Post B10XVCObVAfFCSawym by MCDuncanLab@mstdn.social
(DIR) More posts by MCDuncanLab@mstdn.social
(DIR) Post #B0t5oYDkQLevZGEl3Q by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:07:15Z
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The robot is HIGHLY unstable and it makes horrible grinding noises. The cable management is abysmal. It's like a bowl of spaghetti.I'm am trying my best to be a supportive and not overly interventionist, annoying, advisor to the robotics club, but if these kids don't stop overloading those motors and learn to use some gears I AM GOING TO CRY.
(DIR) Post #B0t5sadbNasyDqFw3s by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:07:59Z
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To be fair to them, the robot *can* do the task... maybe half of the time.
(DIR) Post #B0t6B4pbrJQL4wghsm by davidaugust@mastodon.online
2025-12-04T00:11:18Z
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@futurebird As Reverend Roy L. Smith said in 1919, "John Wanamaker once said, 'I am convinced that about one-half the money I spend for advertising is wasted, but I have never been able to decide which half.'" So too do we not know which half the robot did right. 😆
(DIR) Post #B0t7C9Y7u2HpxHaT7A by swope@mstdn.plus
2025-12-04T00:22:39Z
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@futurebirdI tried explaining to my FRC kids that elevators have counterweights, so the motors only have to make enough torque to overcome friction and accelerate the mass. I want them to use springs or counterweights on their robots' mechanisms. But for some reason they never think that way.
(DIR) Post #B0t7LmQIjxkp7tW9Im by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:24:28Z
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@swope We are FTC so, just mastering not always driving everything directly with the motor is the challenge. They do get better at trouble shooting ... but sometimes...
(DIR) Post #B0t7Q0TCSNkTqktAC8 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:25:05Z
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@hipsterelectron "I just want it to turn why do I need a gear if it's already turning the right way?"
(DIR) Post #B0t7sewhYucDUYLnkW by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:30:22Z
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"Wow these cables are kind of a big tangle.""yeah we had to hook up so many things, they make you give it an ON/OFF switch!""Well maybe you should bundle some of them together so it's less likely to tangle.""OK"*makes one big yarn ball of cables*"Cable management. We need Cable Management. This is like when the cables are a lovely diagram for your eyes that shows how everything is connected with all the extra bits flooded away. This... yarn ball, is, one idea. We need a new idea."
(DIR) Post #B0t7x9MsOYjf0Ejd8y by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:31:14Z
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I need to find some photos so they can understand what I'm talking about...
(DIR) Post #B0t836jJ7IvoYf4Fpw by munificent@mastodon.social
2025-12-04T00:32:14Z
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@futurebird Are you saying that what they're doing... grinds your gears?
(DIR) Post #B0t83m9z51dF3Grdbs by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:32:23Z
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They were very upset about the "on/off" switch for some reason, but it's a safety thing.
(DIR) Post #B0t85U2XQAevQsCBii by mpark@mathstodon.xyz
2025-12-04T00:32:41Z
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@futurebird Our team just got the expansion hub we need, so they're getting the cable management lecture after school tomorrow.
(DIR) Post #B0t865LciAuV8mPS6a by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:32:47Z
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@munificent NO. I'm saying that's what it's NOT doing. LMAO.
(DIR) Post #B0t8L1fUfr1A4YpOdc by jmax@mastodon.social
2025-12-04T00:35:29Z
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@futurebird - Oh. I dropped in here, and assumed Pica was doing cable management for you.
(DIR) Post #B0t8N2qpFPM4Ju5i9g by AMS@infosec.exchange
2025-12-04T00:35:52Z
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@futurebird JPL perhaps? The mars rovers are pretty beautiful. Might get them doing cable lacing.
(DIR) Post #B0t8ZnqqKMMpZ1BOV6 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:38:07Z
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@alienghic This is a good photo. Maybe some strategic decorations could help.
(DIR) Post #B0t8b1IlnwGnZLpFwW by amsomniac@mastodon.mit.edu
2025-12-04T00:38:24Z
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@futurebird I'm one of those annoying lego robotics teachers that makes you build some things with gears before bringing out the robotsand there's still been lots of direct-drive. I get that it's added mechanical complexity but gears are goated when changing torque/speed is the vibe
(DIR) Post #B0t8h3fju6rqetRsfY by mpark@mathstodon.xyz
2025-12-04T00:39:29Z
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@futurebird I think https://www.reddit.com/r/FTC/comments/10domps/at_the_quals_they_said_do_cable_management_so_i/ has some decent pics.
(DIR) Post #B0t96khF4tbPKrP4fw by rmflight@mastodon.social
2025-12-04T00:44:07Z
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@futurebird Yeah, I was not a great "coach / advisor" for my 2 years in FTC. I did way too much intervention and "we need to do this". Although I tried to do most of it by way of pointing to the rule book.I miss seeing the improvement in the kids as they were there year over year, and seeing them figure things out, but my ulcer and free time are doing much better.
(DIR) Post #B0t9FRGGhrI3fHvdxo by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:45:42Z
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@apophis The robot needs a medical intervention. But we have a long work session tomorrow. I think they will puzzle it out. It's always darkest before the dawn.
(DIR) Post #B0t9foPLGt2KytkTbM by darkling@mstdn.social
2025-12-04T00:50:27Z
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@futurebird Horribly unstable, makes grinding noises? I feel seen...
(DIR) Post #B0t9luGCQOKAs0NVpY by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T00:51:35Z
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@apophis @swope I mean the fact that there is so little of it is why I insist we have a robotics club. Just things like getting a stripped out screw out are... quality education moments as far as I'm concerned.
(DIR) Post #B0tARZxmHMxM59dHrk by PizzaDemon@mastodon.online
2025-12-04T00:59:05Z
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@futurebird time to get investors! Bring in the financial literacy teacher and make this a 360 learning experience
(DIR) Post #B0tC3WHsUgabdkgpPs by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-04T01:17:11Z
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@PizzaDemon IPO this friday. Unless we get bought by Meta. *fingers crossed*
(DIR) Post #B0tGoSNpE6ZGxW6mQ4 by stevenaleach@sigmoid.social
2025-12-04T02:10:28Z
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@futurebird @hipsterelectron They're using stepper motors? How many steps per rotation do they have? I seem to recall the ones I played with from a junk bin years back being pretty chunky and I'd think they'd run into needing gear reduction on grippers for instance to make them more controllable.
(DIR) Post #B10WvS7zX6fRZDmOQa by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-07T14:13:59Z
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@alienghic They have improved the cable management so much. I’m so proud of them.
(DIR) Post #B10XVCObVAfFCSawym by MCDuncanLab@mstdn.social
2025-12-07T14:20:26Z
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@futurebird @alienghic I could learn some lessons from them. I hate cable nests but usually just cram them behind something so I don’t have to look at it.
(DIR) Post #B10XdXxZDAp8Obvfkm by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-12-07T14:21:59Z
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@MCDuncanLab @alienghic If you can’t see the wire rats nest then it doesn’t exist? is that the theory? ☺️
(DIR) Post #B10a58arJeNfjyaklc by MCDuncanLab@mstdn.social
2025-12-07T14:49:21Z
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@futurebird If an adult (me) wanted to get into robotics competitions, where would they start?I’m handy but have no electronics experience.
(DIR) Post #B10aVak7HQFGZbXIsy by Ailbhe@mendeddrum.org
2025-12-07T14:54:06Z
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@futurebird @alienghic that's lovely!
(DIR) Post #B10dmG9lN9fBVlAhou by saxnot@chaos.social
2025-12-07T15:30:44Z
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@futurebird sounds like good socratic dialogue
(DIR) Post #B10ePlMBIvkXZSohgO by Okanogen@mastodon.social
2025-12-07T15:37:51Z
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@futurebird Big fan of open slot wire ducts and in other applications, the woven, split wire loom. Those are nice because it makes it a lot easier to replace a broken wire or reroute a wire. J channels also work well.
(DIR) Post #B10kedvzmYSWcU2zb6 by Okanogen@mastodon.social
2025-12-07T16:47:49Z
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@futurebird @alienghic If they passed those wires through one of the lightening holes into that lower L bracket it would double as a wire loom.