November

This year, to stay organized, we structured our code into different classes using object-oriented programming. This means we are not crowding everything into the opmode class and instead having different classes for parts of the robot and then running them in the opmode's runtime loop using their move methods. 

Next Steps:

- Since we have aluminum, I believe our Studica drivetrain can be upgraded to a custom CNC-machined aluminum drivetrain. This would give us greater control over component placement and address the issue of the Studica chassis being so narrow that we currently have to disassemble the wheels and motors—along with the attached mechanisms—whenever adjustments are needed. A custom drivetrain would also help us solve many clearance issues, as we could place parts exactly where we want them, without being restricted by the fixed patterns that Studica provides.

- We have a minor wire management issue; currently, we’re using zip ties to secure the claw wires to the slides to prevent them from dangling and getting caught. However, this is a temporary solution, and the zip ties keep getting cut because they’re positioned near the moving slide strings. To address this, we’ll be reprinting some of the slide inserts to eliminate this problem.

- Our current claw is slightly too small, requiring high precision to pick up samples from the submersible. To improve this, we plan to add a larger claw and possibly a camera on the claw, allowing it to auto adjust to the position of the sample.

- I saw a robot online that can multitask: it picks up a sample from the submersible while scoring a specimen on the high goal, then drops off a sample in the observation zone and picks up a new specimen in the process. This might be an ambitious goal, but with enough tuning, perhaps our robot could achieve this as well.

- We are also creating a driver station to organize the driver hub and controllers.

When tuning PIDF values for the slides, we accounted for their orientation, whether vertical or horizontal. Since the slides require different PID values at varying angles, we incorporated the F constant with Sin(θ) to adjust the PID values according to the slide’s angle. This concept was also applied to the Pivot motor's PID control. The motor requires the most power when it is horizontal and the least when vertical. By applying Sin(θ) to the motor's power, where θ represents the angle of the slides, we ensured optimal performance.