Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

Who do you think had the best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?

Off the top of my head:
67--Such a cool arm
1986-- built in teeter totter talons are brilliant.
1114-- they can lock into other's bumpers

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

25 did a wheelie to tip the bridge every time. It was so awesome to watch.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

1986 had some pretty sweet arms. I never got to see them in action since they were on a different field, but based off their video they seemed extremely effective.

I'm personally a fan of bridge manipulators that just ram into the bridge to lower it rather than having to push down onto it.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

I saw one team, I forget who, who had their battery mounted on a rack and pinion so they could move it back and forth, helping them redistribute their weight to different places. If anyone knows what team this is (I saw them at MAR), please speak up. It was pretty cool.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

I think you have to include 33 in this discussion. With the manipulator on front of their bot they were able to lift/support the bridge for others to climb and balance. On the back they had the original "Stinger," something that many teams quickly tried to copy and implement.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

FRC Team 1986. Nuf said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef3Ie2Qft8I&feature=plcp

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

While not the team you had in mind for this, Team 1730 over in my neck of the woods were able to move their entire shooting tower forwards and backwards for balancing.

Team 25's wheelies were amazing to watch, especially on Einstein.

Team 159's simple ram actuated by a winch and spring system worked out amazingly well in Denver and won them an award.

937 from Midwest has rack and pinion method of weight shift

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

Does anyone know whether their battery shifting mechanism was particularly useful as a balancing aid? It was something we considered early on, but rejected because we didn't think the ~17lbs of battery and apparatus would be particularly significant, among other reasons.

To answer the OP, 118. Their entire frame was built for passive bridge manipulation, and a good portion of their mechanisms were devoted to balance assists. They had a beautiful system to assist a double balance, complete with lights to indicate an unbalanced v balanced bridge. And that's all before their stinger.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

My favourite has to go to 1986. Their talons are just so smooth and well thought out.

2056 comes in a close second though. The fact that their stinger was outside their frame perimeter helps keep more wheels on the bridge whilst still being able to use the stinger (when bridge real estate is there of coure) was a big booster in my ranks.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

You just like the alliteration.

My favorite bridge manipulator, and I never do this, is our own.
In terms of bridge balancing mechanisms in my book it's gotta be 469's. I saw them coop in like 3 seconds in a MSC match with it.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

We did some math, and I think it turned out that we would be able to move our CoM less than 6", so we gave up on that plan around day 4.

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

Lots of Lee's Summit love going on in this thread.

1730 and 1986 are sister teams from the same school district. We've got some bright students over here.

I definitely like 1730's passive manipulator. One of the most innovative robots I had the pleasure to see this season. 1986's system is pretty slick too. Both fantastic bots.

But maybe I'm a little biased...

Re: Best bridge manipulators/balancing mechanisms?
 

Team 4019 from the L.A. was always fun to watch. They would do a wheelie... but with mecanum wheels and a giant stinger in the middle of their robot.

Team 701 had a very effective bridge lowerer/raiser/table/intake arm, that also seat-belted a piggy backed robot.

Also 67's 'Utility' arm was amazing this whole season, but everyone knows that.