Doge, named after none other than the well-known doge dog, was team 484’s 2015 robot. The robot featured a planetary gearbox based, direct drive train to its 4 wheels. It also had two manipulating systems for interacting with pieces of the field. The first, was an elevator which, using a pair of cabinet door knobs, could latch onto totes and stack them vertically. This stacking of totes was the primary point scoring mechanism of the 2015 game. The second manipulator was an arm that could rotate down from a vertical position and extend in length using a lead screw. This arm could grab recycling cans by their handles from the middle of the field and performed reliably during competitions. Both of these manipulators used winches consisting of para-cord wrapped around the 1/2 inch shaft of a CIM motor attached to a 12:1 gearbox. In addition, a driver camera was positioned at the top of the elevator, allowing the driver to easily align with totes. Lastly, what’s a robot without LEDs? During events, the translucent plastic sides of the robot would glow blue and pulse near the end of matches to give the driver a time warning.
Recycle Rush was the 2015 FRC Challenge, focused on promoting the reuse and recycling of materials. In this challenge, 2 alliances of 3 robots raced to pick up totes off the ground and from the human feeder stations. At the same time, these robots needed to stack these totes and top them with recycling bins containing pool noodles. While not required, having a recycling bin on top of a stack, dramatically increased its point value. Points could also be gained by performing specific actions in autonomous, such and grabbing a tote or can and bringing it to the area between the 2 white platforms during the first 15 seconds of the match or stacking 4 yellow totes on the center of the field. During this year’s game, there were no winners in the qualification matches, with the average point values a team earned during its qualification matches determining their ranking. This system continued into eliminations with slight modifications. Specifically on the game and how the point system worked can be found in the full rules manual for this game here.