Moon Bots are Awsome

using a lego challenge to get the public exited about designing moon rovers is pure genius.
-Tyler

Krishen Bhan: Reflection 1

So far this project has being going well. Although everything we are doing have been going on a fast pace. I like all of our ideas, and we are starting to do the final touches and fixes of our design. But I am not sure if we can make it by Friday. I think this project is interesting. I decided to be part of the team because I wanted to learn some basic robotics and designing skills. Also I have Lego Digital Designer and it would be nice to use it as a designing program. Finally I have to thank X Prize, Google, and Mindstorms for not only bringing up a contest but giving students a chance to learn robotics.

Moonbots Reflection Lucas Hu

I think our design is well in progress. So far, we are doing good. We almost have both the "wheel" and base finished, we're just adding some finishing touches. I'm pretty enthusiastic about it, and am happy with where we are right now. I would be pretty surprised if we were chosen to build our design because we had much less time than some other people. However, we are giving our best effort to make our design as good as possible.

Seth Report

I think that the exploration of the moon because we may create a colony. That colony will help us find out about the moon, as well will enable future space colony's at the future. (Of course I do not suggest it right now, unless China does it since America and the rest are too poor). This may also help us find H2O, and if so, we may be able to create life by a series of steps beginning with simple plants, with a given O2 supply. Later they will create more, and evolve to the amount of O2. Then someday, after a quintillion of dollars, we may be able to create life.
I hope to create a valid Lego "rover", to enable future Lego projects. I hope to improve my skills by building this project.
The moon may not be a very practical idea, at first, but if we may somehow create life, it will bring us more plants, food, clothes, (after of course all the wars for who gets what part of the moon).
-Seth

Getting Closer

Last Night was our third meeting in building our robot for the Moonbots competition. Krishen did great work in building the base of the robot in Lego Digital Design. We spent 45 minutes assembling the robot per his instructions. At which point we found some design flaws with the base of the robot which needed to be addressed.

D-Tyler was prepared with a lift mechanism that requires one motor. He built it with the help of his friend David and came prepared to give a demonstration. Each day that I worry weather or not the team will complete the design proposal by this Friday, I'm totally amazed by the devotion and commitment each team member has to completing the project.

By 8 pm, we signed off and parted ways. Krishen is adding the lift mechanism to the drawing in LDD and Lucas and Seth are working on supporting the track bases with reinforcements. Hopefully I will be able to upload some images of the robot on Tuesday. It looks like the hard work will pay off on Friday.

Tuesday, each team member will write down some personal thoughts on Space exploration and what they have learned so far in the competition. I will also take the video of each team member discussing the importance of landing on the moon. Depending on how hard it is to splice the video together you might see it on the blog by tomorrow night.

With that, our team is signing off!

Suspension - Tackling the problem

Last Thursday each team member arrived with some general ideas on the movement of the robot. We were pleased to have a few guests arrive to give us counsel on the feasibility of each team members thoughts. Jeremy and Scott have some experience in robotics through their college participation and both were able to give us good feedback and ideas on design direction.

We looked at the craters, the landing and the platform that our robot would have to maneuver over. We ended up choosing a dual track design with precision turning ability. We quickly put together a quick model using Scott's Mindstorm kit and sent Krishen home with the task of putting it together in LDD. The other four team members were to come prepared with the second important solution to the competition. Building a working lift to pick up each of the elements on the course.

Personally I was a bit nervous on whether we would have a working design by Friday the 28th. Our team has come through time and time again.

We Have Blast Off

Our first meeting was last Sunday - I'm trying to catch up on the blogger posts. In our first meeting we read through the rules and brainstormed the look and abilities of the robot. We also looked at the different design software and decided to use Lego Digital Design for our proposal. In attendance was Lucas, Seth and Krishen.
We really felt the pressures of the quick deadline to get the proposal submitted. We set an aggresive schedule to meet the following Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and finally Friday to upload the final design proposal.

Each team member will post a blog before and after submission. We feel documentation serves an important role in discovery. While we are not sure how the model will come together in the short two weeks, we are excited to take part in the competition.

PA Moonbots

Updates coming Soon!