ZATARA NEPOMUCENO
1678 MKI/MKII
As lead hardware fabrication lead for the FRC 1678 team, I led 15 student engineers to manufacture 1000+ parts used to assemble robots that compete across the globe.
Project Overview
My goal as a subteam lead was to facilitate the rapid fabrication and assembly of three 120 lb robots within the span of 3 months each year.
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This was achieved by overseeing the design of subsystem components, and ensuring each was easily machinable and assemblable, in addition to ensuring each component was a platform for the quick prototyping, testing, and iteration of its design.
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Check out some highlights below!​
1678 MKII
Game Challenge
The objective for this year's game was to shoot balls into vertical hoops and climb a a 4ft-high rung in the last 30 seconds of a match.
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By assembling the robot in tandem with the tests our software subteam performed, we became the first FRC team during the 2020 and 2021 seasons to develop a program that fired 10 balls autonomously.
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Awards:​
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1st Place Los Angeles North Regional
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Chairman's Award St. Louis Regional
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1st Place Hydrogen Skills Competition Winner
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1st Place Game Design Challenge WInner
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Industrial Design Award sponsored by General Motors
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Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi
Skills Used:
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Mill, Lathe, and CNC Machining
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Parts Tracking
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Delegating Part Drawings, CAM Toolpaths, and Fabrication Assignments to Students​
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Arranging Assembly and Wiring Meetings
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Leading Software and Hardware Integration
Background:
I redesigned and fabricated this telescoping elevator for the 2021o MKII, an iterated model of our 2020 MKI robot. A crucial aspect to scoring in this year's FRC game was to climb a 4ft-high rung and lift your 120-lb robot off the floor.
Skills Used:
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Telescoping Elevator Mechanisms
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Winching Gearboxes
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Dog clutch Assemblies
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Load Validation from Testing
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Gear, Motor, and Pneumatic Piston Selection
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Onshape CAD
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Mill, Lathe, CNC Machining
Results:
The gearbox for this climber retracts a telescope that extends passively via torsion springs. The output of the second stage of gears also acts as a power-take off (PTO) for the robot's intake mechanism, effectively saving weight and decreasing the robot's complexity.
Climber MKII
Background:
I prototyped, designed, and fabricated this telescoping elevator for the 2020 MKI, a robot that completes in FRC competitions. A crucial aspect to scoring in this year's game was to climb a 4ft-high rung and lift your 120-lb robot off the floor.
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Skills Used:
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Telescoping Elevator Mechanisms
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Load Determination from Prototyping
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Load Validation from Testing
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Gear, Motor, Belt, and Pneumatic Piston Selection
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Onshape CAD
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Mill, Lathe, CNC Machining
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Results:
In addition to being the primary designer for this robot's climber, I led a team of 10 technicians (comprised of mechanical, electrical, and software roles) to assist its development and completion. That year, my mechanism led to our team scoring 1st place success at the 2020 Los Angeles North Regional.
Climber MKI
Background:
I prototyped, designed, and fabricated this wrangler for the 2020 MKI, a robot that completes in FRC competitions. A crucial aspect to scoring in this year's game was to climb a 4ft-high rung and lift you and a buddy robot (each 120-lb) off the floor.
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Skills Used:
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Winch Mechanisms
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Load Determination from Prototyping
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Load Validation from Testing
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Gear, Motor, Pneumatic Piston Selection
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Onshape CAD
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Mill, Lathe, CNC Machining
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Results:
Due to the difficulty in climbing the rung in this year's game, I designed our robot with the ability to attach our teammates' robot to our own by use of a "wrangler" mechanism and accommodate accordingly. That year, my mechanism led to our team scoring 1st place success at the 2020 Los Angeles North Regional.
Wrangler
Extra Projects
Check out some other contributions I've made to my team!
​Background:
As an introduction for new members interested in everything hardware-related (design, fabrication, electrical), I developed a video series teaching them how to the mill, lathe, and CNC router before their first hands-on training.
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Skills Used:
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Training Planning
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Training Documentation
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Machine Safety
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Video Storyboarding
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Results:
In previous years, our team used outdated and low-quality videos to teach new members to use tools in the shop. Over the course of a year, I collaborated with other team leads and create a playlist of videos covering topics from CAD software to precision measuring devices. For our machine training videos, I was the primary instructor. To this day, my recordings have been used as a standard part of the new-member training process.
Machine Training Videos
Tablet Storage Case
Background:
A crucial aspect of staying competitive at FRC Competitions is to gather information of other robots during matches. To accommodate for the transporting of tablets used by our "scouts," I developed a transport case for 14 Lenovo tablets and 2 Google Pixel phones.
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Skills Used:
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Product Development
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Laser Cutter Machining
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Onshape CAD
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Results:
A few years earlier, I had built a tablet case that could be described as a stiff, fragile wooden box. My new design took advantage of a pre-existing soft-shelled Nanuk 935 case, where its internals were crafted using only using lasercut plywood. Features include: Fast charging/data transfer for each tablet via one USB hub.
Background:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I built deliverable lathes for students to fabricate parts at home, and contacted sponsors to machine other parts.
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Skills Used:
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Mill, Lathe, and CNC Machining
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Parts Tracking
-
Delegating Part Drawings, CAM Toolpaths, and Fabrication Assignments to Students​
-
Arranging Assembly and Wiring Meetings
-
Leading Software and Hardware Integration
