Daily Digest: Issue X, MMXXV

Daily Brief

Today, January 22nd, the Iron Plainsmen Robotics team met to discuss grades and eligibility as competition nears. All members must be passing and be within UIL guidelines before traveling with the team to San Antonio, Texas for the team's first event. Meanwhile, the Manufacturing & Design team collectively approached the elevator mechanism and split up responsibilities among small groups. The team began wiring, adding pulleys, and securing chain to the elevator before connecting the lateral slider piece to the part. The Programming team made an outstanding achievement today and completed AprilTag centering for the robot! This will be vital to the team's success during competition and driver practice. Finally, the MMA team carried out their usual daily tasks of documenting and blogging but additionally manufactured new buttons to give out to other teams at competition. In conclusion, the Iron Plainsmen Robotics team continues to advance every day and learn from their mistakes!

Narrowed Overview

The Manufacturing & Design Team

The Manufacturing & Design tackled all things elevator today including adding pulleys, securing chain, connecting the slider piece, and wiring the mechanism. The elevator component of the robot is the most vital mechanism to achieving success this season hence why the Manufacturing & Design team has spent so much time perfecting it. The elevator will allow the robot to deposit coral on L1, L2, and L3 of the reef, a strategy the Iron Plainsmen Robotics team plans to focus on at upcoming competitions. The team will continue to refine the elevator and improve it as the team runs into issues while driving on the practice field!

The Programming Team

The Programming team managed to successfully complete AprilTag centering for the robot, a challenge the group has been tackling for quite some time now. This is a major accomplishment for the team as a whole because the acquiring and depositing of the coral on L1, L2, and L3 will solely rely on the robot's ability to align itself with each side of the reef. The team is very proud of the programming members for clearing this hurdle and they plan to work closely alongside the Manufacturing & Design team during strategy and driving practice to refine any mistakes they may have made.

The Marketing, Media, & Awards Team

The MMA team continued writing daily documentation, recording the team's progress as it's made. Additionally, the team began manufacturing the new 2025 Iron Plainsmen Robotics button that will be given out at competitions this season. The team has yet to generate a more silly, creative button but they will allow more freedom to create one once the professional design is completed. Finally, the team made some significant advancements on the Woodie Flowers Finalist essay and hopes to have it finished within the next week to allow time for revisions. Overall, the MMA team proceeds to work hard and improve every day!