about 2 things. I would like to ask permission to machine some parts for the robot, and discuss the possibility of my becoming on intern. If I am an intern, I will be able to spend All Tuesday and Thursday working on fabrication et cetera, as well as get academic credit for my work. If all this works out, then I would like to machine new, lighter, stiffer, prettier drive plates (the original design had some major flaws that have since been dealt with, however none of the solutions are elegant) and possibly even anodize them. It is my understanding that the lab has an anodizing tank, however I am not sure what size a part it is able to accommodate or if there is a cost for replenishing supplies. In addition to robotics parts, I have a variety of projects that I would love to continue with the use of a CNC mill and/or 3d printer.