2007-2008

2008fieldGame Description – Overdrive

FIRST Overdrive is a game played on the track. Two alliances, one red and one blue, composed of three teams each, compete in each match. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent by making counter-clockwise laps with your robot around the track while moving large trackballs over and/or under the overpass that bisects the track.

A match is 2 minutes and 15 seconds long. A hybrid period starts each match in which the robots are controlled by pre-programmed instructions and/or transmitted information from the robocoach (human player). The hybrid period is followed by the teleoperated period during which the drivers assume control of the robot. There may be a short pause between hybrid period and the start of the teleoperated period as the player’s controls are activated. The robots continue to play the game until the teleoperated period is over.

Scoring

During Hybrid Period:

  • Each robot that crosses a lane marker, the opponent’s finish line, and its own finish line will score four points.
  • Each track ball that is removed from an overpass or hurdled over its own overpass will score eight points. Each trackball crosses over its own finish line will score two points

During Teleoperated Period:

  • Each robot that crosses its own finish line will score two points.
  • Each trackball that crosses its finish line will score two points. Each trackball that it hurdled over its own overpass will earn eight points. Each trackball that is on the overpass at the end of the match will earn twelve points.

Robot Description

frc2008D-Fence 3.0

After much discussion about whether or not to have our robot go fast and score points by racing around the track, or to have it hurdle the trackballs, the team finally came up with a “compromise” robot. It was designed to be a very fast robot, but have the ability to herd and lift the balls up to score at the end of a match. The robot base was custom designed to fit our needs. It had six wheels, with the middle two offset a little, to make turning easier. The axle that the arm was on is a double axle, meaning that there were two axles, one going through the middle of the other. The outer axle rotated the manipulator at the bottom, therough capstons and cables. The inner one raised the whole arm. The manipulator made use of a four-bar linkage allowing the wrist to stay parallel to the ground no matter how far up or down the whole arm moved. That way, the trackball wouldn’t fall off while the robot was placing it on the overpass. The claw was not mechanised, the robot would scoop the ball up and the claw would cup it.

2008-v31D-Fence 3.1

At the competition the team discovered that the “claw” designed to hold the trackball often got in the way when the robot was screaming around the track or going through tight spaces since the claw was wider than the robot. It was also found that, since there were only two trackballs and our partners’ robots would often be able to handle the trackballs better than us, our mechanism for herding and placing balls was never used. A decision was made to cut off the claw and to allow better agility. The ping pong balls were moved from the end of the claw to the remaining parts of it to make it look like antenae.

D-Fence 3.2

After some experience at the competition, and observing other robot designs, the team felt it was advantageous to add “pin wheels”. To do this the arm was completely removed and the double axle was repurposed to raise and lower the pin wheels. The point was to be able to knock balls down from the overpass, allowing us to either keep our opponents from scoring at the end of a match, or to gain points by knocking a ball down during the hybrid period. The “pin wheels” would hit a bar of the overpass, spin, and knock a ball down.

D-Fence 3.3

At our first off-season competition, BattleCry, the robot was beat up pretty bad in a match. As a result, our chassis was bent out of shape. Thr robot couldn’t even be driven because the bent part got in the way of the chains connecting each wheel. To prevent this damage from happening again, the team put a metal bar in front of the indent left from where when the manipulator was. A bumper was also added to the front, which was, by accident, painted upside down.

Competitions Attended

  • Savage Soccer
  • Savage Soccer North
  • Boston Regional
  • BattleCry@WPI
  • Mayhem in Marrimack
  • Where is Wolcott?
  • RiverRage

Awards Won

  • Finalist – Savage Soccer North
  • Gracious Professionalism Award – Boston Regional
  • Cotton Eye Joe Award – Mayhem in Merrimack
  • Medal of Honor – BattleCry@WPI
  • Because We Like You Award – Where is Wolcott
  • We’re Nutty about your Nuttyness – Boston Regional

Match Results

Boston Regional

Match Red 1 Red 2 Red 3 Blue 1 Blue 2 Blue 3 Red Score Blue Score Video
Q-1 578 2447 61 174 1735 246 56 44 Watch
Q-11 155 1735 350 1699 2409 97 10 10 Watch
Q-23 2589 1735 2043 549 1350 2262 26 64 Watch
Q-31 2110 1916 1559 2125 1735 1768 12 28 Watch
Q-42 1965 1761 2127 1735 2079 2409 10 20 Watch
Q-48 1779 2126 1995 1735 1965 2009 38 14 Watch
Q-54 61 1559 1735 2423 20 2009 56 56 Watch
Q-61 2124 549 69 88 1735 1100 88 76 Watch
Q-71 1779 1735 549 677 125 839 34 16 Watch
QF 1-1 1474 40 20 2447 1735 2079 112 40 Watch
QF 1-2 40 1474 20 1735 2447 2079 120 36 Watch

Battlecry@WPI

Match Red 1 Red 2 Red 3 Blue 1 Blue 2 Blue 3 Red Score Blue Score Video
Q-7 175 811 1735 1519 195 1468 38 26 n/a
Q-14 1991 1027 1289 350 1735 1685 66 22 n/a
Q-22 166 1153 190 1735 529 1474 36 30 n/a
Q-31 1468 1991 1735 529 1733 1058 106 66 n/a
Q-39 1735 173 1153 2079 467 571 52 44 n/a
Q-48 1761 809 562 1735 2079 126 36 50 n/a
Q-55 61 1735 809 2342 40 271 46 134 n/a
EF 1-1 121 40 1474 1735 228 1761 126 42 n/a
EF 1-2 121 40 1474 1735 228 1761 130 38 n/a

Images

Spaghetti Supper

Kickoff

Shipday

Boston Regional

ngalotti2007-2008