Ramp and Tipping

[Nitroxextreme]

I know that many threads are out there regarding the importance/unimportance of getting up the ramp.

Today we were experimenting going up the ramp and man did it look like our robot was going to tip.

Lucky for us that was all it did(look like it)...after some further testing we came to the conclusion that although it seemed that the robot was going to tip, it was still pretty secure.

I think that the competition...at least the first few regionals... will have many fans being on the edge of their seats when robots go for the ramp. Any robot that hits the ramp with any amount of speed will surely look "dangerously tippy". The angle makes sure that this year the ramp will be an interesting target.

[BlackRoboDragon]

I agree, we tried looking at it once or twice, but it looked like it would tip, so we stopped to do more research. We haven't tried again yet, but I'm sure that we won't stop this time, just be cautious and try not to tip it before the competition even starts. We also tried the challenge of the 1-point ramps with the balls, shooting them at various angles and speeds. Needless to say, we had to yell "duck and cover!!!" countless times until we managed to figure out that everyone needed to stand behind the ramp, behind cover, and be careful. We still need to do a lot of testing on both ramps, even maybe blocking them without tipping. Has anyone else tried any ramps yet? Either robot or goal? Sorry if this is going too off topic.

[Cody Carey]

We did :)

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=43649

[Gdeaver]

Any teams that haven't paid attention to their CG are going to have problems. Also 6 wheels aggravate the problem. Taking the ramp straight on is not to bad but, if in the rush to get up the ramp the bot attacks at an angle things get worse. Make sure you practice angle approaches with a ramp with diamond plate. It makes a difference.

[Mentor Dave]

We successfully tried out our robot on the ramp just a few days ago. We had the same "It's gonna tip!" reaction on its first attempt. However, after a few practices, our driver was able to climb the ramp without trouble. We found that we didn't have enough traction to do a zero-start at the base of the ramp. A running start provides the momentum we need. Spare cardboard boxes are wonderful at absorbing impact.

I think if our robot comes in under the weight guidelines, we're going to add whatever weight we can to the bottom of the robot to help with traction and lower our CG even more.

[DanTheRobotMan]

We tested the ramp with our old robot. :ahh: And it completely flipped over! :ahh: LOL :D It was hilarious!

[Angelfury126]

Our team has developed a mechanism that it'll prevent tipping and could help us tip back up if we tip.

We developed it because we tried going up the ramp with the old robot and found that it would be real easy to tip. Less inexperienced
drivers did tip the robot

The mechanism is confidential, but I think it is important to have the ability to get on the ramp

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Something I noticed in initial testing of our drive train:

Our drive base is pretty fast, clocking in at about 10.5 ft/s. I'm pretty confident other teams will be even faster.

While the bot was sitting at the top of the ramp, the current driver "floored" it into reverse. The robot sped up and went completely airborne over over the ramp, landing about a foot away from the base of the ramp. I hope you all agree 140 lb. flying robots is a scary thought, even for Billfred.

I wonder if this will become a problem at competition and what will be done to correct it, if anything.

DISCLAIMER: Our bot at the time of testing weighed approximately 100 lb.

[dhitchco]

The (100lb.) robot sped up and went completely airborne over over the ramp, landing about a foot away from the base of the ramp.

Wow, this sounds like a scene out of World Wide Wrestling where they guys climb up on the ropes and then do a "flying squash" on top of another wrestler.....Cool.

So, your "airborne" robot can "fly" off the ramp and onto the field? Just hope that a) your electrical components and camera can survive the shock and b) that you don't attempt this stunt with another robot in the path....there's gotta be a penalty in here somewhere......

[MattB703]

Wow, this sounds like a scene out of World Wide Wrestling where they guys climb up on the ropes and then do a "flying squash" on top of another wrestler.....Cool.

So, your "airborne" robot can "fly" off the ramp and onto the field? Just hope that a) your electrical components and camera can survive the shock and b) that you don't attempt this stunt with another robot in the path....there's gotta be a penalty in here somewhere......

I don't think Tom is bragging or suggesting that they will employ a "flying robot" strategy. I think he is pointing out that the machines we all make, combined with physics and the geometry of the ramp, cause this situation to exist. We should all be wary of the possibility for all of the reasons that you mention.

[Kim Masi]

Wheelie bar, anyone?

if we have some weight, we're considering adding an extra component to help get us up on the ramp...we initially had problems with bottom-ing out, so we had to re-configure the wheels and part of our frame...our center of gravity is very low this year, so, unlike last year, I don't think you will be seeing 177 tip very much, if at all....hopefully ;)