Starting off the new week with luminous skies, ended after eleven hours of robotics work, which resulted in preliminary testing both mini and main robots. At the beginning of today, the construction support team polished the bearing blocks while the arm base was welded onto the frame. After the welding, the construction team was testing to see if the arm would clear where the bumpers would be, since they found the solution by cutting down the grabber, it was time to get the robot prepared for the programming division. Before sending it to the programming division, they first attached a board at the bottom of the base for the electronics. In the meantime, as the programming division awaited for the robot, they wrote coding for toggle switches of the pneumatics while the CAD division talked about the script for the animation. Also the website division worked on the site map and editing pages, while the documentation team put the program binder together and safety captain, Chadwick Ulep, wrote the safety article for week three.  At the end of the night, the programming team hooked up all the pneumatics, and began testing it. Behind the scenes of what they did today, was the video team as they documented it. They also gave the website team the finalized week three video to be posted on the website. Since The Hawaiian Kids were able to start testing our basic robots, this week will be about testing and finalizing them.

Just as in the previous week, the documentation, construction, programming, and video teams all came in on Sunday, January 30, 2011, to catch up on work.  While the video and documentation teams they traveled to Makiki to film and interview mentor, Brianna Acosta; the construction team cut out a new claw with less triangles and powder coated the perforated aluminum which will be the board for the electronics to go on. For the programming division, they set up the electronics and tried to position them onto the robot.

As for today, The Hawaiian Kids, worked hard to start off the new week. Today the programming team mounted electronic and pneumatic systems onto the electronics board and tested them for the manipulator. As the CAD division worked on the frame and attaching the arm to it, the construction team cut an inch shorter of the arm so that there is more clearance over the bumper. Meanwhile the documentation worked with video mentor, Gene Kois, fixing the story line for animation, and worked on safety banner for website. As for the video division they filmed construction, worked on the open house video, and is continuing working on the week four video. As the week just recently began, the days are becoming closer to the end of six weeks and crunch time.

It is the beginning of a new month, and in the middle of week four, The Hawaiian Kids, are making progress of having a completed and functional robot by the end of this week. Since the robot was given to the programming division to work on the electronics and pneumatic systems, the construction team modified the claw and created a new claw base to grab the inflatable tubes easier. The construction team also helped prepare to pack for the upcoming event tomorrow at Oceanic, where we will be demonstrating our 2010 award winning robot the Poi Pounder X. For the programming division they worked on customizing the lengths of the PWM cables for the electronics, labeled and arranged the cables in an orderly fashion, and arranged the electronics board. While the CAD division worked on creating dead grass field for the animation, the documentation crew continued working on the program binder, graphics, and looked over the website rubric to help the website team. Since the documentation team reviewed the criteria to the website team, the website team then worked on the fixing the links on the website, making the new safety page,and updated the sponsor page. Since it is the middle of week four, the video team worked on editing and compiling clips for the week four video and also for open house, which will be on February 17, 2011. With the week halfway complete, Team 359 prepares for all the upcoming deadlines.

It was a late start for some of The Hawaiian Kids, because some of them were at Oceanic Time Warner Cable to demonstrate the 2010 robot, which will be shown in a commercial to promote the 2011 Hawaii regional robotics competition. For more information about this event, click here. As for the rest of the team they continued working as usual. Today the CAD division assembled the super shifters and window motors to the animated robot, while the programming division continued working on the PWM wiring and putting in pneumatics. As for the website division, they sorted and organized the 6 week pictures and uploaded the previous article. While the video team filmed the construction team machining the tires of the minibot to reduce weight, painting the battery box for the crate, and making the control station for the drive team; the documentation team revised the week one video, made graphics for the buttons, and interviewed and toured a potential team member. After a long day at work, The Hawaiian Kids headed home, to get ready for the next day.

As the end of the week is upon us once again, Team 359 is running a typical day in the life of a Hawaiian Kid during the build season.  Starting with construction, they were greeted with a new toy to play with, a JET belt sander, which was unpacked and assembled.  After that, the construction team split into two, as one side created parts for the mini bot while the other started to measure and cut wood for the bumpers along with sending out the bumper fabric to have our team numbers embroidered.  The programming team took the time to configure and wire the pneumatics on the robot, in which our programmer Mr. Wood showed our new construction mentor, Mr. Kawabata, how to wire the robot- a rare moment of a mentor mentoring another mentor.  While the documentation division set forth on making the week four video along with the annual Open House video, the animation team created scenery for their animation video, such as leaves and fog, and tested to see if their creations worked.  Finally, the website team fixed the events pages and added new pages, while the CPR division completed the binder for competition.  As we ended the day, we were reminded to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for another long and productive weekend.

It is the last day of week four, so The Hawaiian Kids kicked into gear and went to work. For the programming division, they created the final wiring for the onboard radio and also learned the proper way to crimp the PWM cables, while the CAD team worked on astronauts, leaves, and making the animated world green. Because the main robot is with the programming division, the construction team worked on the mini bot, bumpers for the main robot, and constructing the prototype mini bot deployment system, which will deploy the mini bot from the main robot to climb the pole for the end game bonus. While the website team updated this weeks page and found pictures for the section, Explore the North Shore, the documentation team finished putting the program binder together, revised the weekly videos, edited an article, and consulted with mentor Jefferson Bruno about the CNC and Master cam programs for a project. In the meantime, the video division filmed each division, worked on the open house video, and finalized the week four video which will be posted on the web. As the day ended late for The Hawaiian Kids, they look forward for the final two weeks and crunch time of the 2011 build season. Imua Waialua!