Trailblazing Tech:Yukon vs. Our Custom PCB. Electronics Competition in the Pi Wars Arena

Things We Built
The Robotics Revolution: Pimoroni’s Yukon vs. Our Custom PCB In the evolving world of robotics, the choice between modular platforms and custom-built solutions is a pivotal decision for teams. Pimoroni’s recent release of the Yukon, a RP2040 based board, has sparked interest among robotics enthusiasts, including our team. Here’s a closer look at how Yukon stacks up against our custom PCB designed for the Pi Wars robot. The Core of Innovation: Pimoroni’s Yukon Pimoroni’s Yukon emerges as a high-power modular robotics platform, built around the versatile RP2040 chip.

Wheel-y Great!: Our First Spin with Mecanum Wheels

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First Test Drive with Mecanum Wheels Mecanum Mastery: The Start of Omnidirectional Movement Our latest test drive marked a major step forward in our Pi Wars journey—the debut of our robot’s mecanum wheels, driven by our custom mixing code. This first foray into omnidirectional movement was exciting, though it highlighted some areas needing refinement. Traction and Balance: Challenges Encountered During the test, we noticed a disparity in traction between two diagonal sets of wheels.

Zombie Points

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Unraveling the Zombie Apocalypse: A Mathematical Approach to Pi Wars Strategy In the world of Pi Wars, the Zombie Apocalypse challenge stands out not only for its thematic allure but also for the strategic depth it offers to participants. Recently, an intriguing aspect of this challenge caught our attention—the scoring system. Through a detailed mathematical analysis, we’ve uncovered insights that could significantly influence strategy, particularly concerning the distribution of targets across the “Pi Wars Tower.

Solid progress

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This week, we’ve been learning about the SOLID principles of software. When I say we, I mean I (Mark) have been learning, and Rob (the professional computerman on our team) has been suggesting videos and other resources, and helping clarify bits I’ve not understood. My take on the SOLID principles, in the context of a Pi Wars robot’s software is: S: Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) Each component of the code (function, class or whatever) should have one job.

Looping You In: Timing and Task Management in Robotic Choreography

Things We Built
Mastering Robot Software Structure for Beginners Navigating the intricate world of robot programming can be a daunting journey, especially when deciding how to structure your code for feedback, control, and update rates. Here, we dive into the essentials, blending expert advice with practical experiences to guide beginners through the complexities of robot software architecture. Understanding Update Rates and Task Scheduling Update Rate Considerations: Sensors: Typical sensors update at 10-30Hz, which translates to data every 33-100ms.

Flashy!

Things We Built
Blog Post: Revolutionizing Pi Noon with OSoD’s Autonomous Strategy The Pi Noon challenge at Pi Wars has always been a thrilling test of precision and strategy, where robots face off in a duel of balloon-popping prowess. This year, Team Cyberwar is taking an unprecedented approach with their robot, Overwhelming Surplus of Diggity (OSoD), by entering the challenge autonomously—a pioneering move only previously attempted by Piradigm. The Autonomous Edge: OSoD’s strategy hinges on autonomy, leveraging advanced technology to outmaneuver opponents.

Navigating further in the Spectrum

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Navigating the Spectrum - Sensor Testing Insights Introduction In our previous blog post, Navigating the Spectrum, we embarked on a journey to select the most suitable sensors for our robotic endeavours, particularly for the challenges of Pi Wars. Building on that foundation, we’ve now put these sensors to the test, literally. The goal was simple yet crucial: verify if the real-world performance of our chosen sensors aligns with their datasheet specifications.

Navigating the Spectrum

Things We Built
Navigating the Spectrum: Sensor Selection for Pi Wars’ Diverse Arenas As we gear up for the multifaceted challenges of Pi Wars, our focus shifts to the pivotal role of sensor selection for our robot, the Overwhelming Surplus of Diggity (OSoD). Let’s delve into how we plan to harness these sensors to ensure our robot can ascertain its position within the varied arenas of the competition. Sensor Requirements for Optimal Navigation The arenas present unique navigational challenges, from the tight 0.

Unraveling the Eco-Disaster Challenge

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Unraveling the Eco-Disaster Challenge: Insights from Team OSoD Welcome to our latest technical blog post, where we delve into the intricate strategies and technological advancements of our Pi Wars robot, the Overwhelming Surplus of Diggity (OSoD). Our team has been hard at work strategizing for the Eco-Disaster challenge, a task that involves sorting contaminated barrels within a specific time frame. Here, we’ll explore our approaches, sensor integration, and estimated run times for the different options being evaluated.

The Lava Palava Loophole: An Ingenious Twist on Pi Wars

Things We Built
In the competitive world of Pi Wars, where ingenuity meets the rigor of rulebooks, there comes an idea that could change the game, albeit with a mischievous wink. A team with a robot named Overwhelming Surplus of Diggity (OSoD) has stumbled upon a clever, if not slightly roguish, interpretation of the Lava Palava challenge rules. A Bold Strategy The challenge typically tests a robot’s ability to navigate a treacherous path without succumbing to the ’lava’.