Earlier Than Usual

This year, we decided to start much earlier than in previous seasons and it turned out to be the best decision we’ve made so far.

After years of drilling, screwing, and patching things up, we finally decided to replace the main electronics board. We carefully sealed it to the frame with silicone and then reassembled the new electronics setup.

New Electronics

We knew that without proper protection, the robot wouldn’t last long against all the dust and metal shavings constantly flying around. So, we decided to 3D print small caps to cover the motors. Of course, things couldn’t go completely smoothly and the caps kept getting caught on one of the belts. But, as always, we found a quick fix and solved it on the spot.

We also came up with a great idea: instead of wasting space on separate motor controllers, why not attach them directly to the motors? That freed up a lot more room on the frame.

Motor Caps

Next came the tricky part, wiring. There were so many wires that it was hard to keep track of where everything went, but despite a few hiccups, we managed to get it all connected properly.

Even with all the challenges we faced, our robot already looks much better than in previous years. There’s still plenty of work ahead, but we’re really happy with the progress we’ve made so far!