This post will be a combination of two posts; a summary of day two and a summary of what the team accomplished on day three of build season.
Day 2: The team got to the Microsoft campus, found a conference room, and promptly filled up every white board in there with discussion of robot strategy for this year's challenge. After much arguing, it was decided that we wish to have the ability to pick up both the recycling container and the totes, as well as have the ability to lift a stack of three totes on to another stack of three totes.
At the end of the day, teams started to brainstorm preliminary designs for robot systems.
Day 3: We arrived in the robotics room and picked up right where we left off. After a brief review of strategy and designs from day two, we began further fleshing out design ideas, listing possible mechanisms for each system (pick up, lift, and drive), and proceeding to break off in to prototyping teams. So far, we have constructed a claw pickup prototype, attempted to suction a box (successfully) with Pablo the Shop-Vac, and decided on a wheel type (99 percent sure it's mecanum).
We are moving right along with our robot construction and look to be on schedule to get a great robot built.