FLL SuperPowered Judging Session Presentation - Robot Design - Lazer Robotics

Summary

Laser Robotics shares a five-year journey of robot design evolution, from an unbalanced, bulky model to a compact, efficient, and stable 13th version. They emphasize improvements in design, navigation, and programming, using Python for complex code and PID logic for error correction. The presentation highlights the use of passive mechanisms, gravity, and strategic design for mission efficiency, showcasing their success in completing 15 missions in 2.5 minutes with a high score.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The Laser Robotics team has been continuously improving their robot design over the past five years, with the Laserbot 13 being their latest iteration.
• 🔄 Each year, they learned from the inefficiencies of the previous design to enhance the next version, demonstrating a commitment to iterative improvement.
• 🏆 The team has achieved success in competitions, winning awards such as the robot design award in qualifiers and states, and the states in robot game and qualifier.
• 🔄 The design evolution focused on making the robot more compact, symmetric, and stable, with a lower center of gravity for better performance.
• 🛠️ The robot's design incorporates thin wheels, a compact form, durability, hidden wires, and symmetrical balance for field navigation and stability.
• 🔩 The robot's attachments are designed to be easily and efficiently attached and secured using gravity and upgraded facing axles, enhancing the robot's functionality.
• 🔧 The team uses passive mechanisms and 360-degree capabilities in their attachments to maximize the robot's efficiency and versatility.
• 💻 They have transitioned to using Spike Prime Python for programming, which allows for more complex code and better error correction.
• 🔍 The team implemented a PID logic system for error correction, which includes proportional, integral, and derivative components for smooth and accurate robot movement.
• 📊 They have a systematic approach to testing and selection, using performance scores based on success rates to choose the most practical and consistent hardware or software solutions.
• 🔄 The team's strategy includes leveraging line following and reducing travel distance to complete missions more efficiently, as demonstrated in their high-scoring performance in competitions.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the Laser Robotics presentation?

The main focus of the presentation is to share the evolution of the Laserbot 13 design over five years and provide advice on how to improve robot charging sessions and overall robot performance.

How did the design of the Laserbot change from the first to the second year?

From the first to the second year, the design of the Laserbot evolved from a bulky and unbalanced tutorial model to a more symmetric and balanced robot, although the charging port was over-engineered.

What was the significant improvement in the third year of the Laserbot's development?

In the third year, the Laserbot was made completely original, extremely compact, allowing for easy drop-down attachments, and included hidden wires, which led to winning the robot and design award in qualifiers and states.

What adjustments were made to the Laserbot in its fourth version to improve its performance?

In the fourth version, the Laserbot was made taller with a higher center of gravity, which resulted in winning the states in the robot game and qualifier.

What are some of the key features of the 13th version of the Laserbot?

The 13th version of the Laserbot has improved stability with a lowered center of gravity, a systematic evaluation of its design, and it won the qualifier and states.

What dimensions does the Laserbot 13 have, and how do they contribute to its design?

The Laserbot 13 has dimensions of 17 by 18 square inches, which, along with thin wheels and a compact design, contribute to its stability without sacrificing space.

How does the Laserbot 13 utilize color sensors for improved performance?

The Laserbot 13 uses two color sensors for better field navigation, enhancing its ability to navigate and perform tasks on the field.

What is the advantage of the drop-on attachment system in the Laserbot 13?

The drop-on attachment system in the Laserbot 13 is advantageous because it uses gravity for easy attachment and upgraded facing axles for secure locking, making it efficient and reliable.

What programming language and approach does the team use for the Laserbot's operation?

The team uses Spike Prime Python for programming the Laserbot, which allows for more complex code and is a better alternative to block coding.

How does the team implement error correction in their robot's programming?

The team uses a PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) logic system for error correction, which allows for maximum smoothness and accuracy in robot navigation.

What strategies does the team use to test and improve the Laserbot's performance?

The team tests the robot's performance by conducting line navigation tests at different speeds and with or without attachments, recording the success rate and using it as a performance score to select the most practical and consistent options.

How do the team's design choices for attachments contribute to the efficiency of the Laserbot?

The team uses passive mechanisms and designs attachments to utilize the 360-degree capabilities of the robot, employing gears that lock into place and motors for multiple functions, which increases the efficiency and versatility of the attachments.

What is the significance of using one-way doors in the Laserbot's design?

One-way doors are used as a type of passive mechanism to lock onto objects or missions without the use of motors, providing an easy way to bring up or drop off units around the map.

How does the team ensure alignment accuracy during missions?

The team uses alignment mechanisms to align with the bases of missions for accuracy, which is crucial for the successful completion of tasks.

What is the process for designing a trip with the Laserbot?

The process involves designing an attachment, programming it, testing it for errors, and repeating the process until the most efficient and reliable design is achieved.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Evolution of Laserbot Design

The script introduces Laser Robotics and their journey in improving robot design over five years. Starting with a bulky and unbalanced robot based on a tutorial model, they progressively made modifications, leading to a compact, symmetric, and balanced robot design. The 13th version of the Laserbot 13 is highlighted for its stability, compactness, and symmetric design, featuring thin wheels, hidden wires, and efficient field navigation with two color sensors. The robot's efficiency is attributed to gravity-assisted attachments, easy motor space for power transfer, and instant gear locking mechanisms. The design philosophy emphasizes learning from previous iterations to enhance subsequent models, with a focus on reliability, efficiency, and practical performance.

05:02

🛠️ Robot Attachments and Programming Strategies

This paragraph delves into the design and improvement of robot attachments and programming strategies. The team at Laser Robotics uses passive mechanisms and 360-degree capabilities for their attachments, with gears and motors serving multiple functions. They employ linear motions for various missions and constantly refine their designs for enhanced reliability. The programming aspect focuses on the use of Spike Prime Python for more complex code, incorporating error correction functions and PID logic for smooth and accurate navigation. The script also discusses the importance of testing and debugging, with a methodical approach to evaluating robot performance through repeated tasks and recording success rates in an Excel file. The goal is to select the most practical and consistent hardware or software solutions based on these performance scores. The presentation concludes with a mention of leveraging line-following and reducing travel distance as part of their strategy for efficient robot operation.

Keywords

💡Robot Charging Session

A 'Robot Charging Session' refers to a period dedicated to improving the performance of a robot, particularly in terms of its charging capabilities. In the video's context, it signifies a presentation aimed at sharing insights and strategies for enhancing robot performance. The script mentions this as the main focus of the Laser Robotics' presentation.

💡Laserbot 13

The 'Laserbot 13' is the 13th iteration of a robot design developed by the Laser Robotics team. It represents the culmination of five years of improvements and learning from previous versions. The script describes its design evolution and how it has become more compact, stable, and efficient over time.

💡Over-engineering

Over-engineering is a term used to describe a situation where a system or component is designed to be more complex than necessary for its intended function. In the script, the team mentions that in their second year, they over-engineered the robot's port, which implies they made it more complicated than required, possibly affecting efficiency or usability.

💡Attachments

Attachments in robotics refer to additional components or modules that can be added to a robot to enhance its capabilities or perform specific tasks. The script highlights that the Laserbot 13's design allows for easy attachment drop-down and secure locking using upgraded facing axles, which is crucial for the robot's adaptability and functionality.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency, in the context of robotics, pertains to the optimal use of resources, such as power or space, to achieve the best performance. The script emphasizes how the Laser Robotics team has strived to make their robot design as efficient as possible, with features like gravity-assisted attachment mechanisms and compact, symmetrical design.

💡PID Logic

PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative, which is a control system principle used to manage the behavior of a system based on feedback. In the script, the team explains how they use PID logic for error correction in their robot's navigation, allowing for smoother and more accurate movement. This is crucial for the robot's performance in tasks that require precision.

💡Backlash

Backlash in mechanical systems refers to the lost motion between the driving and driven members, which can lead to inconsistency in motion. The script mentions that all motors are inherently inconsistent due to backlash, which affects the robot's navigation accuracy. Understanding and compensating for backlash is key to improving a robot's performance.

💡Passive Mechanisms

Passive mechanisms are components that do not require external power to operate; they rely on forces such as gravity or the motion of the robot itself. The script describes the use of passive mechanisms in the Laserbot 13, such as one-way doors and alignment mechanisms, to complete missions without using additional motors, thus increasing efficiency.

💡Line Following

Line following is a common task in robotics where a robot must navigate along a predefined path or line. The script mentions that the team tried to leverage line following as much as possible to reduce travel distance and improve the robot's performance in completing missions within a given time frame.

💡Performance Score

A performance score is a metric used to evaluate the effectiveness of a robot's design or programming. In the script, the team describes a method of calculating a performance score based on the success rate of the robot in navigation tasks, which helps them determine the most practical and consistent design or software solutions.

Highlights

The Laser Robotics team aims to improve robot charging sessions through their presentation.

The Laserbot 13 design has evolved over five years, starting from a bulky and unbalanced model to a more refined version.

In the second year, the robot was more symmetric and balanced, but the port was over-engineered.

The third version of the robot was compact, allowed for easy attachments, and had hidden wires, winning first place in design awards.

The 11th version of the robot was taller with a higher center of gravity, winning the states in robot game and qualifier.

The 13th version of the robot has improved stability and a lower center of gravity, winning in qualifiers and states.

The robot's design is 17 by 18 square, with thin wheels and compact size for stability without sacrificing space.

The robot features two color sensors for better field navigation and six points of ground contact for stability.

Efficiency is achieved with gravity-assisted attachments and motor space optimization for power transfer.

Attachments are designed to utilize the 360-degree capabilities of the robot, with gears that lock into place instantly.

Passive mechanisms and linear motions are used in the design to solve missions with minimal motor usage.

Designs are constantly tested and improved for reliability and efficiency, with multiple versions of each attachment.

The team uses Spike Prime Python for programming, allowing for more complex code and error correction.

PID logic is implemented for smooth error correction in robot navigation.

The team has decoded the proportional, integral, derivative aspects of motor inconsistency for accurate navigation.

Performance is measured through a systematic evaluation, including success rates in various navigation tasks.

The team leverages line following and reduces travel distance to complete missions efficiently.

Passive mechanisms and one-way doors are utilized to complete multiple missions with minimal motor usage.

Alignment mechanisms are used for accurate mission interaction, ensuring precision in robot tasks.

The design process includes attachment, program, and error testing for reliability and efficiency.

Transcripts

hi we're the laser Robotics and today

we'll be helping you improve your robot

charging session we will be presenting

our robot presentation and along the way

be giving you some advice on how to

improve your drug suggestions

this is the design of the laserbot 13.

over the past five years we've improved

dramatically in our first year we were

just trying things out a robot was based

off a tutorial model that was not

marginalized it was tall bulky and was

not balanced this is our very first

version in our second year we were

progressing we had made modifications of

pocket design with a more symmetric and

balanced robot but we over engineered

the port this is our third version in

the third year we were great we a robot

was completely original extremely

Compact and allowed for easy drop down

attachments it also had hidden wires we

run first place in the robot and design

award in qualifiers and states in our

fourth year of clue of perfecting a

robot have relentlessly improved it was

tall at a higher center of gravity and

we won the states in robot game and

qualifier this is our 11th version this

year we are exceeding we have improved

stability we have lowered the center of

gravity we have a systematic evaluation

of our robot design and we won the

qualifier and states

this is our 13th version

with each iteration we learned from the

designs of inefficiencies of the last to

improve the next

our robot is a perfect 17 by 18 square

the wheels are as thin as possible and

it's also as compact as possible while

still maintaining stability it's durable

without sacrificing space no wires show

and it has a symmetric design we have

two color sensors for better field

navigation six points of ground contact

for stability flat sides and weight on

the back to help balance out attachments

a robot is very efficient for multiple

reasons some of these that are that are

attachments drop on using gravity and

they're secured by using upgraded facing

axles and for the launch area is really

easy because of our square shape and our

motor space up making it easier to

transfer power our gears also lock into

place instantly using upward facing

axles

as for our attachments we use as many

passive mechanisms as possible and we

create our attachments in a way that

utilize a 360 degree capabilities of the

robot we have gears that lock into place

and our Motors are used for multiple

things we also use a lot of linear

motions to solve missions

sometimes good designs have to be

sacrificed to further improve upon them

so new ideas are tested in multiple ways

attachments are constantly being

improved on to improve reliability and

efficiency and we also have countless

versions of every single attachment in

this picture you can see two different

designs of our second trip attachment

although many of the key features are

similar they're one of them is

completely redesigned for our

programming this year we use a spike

Prime python it's a better alternative

to block coding because it allows for

more complex code for our error

correction this year we have two main

air correction functions which may

include line falling and Gyro forward an

air correction system allows for easier

field navigation and accuracy use PID

logic to allow for maximum smoothness

all commonly used pieces of coat have a

dedicated function to keep the code as

clean as possible we had frequent

comments to make debugging easy over the

years we have truly decoded proportional

integral derivative all Motors are

inherently inconsistent because of

backlash which is an unavoidable issue

when the robot is driving the

inconsistency builds which leads to

inaccurate navigation PID is a universal

and flexible error correction logic

proportional means the bigger the

current air the bigger correction this

is the most commonly used and well

understood piece of code integral is the

bigger cumulative error the bigger

correction this can find drifts and

values and detect when the robot slowly

deviates away from its Target derivative

is the bigger change of error in the

bigger correction this will react to

sudden changes and outliers in data we

can fine-tune these PID parameters to

suit our needs

over the past five years we have learned

that our robot may look good but not

function efficiently so we were

important aspects of the robot

navigation 10 times each which may

include line falling turning Moving

Straight every time with or without

attachments and at different speed

levels record a password on an Excel

file we'd calculate that percentage of

success and use that percentage to sex

success as a performance score we use

this score to pick the most practical

and consistent option which should

either be Hardware or software

permission strategy this year we tried

to leverage line following as much as

possible and reduce travel distance

through this time in

completed five trips 15 missions in two

minutes and 30 seconds with a high score

we use a lot of packing mechanisms this

year which are mechanisms that preserve

as many Motors as possible and use the

motion of the robot to and gravity to

power missions we use these to complete

more than two missions in every trip we

also use a lot of one-way doors which

are a type of passive mechanism we use

one-way doors to lock onto objects or

missions without the use of motors and

we use this as an easy way to bring up

or drop-off units around the map for

alignment we use alignment mechanisms to

align with the basis of missions for

accuracy when we've been designing a

trip what we do is we design an

attachment program tends to try and

error and repeat

that's the end of our presentation

thanks for watching and stay tuned for

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