The Robots

Our robot is a unique and innovative design built from REV and goBILDA components. This season, our primary engineering goal was to transition fully to a single building ecosystem in order to eliminate the compatibility challenges we experienced in previous years when mixing systems. Standardizing our structure, motion, and mounting patterns improved reliability, simplified maintenance, and allowed us to iterate more efficiently throughout the build season. 

The drivetrain utilizes Mecanum wheels, giving the robot exceptional maneuverability and enabling precise strafing and alignment without turning, which is an advantage when positioning for both intake and launching tasks. The robot is encased in a plexiglass shroud, which protects internal mechanisms and prevents external interference while still allowing visibility for inspection and troubleshooting.

Our scoring system is centered on a distinctive three–pendulum launching mechanism. Each pendulum is constructed from a 15-hole goBILDA square beam paired with a REV UltraPlanetary Female 5mm Hex Output and is motor-driven to generate repeatable, controlled rotational energy. As the pendulums swing, they propel artifacts upward and outward. Artifacts are staged on a rack positioned above the pendulums and retained using square beam guides that ensure consistent placement before launch.

This design allows artifacts to be launched individually or concurrently. The driver can select which artifact to release in order to create specific motifs, either using color-sensor feedback or manual decision-making based on real-time match strategy. To accommodate different scoring zones, our software dynamically modulates motor power, adjusting launch velocity to achieve accurate trajectories from varying distances.

Artifacts enter the system through a four-tier intake built with compliant wheels from AndyMark. The lower two tiers use spaced wheels to capture and center incoming pieces, while the upper tier uses tightly contacting wheels to fully control and elevate them. A corrugated plastic ramp then guides the artifacts smoothly into the launch queue. The intake is powered by a REV Robotics motor mounted on a 90-degree gear bracket, providing a compact and durable transfer of motion. Once staged, artifacts are held in a controlled queue, ready for rapid, repeatable launching.

By combining a unified construction system, omnidirectional mobility, and our unconventional pendulum-based launcher, this robot reflects our emphasis on consistency, serviceability, and strategic flexibility while showcasing a creative approach to the game challenge.

Our 2024-2025 robot, nicknamed Juliette, is a versatile and innovative design built from REV and goBILDA components. Juliette features Mecanum wheels for exceptional maneuverability, a horizontal goBILDA linear slide, two SWYFT vertical slides, eight motors, and two servos. Standing just under 18 inches tall, her linear slide extends to a maximum of 24 inches in one direction, adhering to the competition's designated size constraints. A vertical slide allows her to score high bucket samples and high chamber specimens.

Juliette is equipped with a two claws made of carbon fiber. The horizontal claw was specifically designed for grabbing samples from the submersible, and the vertical claw has a different design to facilitate the hand off and scoring.

For the climbing challenge, we engineered a system to achieve a third-level ascent. This mechanism uses a 3D-printed tentacle that wraps around the bar and then lifts the bot off the ground. A Swyft slide completes the ascent.

Ferdinand was not disassembled following the 2022-2023 season because he is very popular at outreach events.  The team began working on his sibling from scratch in September.  Once again, Grazia supplied the new robot with a name when he was in his infancy and on a camping trip with the team at Camp Marapai.  

Jerome was new and improved for our first qualifier with his motors attached inside the rails, two GoBilda slides, a pixel catcher that feeds into our claw mechanism for pixel placement, a drone launcher, and a hook to hang in Endgame. Jerome does it all!

 In the first qualifier, we swept undefeated into first place before falling in the semifinals.

Although very successful, we wanted Jerome to be smaller, quicker, and more efficient, leading us to break him down to component parts and rebuild him.  The basics of Jerome remained the same, but we assembled him to be more sleek and compact and with an improved pixel placement system.

 Ferdinand has a four wheel Mecanum drivetrain, a vertical linear slide, and a claw.

Grazia (also known as Sassafrass at Girl Scout camp), a member of Maya's troop, came into one of our meetings one day. She asked us, "Do you have a name for your robot?" (or something along those lines). As we didn't have one at the time, Maya replied, "We don't have one." Grazia decided, "Its name is Ferdinand the Bot." The name stuck. 

When attaching giant googly eyes, we decided that Ferd is a cyclops. It may have been because we could only fit one eye. 

After someone brought up a cyclops' traditional diet, we decided that Ferdinand would be fueled with Girl Scout cookies, as we are. 

This photo of Ferdinand is at an outreach event.  He is carrying a Brownie Girl Scout doll to do a "meet and greet."