RoboKnights
8569
RoboKnights
Innovative, Creative, Competitive.
That's the RoboKnights.
RoboKnights - Team 8569
We are an FTC (First Tech Challenge) team that is fully affiliated with NCSSM (along with Sigma Corns and Aperture Science), which originally started as a community team in the Triangle area. However, we continue to honor our roots by serving the community, partnering with local organizations to maximize impact and reach a broader audience. Our motto is “Community Once, Community Forever!”
Our primary goal is to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to excel in STEM fields while fostering strong relationships within our community.
What is NCSSM?
Meet Our Team
The RoboKnights are divided into three subteams, where each has a team lead who organizes tasks and helps everyone work together to keep the team running successfully.
Programming Team
We work on programming the robot to make sure it runs smoothly, and is able to complete the tasks required for this year's competition.
Mechanical Team
We focus on designing, building, and fixing the robot to make sure it is capable and efficient.
Outreach Team
We connect with the community, spread awareness about STEM and FIRST, and help find sponsors for our team.
What We Do
Programming
Control & Autonomous
We have been working to develop advanced control systems and PID controllers for our arm mechanism, which have greatly improved our control and maneuverability.
We are also working on devloping full robot simulations, to speed up development and enable asynchronous work.
Computer Vision
We also have been working with computer vision-utilizing OpenCV and a Limelight 3A.
Our system can:
- Distinguish between sample (block) colors
- Identify block edges
- Estimate block position to a ~0.5cm accuracy
- Runs efficiently at 60fps
Mechanical
Master Sketches
We have been working on a stable design process through master sketches, which have the benefit of:
- Providing a better frame of reference for:
- parameters of the robot
- parts we design
- Serving as a base for developing the 3D model
- Helping us conclude how we want to tackle specific problems
Parallel Work
Following master sketches, we spilt into smaller groups/individuals so we can be inclusive and work more efficiently in parallel. For this, we usually go down one of 2 paths:
- If consensus wasn't reached on a part's function, different versions can be worked on by members with differing viewpoints.
- If consensus was reached, the part can be split into smaller subparts divided among the members.
Outreach
Our Values
- Inspire the next generation of innovators
- Inclusivity
- Expanding STEM accessibility to students of all backgrounds
- Fostering a passion for robotics in diverse communities
What We Do
- Mentorship
- Providing hands-on learning opportunities
- Collaborating with local organizations and educational institutions
- Expose students to engineering, programming, and problem-solving
- Network with industry professionals
- To refine our own knowledge
- To help others looking to develop their technical skills
Contact
RoboKnights