Robotics, Simulation & Future: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 8&9
Robotics, Simulation & Future: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 8&9
Robotics: Many NASA interns and Co-Ops got hooked on STEM disciplines by participating in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics. In fact there is a robotics team that meets at NASA Johnson's Space Vehicle Mock Up Facility, the Robonauts. There are four levels for FIRST Robotics; Junior Lego League for ages 6 to 10 (JrFLL), Lego Robotics League for 4th to 8th grade (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge for 7th to 12th grade (FTC), and FIRST Robotics Competition for 9th to 12th graders (FRC). There are still FIRST Robotics events you can take part in.
Search for FIRST Robotics events pick “Event” and use filters such as dates, program type, county and zip code.Volunteers apply through the Volunteer Information and Matching System and need to pass a background check. Once you are accepted into a position the volunteer coordinator will supply you with the necessary training.
WATCH TEAMS COMPETE LIVE (every Thur - Sat through weekend of April 27th, 2017).
Robot my FRC team made
Robot the team who builds here, Robonauts, made.
This year’s FRC game.
Simulation: A group of us toured the Systems Engineering Simulator (SES) lab a part of NASA Johnson's Robotics Engineering division. Astronauts visit SES to practice docking Orion, capturing the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, and driving a Mars rover. They simulate realistic physics and scenarios with in house software (Unreal Engine couldn't cut it). The have simulations with the International Space Station, Japanese Cargo Vehicle (HTV), Dragon, Cygnus, Orion and future space exploration vehicles.
Future of NASA: Center Director Ellen Ochoa, Deputy Director Mark Geyer and Associate Director Melanie Saunders hosted an All Hands where they shared with NASA Johnson employees essentially our state of the union. Ochoa described that NASA of priority and interest of the new administration. Per the request of the administration, NASA is conducting a study to weigh the risks of adding a manned crew to Space Launch System and Orion Space Craft's EM1 test. This study is expected to conclude late March.
More Posts from Ourtech and Others
Neutral Buoyancy Lab
6.2mil gal pool (fill 9 Olympic swimming pools) where astronauts train for EVAs.
Current Mission Control
Directs football field sized International Space Station which orbits every 90min
Cargo Ship Choreography: NASA Co-Op #3 Day One
Today I returned to Mission Control to support the ISO (Inventory Stowage Officers) console. This team is in charge of packing cargo ships, choreographing the unloading of cargo ships and letting astronauts know where they misplaced their socks. Basically, ISO knows where everything is in the bird's nest that is the International Space Station.
My task is to choreograph the unloading of a cargo ship docked to space station. This is no ordinary choreography however, I will be using a device I created training for with another Mission Control in an earlier Co-Op. In the Fall of 2015 I produced a training video for a device that has the potential to make difficult procedures easier for astronauts. Astronaut Scott Kelly and Tim Peake ended up using this training in space. This week I will be familiarizing myself with standard unloading procedures, watching videos of astronauts testing this new device and questioning what is the hardest part of unloading that could be made easier with this device.
In layman's terms - I am choreographing the unloading of a cargo ship onto space station that the astronauts will perform by using a helpful device.
My battle station.
Saturn V stage.
STEAMworks: Robotics Game Theories
Teaser trailer for the 2017 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology) Robotics Competition was released late September revealing a Steampunk theme. Now is the time for my annual game conspiracy post about what I think teams can expect based on nuanced clues and veteran FIRST experience.
FLYING MINI BOTS - "Prepare to take flight!" was the closing statement of the 2017 FIRST STEAMworks Teaser video. Could minibots be coming back with quadcopter features? Minibots was a successful and entertaining aspect of the 2011 FIRST challenge Logo Motion. At the end of the Logo Motion teams' primary 120lb robot deployed smaller minibots to climb a tower. A FIRST inspired robotics competition, Collegiate Aerial Robotics Demonstration (CARD), launched at the 2011 World Championship with the hope to start a College-Level FIRST competition. According to CARD's Wikipedia page the competitions were held between 2011 and 2013. In the teaser video the flying contraptions illustrated have circular quadcopter like rioters. With the growing interest in quadcopters, drones and other flying robots it would be easier FIRST to suppliers for teams' Kit Of Parts and easier to find mentoring help from college students and companies than years prior.
STEAM (Science Technology Engineering ART and Math) - Within the past decade educators and professionals have realized that the arts do indeed belong in STEM education. FIRST appears to be adopting the trend by imagining STEAMworks. Even a paint brush is visible in the STEAMworks game logo. What would life be without music and art? (My father is a high school art teacher and both of my parents and myself play stringed instruments). The Beautility factor or engineering, when something is aesthetic while serving a purpose, is due to the blend of STEAM disciplines. FIRST could include arts in the 2017 season by adding a Beautility award, challenging teams to combine their brand with the game's theme, continue the team website competition and add scholarships to their ~200 already offered that include students in the arts.
PNEUMATICS - It would be disappointing if STEAMworks did not emphasize the use of pneumatic devices. Although water is a component that makes steam happen a water game does not seem feasible... I'm imagining teams trying to isolate electronics from water reservoirs... don't get your hopes up. Likely, FIRST will require teams to have at least one pneumatic device. In past seasons pneumatics have been used for championship winning actuators but primarily underutilized. In the teaser trailer a gauge showing 40psi was visible, a possible operating pressure for Kit of Parts pneumatics parts (that est. 1989 is the year Dean Kamen Founded FIRST).
Hopefully these theories get you excited about the upcoming season!
Kick Off Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 9:00 amCT, will update with broadcast link before 1/9/17.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Find a local team to help.
Mentor a team.
Check out my past robotics team.
Make the Most of a Summer Internship Establishing good habits, setting goals and doing research - I share internship tips in U of Minnesota Duluth's career blog: https://umdcareers.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/make-the-most-out-of-your-summer-career-experience/
Hello Worlds: NASA Co-Op #3 Week 15
This year launched the inaugural dual FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston and St. Louis. Before, only one Championship dubbed "Worlds" was hosted where teams around the world competed for one title. Due to the growth of the teams involved in robotics, FIRST has decided to split Worlds into a North and South Championships with the intent to bring the winning alliance form each championship to battle it out during a live televised event. Unfortunately this means a Northern team will never be able to compete against a Southern team unless they win championships or pay to attend an out of state regional earlier in the season. There was ~700 teams, 15k students and 30k attendees!
My time volunteering was fantastically frantic! Resetting the Steamworks play field after each match for the robotics teams was a challenge requiring over 400 wiffle balls be picked up and dozens of yellow gears to be stacked.
Worked on the "Newton" FRC field. Winners from this field competed in the finals held in Houston's Minute Maid Park where their Astros baseball team plays. Logistics of getting 700 robotics teams into Minute Maid was a challenge that took longer than expected. There will be time for improvement as the southern robotics championship will be held in Houston for at least three more years.
The field had to be cleared within seven minutes to keep matches on schedule.
Robotics Houston Championship concluded with the announcement of he highest award, Chairman's, earned by team Thunder Down Under from Australia and fireworks!
Even the VIP seats did not have a good view of the final matches! Growing pains but lots of opportunity to improve over the next couple of years.
It is rumored the winners of the St.Louis and Houston Championships will go head to head at the FIRST Festival of Champions July Friday 28th - Saturday 29th, 2017. WAYS TO GET INVOLVED What is FIRST Robotics? Volunteer at a FIRST Robotics event or with a local team. Donate to FIRST Robotics. Read about my "Robo" Mater, Daredevils Robotics. Theme of the 2018 FIRST Tech Challenge, 18inx18inx18in robots.
Astronauts Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth after a year in space! Read the highlights of the year here: http://ourtech.tumblr.com/post/140172910796/best-moments-from-a-year-in-space-creepily-enough Watch live now: http://www.ustream.tv/NASAHDTV
Data from: McCarthy, Niall. "Some Tech Internships Pay More Than $75,000 A Year." Statista The Statistics Portal. N.p., 5 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
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