pic: Our spine

[Darkforces]

[cdm-description=photo]27108[/cdm-description]

[s_forbes]

So that's what you guys were up to! Very clever! What are you using to drive your spine and how easy is it to contol? I would expect it to bounce around quite a bit, especially with a tube on the end.

[Elgin Clock]

What is that, and what the heck is it's purpose?

[Darkforces]

To control it were using two motors and a pully system, to keep it from bouncing around we have tensioners at the end, ill be posting the finished product soon.

[Greg Perkins]

It's their manipulator...

If I'm guessing right, you have 4 cables attached to the end, and by applying/releasing tension in the opposing cables you can theoretically move the "spine" anywhere like a turret and bend like a joing with simplicity. Amazing, this should win an award if it's functionality is good.

Love the bot guys.

[Nate Laverdure]

Impressive-- will it have some sort of manipulator on the end?

[Darkforces]

Yes there will be an active manipulator on the end.

[JoeXIII'007]

I'm scared, it looks like a scorpion... does it bite??? :D

[Kim Masi]

Very neat, but does that exceed the 72" limit?

[Darkforces]

Its close but still within the 72'' limit

[Elgin Clock]

I honestly can say uh.. I don't get it. lol :o
Sorry.
I'll have to see this bad boy in person.
What regionals are you headed to?
Atlanta as well?

[Darkforces]

Were going to the Florida regional and Atlanta. Ill have video of it posted soon though.

[Gabe Salas Jr.]

Yes there will be an active manipulator on the end.

So you guys are going for the gusto by adding the manipulator to the arm since I talked to you on Friday. That is awesome.

I cannot wait to see the video.:D

[Swampdude]

That is one of the coolest ideas I've seen so far in first. APPLAUSE for this inventor!
I have got to make one of these, it looks like a blast!
If I were you I'd wrap that thing with a cylinder of thin plastic sheet, to keep the cables from getting caught on stuff and pulled around. Now I'm excited to see this at UCF. Good job guys!

[Brandon Holley]

wow, what an awesome idea...post video soon!

[Qbranch]

Very Innovative... It will be interesting to see how it functions! :yikes:

Can you tell what that material is you used for the spine's core?

What regionals are you guys going to?

I usually don't ask two questions in a row?

-q

[Darkforces]

We do cover it so the cables dont get tangle up with anything, its made out of a fiberglass antenna for a boat, its very strong and flexable, and were going to the florida regional.

[bear24rw]

Thats awsome

Do you have a video of it yet?

[Cody Carey]

I honestly can say uh.. I don't get it. lol :o
Sorry.
I'll have to see this bad boy in person.
What regionals are you headed to?
Atlanta as well?


Think of it like when you reel a fishing pole in too far, and it bends over because of the pressure.

[JamesBrown]

Think of it like when you reel a fishing pole in too far, and it bends over because of the pressure.

except you can control the direction it bends, so you can pick up in the front, the back, or any where in between just by changing the tension on the 4 cables.

Is it safe to assume that you guys have some clever control, or are you manually controlling the tension on the cables?

[Darkforces]

Unfortunatly the motors for the arm dont have encoders, however we dont really need them. I will say we do have "somthing special'' that helps with control.:D

[Cody Carey]

A miniature model of the robot?

[Darkforces]

Nope its part of our actual robot.

[Nate Laverdure]

Nope its part of our actual robot.

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

[Darkforces]

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

Im sorry im not following could you please explain?

[Cowmankoza]

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.


What he is stating is that you could make a miniature version of your arm in order to control your robot, you have a feedback sensor on the model on the points of movement, and you have the same on the larger version and you just work it in the code to say when this is he (on the mini) this goes here (on the real one), im not sure of how its exactly done, but i have seen it done before

[Darkforces]

Oh i get it know, crap now why didn't we think of that. Its a good idea unfortunately we didn't think of it and probably wouldn't of had time to do it.

[silicon_ghoti]

Guess' for control:
1. A resisting flex seonsor allowing for the approximate bend of the antenna to be read.
2. A camera that looks for a "green blob" on the end.

and coolest (but least likely)...

3. Your using a fiber-optics cable and analyzing the light distortion to find how your bent!!!!:eek:

[Nuttyman54]

The most direct (and probably easiest) method would just be to build a miniature version of the arm and put potentiometers where the motors would interface. Then you just read the pot values and map them.

If you design it, you can build it into a project box the size of a joystick base during your fix-it windows, and just plug it in at competition

[goingdeafsoon5]

that is crazy i cant wait to see it in action at the FL regional

I think we are using the same mecanum wheels as you guys

[teenmisfit]

This is def. gunna b the bot i want to go check out at atlanta! way cool and u need to release a video :D

[viking1902]

I have been fortunate enough to see the prototype of this arm in action and I can vouch for its extreme awesomeness. Its probably one of the coolest arms that I have ever seen attached to a FIRST robot.

[Darkforces]

I know i promised video but there have been some technical problems but thursday i will post video from the florida regional for those who want to see it and wont be there.

[Rick-906]

my mind, is blown

if that monster works, you guys deserve an award
please please please get a video up soon! i cant wait to see this!

[AdamHeard]

Did this ever end up working?

[Brandon Holley]

Did this ever end up working?

i saw it in action on the FL regional webcast and it appeared that they took the arm off for most of their matches....


anybody have video/info ?

[Billfred]

They competed at Palmetto this year; I recall them scoring ringers, but I don't think their arm was ever used on the field to its full potential.

[bear24rw]

Someone defientely needs to find some videos of this thing working..

[Darkforces]

at florida we ran into a mess of programming problems that ended up breaking our arm. For palmeto we shorten it giving us more control and we could score about 3 or 4 per match when we didnt have somebody on us. It never worked as well as we wanted it to but we learned alot and its cool to just mess around with it.