Genome Alpha Chi is an off-season robot project completed during summer 2019 for FIRST Robotics Competition team 122, the NASA Knights. It was created for the 2019 FRC challenge - Deep Space. Genome competed in two off-season competitions: Blue Ridge Brawl in Salem, VA in October, and Rumble in the Roads in Newport News, VA. The project was led by myself, along with another team alum, with very little outside help.
A composite photo of Genome Alphi Chi performing on the competition field at Blue Ridge Brawl in Salem, VA.
The majority of materials used were leftovers found in the 122 fabrication shop, so the entire project was completed on an incredibly tight budget. This also led to creative design choices, such as the many 3D printed components found on the robot. All of the large plates were designed in Autodesk Inventor by Josiah Walker (then a high school junior), all of which I was able to manufacture on the team's in-house CNC router.
The name Genome Alphi Chi and its eye-catching color scheme are in tribute to our friends at team 2363, Triple Helix Robotics, located at Menchville High School in Newport News, VA.
The design features manipulators for both scorable game pieces featured in Deep Space, an inflatable ball, known as 'cargo,' and a round panel with a hole in the center, known as a 'hatch.' The large polycarbonate arm on the front is able to both retrieve and shoot the inflatable balls. Two sets of powered rollers ensure the ball is easily drawn in, and the mecanum rollers on top help to center it. Presets for the arm were programmed to facilitate operation and include retrieval, stowing, and multiple scoring positions. On the opposite side of the robot, the disc mechanism features rubber wheels which grab the disc from its inner hole. The entire mechanism is able to slide back and forth on rails, powered by a pneumatic cylinder. Two additional pneumatic cylinders along the back enable the robot to lift itself onto a platform at the end of matches for additional parking points.
Above is a short video of the double wheeled mechanism used to retrieve and deliver hatch panels.