Funneling Balls
 

How is everyone thinking of funneling their balls into the small space we are allotted in front?

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Which small space? The alley? The key? What?

Re: Funneling Balls
 

I think he means the front of the robot, by deploying a 14" funnel appendage. It is definitely an interesting idea, and something we could put in our withholding allowance if we had any extra weight.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Our bridge tipper doubles as a collecter. There's an angled plate on each of the arms (connected so it's one) and they funnel in balls. It'll help during hybrid mode when we go to tip the bridge for the extra balls.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Yeah, I meant the front of the robot. Our front is 27" wide, and subtracting the 8" of bumper on both sides, that leaves us 11" to collect balls. Could people post pictures of what their design is, whether it be a rough sketch, CAD model, or actual picture? We need some ideas. Much appreciated!

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Here you go.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

How do you plan on grabbing balls from the wall with that design? And how will you power it?
EDIT: And what is the rail for on the right side?

Re: Funneling Balls
 

It's powered by a pneumatic cylynder that rotates the arm. It's just a funnel that will help to align the balls with our induction system, so it won't actually be picking up balls, just funneling and tipping the bridge. We're picking up balls with a conveyor belt system.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

So it will be folded up into your robot when the game starts?

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Yes. It's an arm that will rotate down to flip the bridge and funnel balls if we need to.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Ok. Thanks!

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Is this funneling into an opening that is <= 12" or <= 22"?

Re: Funneling Balls
 

From the small length of the funneling panels, it looks like the <=12", but I'm not sure.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

In my experience, passive funneling devices do not work well for balls on the floor. Active grippy rollers and/or whips are a better way to go.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Yeah, we're going with an active BAD* with 'whips' to pull the ball into the elevator. Very similar to Breakaway.

(*Ball Acquisition Device)

Re: Funneling Balls
 

We won't have the 11'' problem, and we have a long base robot. ;)

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Why do you need to pick up off the wall? Just let it fall, and pick it up off the floor.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

From past experience with games with balls, balls always seem to collect along the wall .

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Better yet there are a lot of corners this year. On one side of the field there is 4 bump/bridge corners, 2 wall/bridge corners, 2 wall/wall corners, and 2 wall/fender corners. After play catalyst and watching past games, getting balls out of a corner will be pretty important.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

The space between the two is almost 12.5. This is not our only means of collecting balls. They funnel into a conveyor belt system that has a wheel with fingers. They only helping us during hybrid when we go to tip the bridge. They will ensure that any balls on the bridge will be funneled into the collection system, and not miss the opening.

We'll be pulling it up and collecting balls normally for the rest of the game.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

We are having two metal plate under our robot hang down so that when our sweeper sucks the balls in from our 22" gap (wide frame) the get funnled to our elevator.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

Agreed. Our robot drives sideways with alarge opening in the leading edge.

Re: Funneling Balls
 

True, but a good bridge manipulator may have more than one use...
I think, if we were to try it, ours would!