Inclining Sandbox for SBEL!

Background

I was added to SBEL shortly before the end of my first year as a college student. The first project I was tasked with was creating, or should I say retrofitting, an inclining sandbox, which acts as the core of our lab's efforts to close the sim2real gap. At first, this seemed like the average quick project given to the new lab member, but we in the lab quickly realized how deceptively difficult a project this truly is.

Progress

So far, I have designed and redesigned this sandbox 4 times, moving from keeping the original sandbox mostly intact, to creating an elaborate steel frame, down to a simplified frame for the best of both worlds. The lifting mechanism for the inclination went from a floor jack used for cars, to a hydraulic engine lift with a pulley system, to finally an electric winch. Although changing ideas completely and restarting from square one is kind of annoying, I did find myself in my element, as this is a very common part of the process in FTC robotics, and perhaps engineering as a whole. I would like to highlight the amazing support the lab and its members have provided in both this project and in helping me acclimate to my first proper internship.

Future

Originally, I was aiming to finish the sandbox by the end of June, but that is now completely off the table. The new target is mid-July, and things seem to be shaping up. As of today, I just need to run more numbers and ensure the structure won't collapse on itself. After that, all we need is approval to procure the materials and fabricate some parts.