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Our Solution: Rosalina

Our 2018 FRC robot, Rosalina is  named after a character in the Mario series of video games. She debuts in Super Mario Galaxy, where she acts as a non-player character who resides in the Comet Observatory, the game’s hub world.

The 2018 FRC Game, POWER UP!

In FIRST POWER UP, two alliances composed of three robots each compete to score as many points as possible by taking command of the Switches and Scale and placing Power Cubes so that they tilt in an alliance-favorable direction. Robots also score points by facing the boss of the arcade when they climb the Scale at the end of the two minute and thirty second match.

The Field

POWER UP game field

POWER UP is played in the Arcade, a 27 ft. by 54 ft. carpeted field. Each alliance commands two Portals and an Exchange, along with a Vault, which can be filled with Power Cubes to give alliances Power Ups. The Scale is located in the middle of the field and Switches are on both sides of the field in front of each alliance’s exchange.  

Game Pieces

POWER UP consists of many different components, such as the aforementioned Scale and Switches, Power Cubes, the Vault, Portals, and the Exchange. Power Cubes are set in many locations at the beginning of a match, including inside the field and outside of the field for Human Players to use. Power Cubes can be used either for placement on the scale and switches or for the Vault. To put Cubes in the Vault, robots can push Cubes into the Exchange and receive them from the Portals. The Vault, after being filled with Cubes, can then provide alliances with three different Power Ups that help the alliance win points.

There are three different Power Ups: Force, Boost, and Levitate. Force gives an alliance ownership of the Switch and/or Scale for ten seconds. Boost doubles the value of points gained by the Switch and/or Scale for 10 seconds, but this only applies if that alliance has ownership of either one. Levitate provides a free climb for one robot on the alliance playing it.

Autonomous Period

The first fifteen seconds of each POWER UP match is the autonomous period, where the robots are programmed to self-operate without drivers’ help. During this time, robots will try to place Cubes on the Switches and Scale or bring them to the vault on their own.

Teleoperated Period

After the Autonomous Period, the remaining two minutes and fifteen seconds of the match is the teleoperated period, where student drivers control the robots to take command of the Switches and Scale, bring Power Cubes for placement in the Vault, and, during the last fifteen seconds, climb the Scale to face the boss. The teleop period is also the time when Power Ups can be played.

Scoring

Autonomous Points

Teleoperated Points

Brief Recap

Kettering District #1

  • Fifth Place Alliance
  • District Event Winner
  • Safety Award
  • District Chairman’s Award

Escanaba District

  • Undefeated for event
  • First Seed
  • First Alliance Captain
  • Entrepreneurship Award

Troy District

  • Fourth Seed
  • 3rd Place

Michigan State Championship-Ford Division

  • Eighth Seed
  • Eight Place
  • Entrepreneurship Award

Daly Division

  • Seventh Seed
  • Eighth Place

Drive

  • 4, 6” Mecanum Wheels
  • 2, 4” friction wheels on Jackshafts for Ramps and Scale Base
  • Cimple Box Transmissions 14.2 feet per second

Intake

  • Can output through portal
  • Use of exchange
  • Carriage separate from pneumatic arms
  • Completely in robot

Elevator

  • Time up//Time down
  • Sturdy
  • Cable Retention for climber
  • Can stack Cubes on Scale

Climb

  • Climb with hook (Can be off center as much as needed for other climbs)
  • 4-5 seconds on average

Auton

  • “Ghost Mode”  controller input recording and playback
    • Cross baseline
    • Delayed Autons
    • Switch
    • Scale

Teleop

  • Primarily Scale based strategies
  • Can play defense
  • Can do alliance station wall
  • Climb at end