Sumobots Update

FYI regarding the latest on Sumobots:

1. Bri Palmer, Kamiakin Student, has taken on hosting the Sumobot competition as her culminating project this year. She made a proposal to the instructors and CTE director last week. Her next step is to recruit students and volunteers to help with the many parts of the project.

2. We had the competition date narrowed down to May 17, however have a conflict with the evening before when we would be setting up for the competition. We are trying to work around this presently.

3. Kamiakin’s Bot Shop is Saturday April 10, 9:00am - 2pm.

4. You are welcome to participate. Our goal for the Bot Shop is to complete soldering on the PCBs. Help will be needed in observing students using correct soldering technique, answering questions regarding component position, and possibly some troubleshooting.

I will also be updating the KamiakinTech blog periodically so you may want to add it to your feed burner.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

More on Logo Contest

Here is the response from Gesa regarding our questions:

"Yes, we will resize. Any shape is fine. Print friendly.

If our marketing dept can come in and speak we will have examples. Take a look at our website. Go to Youth, and high school branches. You will see the other school logo’s."

Here's a link to the Gesa web site with examples of other school logos. Click Here

I've added two Kamiakin logos from which to create the logo on our P:\readonly\hoglen\kamiakin_logos

Extra Credit Logo

For those of you who are ahead, need extra credit, or just want a challenge; test your design skills with the Gesa Logo Contest. There are prizes! Plus extra credit!

Click on the following link to view the contest requirements.

Geisa Logo Contest (.pdf)

Points

Completing this extra credit will afford you one of two choices:

This can take the place of a Photo Assignment from the current semester,

OR

Receive up to 25 insurance points for future assignments for 4th quarter. Insurance points can be used in part or in whole toward fixing an assignment grade which you would like to improve. Bump that "C" to an "A"!

Specs
Canvas size = ? X ? (we're checking on this)
Resolution = 300 pixels/inch

This is EXTRA CREDIT! You may work on this in class only after you have completed other assignments. If you have graphic software at home or access outside of class, you can, of course, work on it on your own time.

2010 Bot Shop

Preparation

1. Jan-Feb: Ordered and received all parts except R1 which we believe can be jumped with wire
2. Ordered soldering supplies: Wire (20 & 22 ga), soldering tips, Solder (.032 50/50 and .022 silver)
3. 2/24: Prepared soldering stations in 313 - card board, "HOT!" signs, outlets, extension cords, fixed soldering iron tips
4. 3/8: Began soldering practice - Jacobs' (Steve) Ladder
5. 3/17: Reserved Jerry's Room

Sumo Supplies to order

• heat shrink
• heat gun
• 500 g scale
• electronic parts
• tackle/organizer trays
• new points for irons
• batteries for multimeters
• servos
• wiring
• thinner solder
• small wire cutters
• soldering stands with magnifiers

IT Day 2009

Photos from our participation in IT Day at Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, WA May 2009.

Troubleshooting Workshop at SRHS 5/11

Notes:

• Good battery vs bad battery; put it under load before testing voltage.


• 5V should be at pin #7


• "Verify" in BASCOM compares code on the chip to code in the program.


• SW1 shoud be on. SW2 is only for Hunter Bots


• Some students put infrared emitters on bot by mistake instead of LEDs. You can still see the emitters using a digital/cell phone camera.


• Need alligator clip for one side of multimeter to clip onto VR for ground. This makes testing much easier.


• Test servo pulse at JP 8 & JP 9 on pin #1


• Use hip holder (with slots rather than holes) as a connector


• Solder sensors to jumpers before inserting - taken care of if chip holder is used.


• Diagnostics: Push and hold SW1 then turn on SW2 then release SW1 for diagnostics mode.


• Test Sensors first w/o servos connected (to avoid wasting


• Need to use heat shrink