Status Report 2/22

Welcome back Mr. Alfonse!!!  In the past week, my partner PA and I have made HUGE strides in our project.  We were able to successfully implement the camera arm into the robot.  Now, the robot can in any direction (up/down and left/right).  In addition, the claw has been successfully mounted.  Now, we will be able to grasp samples.  We still have to put a blade for cutting and and the scoop on the camera.  By Friday, I anticipate being 85% done with the project.  Hopefully, the scoop will be on and operational by that time, leaving only the blade part of the claw until next week.

Status Report 2/14

Today, we have accomplished much!  We have changed our robot's propulsion system from wheels to tank treads.  As noted in our earlier blog, we would perform tests to see which system worked better in the sandy environment.  We took our robot to the sand dune behind the systems lab and tested our robot's climbing ability.  Finally, we added rubber grips to the tank treads to help it maneuver through the soft sand.