control system worth more than $500
 

Posted by nick237 at 03/08/2001 8:37 PM EST


Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.



I dont know if you all knew this but we make sure we get our monies worth from our control system. When the school board found that it cost $4000.00 they made sure that we utilized its full potential.
When the FIRST program is not running we use this clever system to run part of the schools mechanicals and so far it has never let us down.
It is programed to close fire doors and windows in an emergency. It also works on part of the PA system and security cameras.
Because of the many extra functions available to this years controler we even found a way to have it work the stage lighting and curtains in the auditorium.
So for 44 weeks of the year the school gets full use of the control system and we just borrow it for 8 weeks during the competitions. I have always wondered what they do for the AUTO FLUSH system in the toilets when the unit is in our Robot?. Maybe this explains the gurggling sounds that come from our transmission.
nick237

Nick you are bad, very bad...
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 03/08/2001 8:57 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: control system worth more than $500
Posted by nick237 on 03/08/2001 8:37 PM EST:



Does your tongue ever get out of your cheek?

I doubt it.

Joe J.

Re: control system worth more than $500
 

Posted by Jeff W. at 03/08/2001 11:41 PM EST


Student on team #419, RAMBOTS, from Boston College High School and Don't think we actually have a sponsor.


In Reply to: control system worth more than $500
Posted by nick237 on 03/08/2001 8:37 PM EST:



In that case, I think a way for Rambots to get money is to sell the whole entire robot from last year and the control systems to our school so we could get some money to go to Florida.

Jeff W?

Re: control system worth more than $500
 

Posted by Jessica Boucher at 03/09/2001 6:27 AM EST


Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.


In Reply to: Re: control system worth more than $500
Posted by Jeff W. on 03/08/2001 11:41 PM EST:



There was a team selling their robot from last year.....which one was it?

-Jessica B, #237

Re: control system worth more than $500
 

Posted by Stephen Riley at 03/09/2001 2:29 PM EST


Engineer on team #419, RAMBOTS, from Wentworth Institute of Technology and sponsors? what are they?.


In Reply to: Re: control system worth more than $500
Posted by Jessica Boucher on 03/09/2001 6:27 AM EST:



: There was a team selling their robot from last year.....which one was it?

: -Jessica B, #237

that was us :) the offer still stands i believe because we have yet to recieve the high bidders check of $500,000 so its all up to you guys/girls just send those bids in and we'll see who gets to buy our bot :)

Re: control system worth more than $500
 

Posted by mike oleary at 03/09/2001 4:25 PM EST


Student on team #419, rambots, from bc high and sponsors are overrated..go pocket-change robots!!!.


In Reply to: Re: control system worth more than $500
Posted by Stephen Riley on 03/09/2001 2:29 PM EST:



gotta hurry though...itll soon be making an appearance on ebay

: : There was a team selling their robot from last year.....which one was it?

: : -Jessica B, #237

: that was us :) the offer still stands i believe because we have yet to recieve the high bidders check of $500,000 so its all up to you guys/girls just send those bids in and we'll see who gets to buy our bot :)

Are you serious..... ?
 

Posted by Tom S. at 03/09/2001 12:47 AM EST


Student on team #177, The Bobcats, from South Windsor High School and International Fuel Cells.


In Reply to: control system worth more than $500
Posted by nick237 on 03/08/2001 8:37 PM EST:



Cause if you are, i wanna see this :) hehe

Tom

: I dont know if you all knew this but we make sure we get our monies worth from our control system. When the school board found that it cost $4000.00 they made sure that we utilized its full potential.
: When the FIRST program is not running we use this clever system to run part of the schools mechanicals and so far it has never let us down.
: It is programed to close fire doors and windows in an emergency. It also works on part of the PA system and security cameras.
: Because of the many extra functions available to this years controler we even found a way to have it work the stage lighting and curtains in the auditorium.
: So for 44 weeks of the year the school gets full use of the control system and we just borrow it for 8 weeks during the competitions. I have always wondered what they do for the AUTO FLUSH system in the toilets when the unit is in our Robot?. Maybe this explains the gurggling sounds that come from our transmission.
: nick237
:

on a serious note...
 

Posted by Anton Abaya at 03/09/2001 1:39 AM EST


Coach on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and If only we had free donuts....


In Reply to: control system worth more than $500
Posted by nick237 on 03/08/2001 8:37 PM EST:



do u guys know of a place where u can buy relatively cheap and easy to learn control systems? nothing this fancy, but anything close to it with a cheaper price tag is cool.

also, does anyone know what kind of control sys is used in Battlebots? i noticed they all have the same remote control device....

-anton

stick with Innovation First...
 

Posted by Joe Johnson at 03/09/2001 9:02 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: on a serious note...
Posted by Anton Abaya on 03/09/2001 1:39 AM EST:



The hobbiest stuff out there is mostly rubbish. The RC
market just is not set up for controlling 130 lbs
robots with 100+ Amp motors (except for their drive
motors with are very powerful indeed).

The roll your own controller stuff out there (the
single board computers with radio modems and relay
boards, and H bridge boards, etc.) are going to cost
you much more and will have many more problems.

If I were you, I would save up my money and go with the
Innovation First stuff. You will be happier in the end.

In an effort to try to duplicate FIRST's controller,
before they were commercially available, I was part of
an effort to reverse engineer much of the FIRST
controller as well as to find reliable radios to send
and recieve data. We spent a lot to time and were not
very happy with the results in the end. Innovation
First's stuff is hard to beat price-wise given the
performance.

Just my advice.

Joe J.