Antenna design

[ROULT]

We have seen many robots having antennas like team SCREAM:

20464

and 3005 RoboChargers:

20465

Can you elaborate on the materials and design used?

Also if your team has a different antenna design, or have further ideas, can you share them with the FRC community?

::rtm:: CHEESECAKING

Thanks and good luck to all teams in regionals!!!

[RaMoore]

On FRC3005, we used black 1/8" polycarb for our antennae. There is also different colored tape on the front and back of each one so the driver can tell the orientation of the robot.

You can vary the width of the antenna to change how "floppy" they are while driving around and still making sure they are compliant enough to bend down under the low bar. Be sure to pack a few extras, we lose 1-2 per competition.

[CalTran]

They're generally some sort of flexible material supplemented by a springy base. You could try something like these (http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=lawn+marking+flags&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=93624852922&hvpos=1t4&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5092158707852772827&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_20ofoq433o_b_p12) if you're pressed for weight.

[I_AM_Clayton]

Team 945 (Team banana) used something similar, they were flimsy enough to swing around but held on to the robot well.

[Ari423]

Team 423 also used "antennas", but we accidentally made them too heavy by adding signage at the top. This caused them to constantly sag and get in the way of everything. Also, they generally cannot go up to max height because when they fold down they cannot stick out more than 15" past the bumpers. We ended up taking them off and making static PVC poles at the height limit for matches where we think there may be a vision issue. It means we lose low goal capability, but we gain vision behind tall defenses, which is much more important in our opinion.

[z_beeblebrox]

We used painted 3/16" fiberglass rod epoxied into a stiff spring with a machined aluminum coupler. The bottom of the spring was attached to the robot frame I can try to find a photo of the mount if there's interest;

[Kevin Sevcik]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/img/ba0/ba0cded79cbd035af199b2602b1911d6_m.jpg
We're using something like these fiberglass reflector rods (http://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hillman-Group-48-in-Reflective-Rod-5-Pack-848638/202982493) cut down a bit. They go into some aluminum clamps at the bottom that are all pivoted on the same screw. The outside poles have surgical tubing to keep everything centered.

I think it's important to go with something pivoted front/back or that can't bend sideways like those lexan strips, other wise you risk them bending sideways out of the 15". Also having 2 colors front/back or side to side so the driver will know the orientation of the robot.

[FarmerJohn]

What are these for?

[ROULT]

On FRC3005, we used black 1/8" polycarb for our antennae. There is also different colored tape on the front and back of each one so the driver can tell the orientation of the robot.

You can vary the width of the antenna to change how "floppy" they are while driving around and still making sure they are compliant enough to bend down under the low bar. Be sure to pack a few extras, we lose 1-2 per competition.

Thanks!! We will take this in account... We really like the idea of having antennas...

See you at champs...:yikes:

[ROULT]

What are these for?

They are basically to aid the driver in locating the robot position and direction because of the visual blocking by defenses and other robots.

[CalTran]

What are these for?

Helps you to pick out where your robot is past defenses like the Sally Port.

[ROULT]

Thanks to all!! Basically it all narrows to rods with springs and polycarb sheets... Thanks!!!

[The other Gabe]

I saw a team that used old halves of pool noodles - they bent when going under the low bar, and then popped straight back up. they were bright green too, easy to see

[lorykzarr]

You could try getting a pack of really long zipties. That or try finding something like those flexible thin plastic driveway/road markers.

[kevin.li.rit]

I suggested we get a bunch of fans and hook it up to a speed controller and get a inflatable tube man. Unfortunately my idea was shot down

https://youtu.be/cvaRGiMWRaE

[DRH2o]

We used Orange Fiberglas arrows ($3.00 each at Dick's Sporting Goods) with two different color fletchings. We cut the points off and epoxied to door stop springs ($1.50 for two at Lowe's). They work great!!

[Steven Smith]

I think it's important to go with something pivoted front/back or that can't bend sideways like those lexan strips, other wise you risk them bending sideways out of the 15". Also having 2 colors front/back or side to side so the driver will know the orientation of the robot.

Because the Lexan strips we (3005) use have 0.125" thickness in the front/back orientation and ~2" in the side to side, they have a fairly large resistance to bending in the side-to-side direction, while folding over easily in the forward/back.

If you were to grab one and forcibly twist it while pulling sideways, you might be able to get it outside of 15", but they don't interact with the defenses that way, nor do they have enough weight to do so on their own.

[Nate Laverdure]

We used Orange Fiberglas arrows ($3.00 each at Dick's Sporting Goods) with two different color fletchings. We cut the points off and epoxied to door stop springs ($1.50 for two at Lowe's). They work great!!
Here's some photos we snapped of 1598's flag implementation at VADOS. Looks great to us!

2363's flag solution really suffered when it got battered by the low bar. At our most recent event (VAPOR), about 14% of all our recorded pit activity went towards flag maintenance/repair, mostly in <5 person*minute chunks. Our drivers really liked having them though.

[Cr1spyBacon8r]

I saw one team with long zip ties with small colored flags from duct tape

[EricLeifermann]

Our is 1/2" ID 3/4" OD Nylon tube that encase LEDs. LEDs, where not used at our 1st competition but will be used next week in Minneapolis.

[Kevin Sevcik]

I suggested we get a bunch of fans and hook it up to a speed controller and get a inflatable tube man. Unfortunately my idea was shot down

https://youtu.be/cvaRGiMWRaEThe students wanted to go with this idea for a while so we could deflate when going under the low bar and such. After a bit of prototyping and a fried/melted hair-dryer they decided it wasn't feasible on an FRC bot.

[mrwright]

We have had a lot of requests on our flag design. We call them our "ding-a-lings"

We definitely got a kick out of it when the game announcer started calling them by their names as well.

Overall they are pretty simple.

We bought ATV flags from this site:

http://aditudegear.com/flags

We also bought a spring mount like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Whip-S.../dp/B005HJL94A

The spring mount was far too rigid so we went to Lowes and bought another spring and custom turned a plug to press fit it in the spring that was better suited for us. It is the same exact concept as the one I referenced above.

We then mounted this spring base to an angle bracket on the side of our poly-carbonate shields. You can kind of see the mounting application on the picture that the OP provided.

They work great for us and we love the visibility that they provide. They also help us square up on the defenses better because we can see them over the tall defenses.

Hopefully this helps!

[Steven Smith]

We have had a lot of requests on our flag design. We call them our "ding-a-lings"

Glad it isn't just us... we call ours wigglydoodads. We could not get the game announcer to do so at either regional event... so really holding out for champs!