Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Hi, i was thinking about ideas for decorating our robot, and I'm currently trying to see if we could put on something like flexible rods like on Team 1717 (what did they use?) or the light up led sticks on 624, etc. basically anything that sways and moves when stopped or driving :) . Anyways, Feel free to ask your own questions and post up other ideas on this thread..


https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...N6kM3BmSIRXj40

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Those rods actually had a functioning purpose. They touched the pyramid at the start of the match, allowing to start in the middle of the pyramid for their 7 disc auto.

The lights are a really cool option though. We've been pursuing addressable LED strips, controlled by an arduino. Andymark actually sells a set that you might be interested in. Though it's not actually an arduino.

And yes. The Super Bowl is on, and I'm replying to a thread on Chief Delphi...

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Who wouldn't be?

A little goes a long way
 

You should focus more on the robot its self. Although decorations are cool, having a lazer light show will never get you to regional. Maybe, when the robot is finished, you could put on a piece of sheet metal with your team name or number on it. For now, think about the competition.

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

I don't know. There are more users in General Forum than there were during build hours.

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Don't put too many lights if you come to any of the comps as 1165 cause I'll be staring at your bot, hypnotized and chanting, "Shyyyynnnyyyy!!!"

Put some pneumatic risers underneath the bot and some neon strip lighting underneath. In your pits, set up a specific time when you do a robot show, running those risers and making the bot jump like those old 80's cars.

Use RGB lighting hidden so you can change the color on the fly. Use CCFL where the lighting is going to be seen.

If you have an arm with a U-channel, slip a strip of RGB LEDs inside the channel and fasten! Make it change colors when the shooter is at different positions or ready to shoot. That looks cool!

I think it would be cool if some team put some portable computer monitor on their robot's side, connected to their choice of onboard processor. That way, you could show slideshows, or place a camera and show the camera feed live! :D

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

ultimately you want to make a robot first, and then worry about how pretty it is, it is extremely difficult to make a aesthetically appealing and extremely effective robot.

So unless you are done early don't worry about decorations.

But leds along the bottom make a awesome underglow

Re: A little goes a long way
 

I'm assuming you mean win a regional? And what's wrong with thinking about decorations? Maybe they already have their robot done or are far enough along they have the time to work on fun aesthetics. Based on the OP's team role as programmer maybe he doesn't have any work to do directly on the robot right now and still wants to contribute.

Decorating is one of the best parts in my opinion, besides having a fully functional competitive robot. We integrate the decorations and "flash" of the robot into the design, by adding the signal LED's and underglow during construction. And we never leave sign plates as an afterthought as they can usually serve a function.

To the OP,
You could use thin wall tubing or small OD bars of delrin as flexible rods and rap colored tape or adhesive backed LED's around it. I highly recommend adding LED underglow if you have the time. It super easy to do and really takes your robot to the next level as far as appearance in my opinion.

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

If anyone soups their robot, I'm going to suggest they win by default. Has anyone done that in previous years?

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

If decorations are done right, they can make the robot noticeable and memorable. I would however recommend integrating decorations into your design... such as LEDs that light up when you shooter is ready to fire.

Site for LEDs: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led-strips-and-bars/

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Thats because our Super Bowl is better!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Re: A little goes a long way
 

I completely agree with Burke on this, as my team's captain and mechanical I'm working on the robot constantly so my programmers can do more than work on theoretical code. Instead, I have them all working on programming individual addressable RGB LEDs with an arduino to pimp out the robot once its done.

Even tho our robot isn't done, Ive already taken time to map out where we want our underglow to make sure that it doesn't mess with any of our control boards. You want to make sure that your robot stands out, thats how teams will remember you, and decorations help with this.

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

2004. Wildstang, FRC #111.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgdGtwQQIo

Re: Robot Decoration Ideas/help
 

Try to find some functional uses for your LEDs. Decorations are great but you can integrate them so they are functional members that make operating the robot easier.

Our team used LEDs in 2011 (blue, red, and white) to signify what tube we wanted our human player to throw us.

Last year we put white LEDs on the back of our robot that turned on when our shooter was on. This was useful for our operator to see when she had the shooter on. It also gave me the ability to let her know to shut it off or turn it on if her focus shifted too quickly. You can achieve the same result with some code on the driverstation but I prefer all members of the drive team have their eyes on the field and the robot is a great place for a heads up display.

We also put yellow LEDs under our shooter plate that were originally purely for decoration but turned out to be very useful. They were plugged in so whenever the robot was on they would light up which was nice because they lit up all of our electronics & dark areas of the robot. Our pit crew really loved this!

Whatever you do, make it functional not just a decoration. We actually were quoted on our lights by the judges when we received two awards (one at the Pine Tree Regional and one at the Championship) so we knew we did something right!

Re: A little goes a long way
 

I don't know, aesthetics is pretty important to some teams like us. We have the mindset that it shouldn't just work, it should work beautifully.

One of the members on our team is currently in the process of painting our competition chassis and frame pieces. The other systems are still in the prototype phase, but the competition components will get machined soon, and then will be painted before being put on the competition bot. We also bought some strip lights from amazon. These strip lights Have worked for us in the past, and we're going to try and put them on the competition bot before it's bagged.