Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Hi everyone, sorry for the skipping of weeks and stuff...been pretty busy.

Question of the Week (10/25/04):

What do you think is the coolest designed component you have ever seen on a robot?

Have fun!
-Andy Grady

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Easy.

111's 2004 drive system. Being able to glide over the platform without even chaining height, and doing it fast and effortlessly, it's amazing. Hands down, the coolest thing ever.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but i really loved our voodoo arm this year. Even with the programming problems we have had, it was a brilliant design. Whenever it was functional, it was a perfect match in the movement of control to actual. I must say it was a great design.

Past that, i think MOE in 2002 was a brilliant design. It played the game perfectly, got all goals and controlled the match within 10 seconds of the start, it was rarely beaten.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

The Killer Arm by 45. Had a lots of Complexity in that machine, but technokats made it look like it was so easy... coolest arm i have seen in the past season. 1083's holomonic drive system. it was awesome. i would like to see a ball drive... :)

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Team 25's arm in 2000. The "Craddle Robber" was amazing and it carried them to the championship. In a close second would have to be 111's ramp bot in 2001.

For this last season I would have to pick the arm from 45 for the same reason stated above.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

that was acctually in 2000
and for my vote its gotta be either

111's swerve drive
or
45's gearbox/transmission

both amazing marvels

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

There are lots of "cool" design components out there. Some are extremely complex, some are extremely simple.

The coolest simple design component I've ever seen was 45's lexan "forks" for pulling the ball off of the ball tee this year. I think it only worked in one match, but it was cool none the less. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was the only 10pt bonus ball scored all year.

For complex components, there are tons that deserve mention:
The first Swerve drive i remember was Chief Delphi in 1998. It was, for the time, revolutionary. Wildstang and several other teams has since perfected the swerve drive and has also created several variations of the original design. 45's ball drive is also noteworthy.

To my knowledge, no team, to date, has created a shifting swerve drive. If it were to be created, it would definitely be the "coolest design component ever"

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Yes, that was the only 10-point ball. (There was one on the floor at Robot Rodeo, but folks seemed more interested in trying to get four on the bar. Ah well.)

I have to say, I'm still blown away by StangPS from 2003. Just...holy cow.

However, I'm also quite partial to 180's arm this year. Once that hook gets on the bar, DO NOT BLINK. They get in the air that fast...faster than I've seen anyone else do it.

On the subject of bars, how about 237's monkeybot design? Equally pimp, indeed.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Nope. Wrong again man.
Though I'm almost POSITIVE there were others before this:
We scored one in a qualification match in Atlanta.

It got knocked onto the field, our robot corralled it to our HP Mikey, and Mikey shot it in. Bam, 10 points.

I know there were others, the one we scored was the first I'd seen, and 45's was the second. (Those t-kats did it in a much prettier way.)

John

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Grady -- Excellent Question!

I think after much thought, I'm going to have to say Team 71's goal balancing arms and gripper from 2001. Those 2 components made every single "on ramp" goal balancer in the country obsolete.

John

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

i think my all time favorites has to be the goal lifting arm on the 2001 demo-squad (267) bot. 2001 was the first competition i saw, and the fact that they completly lifted the goal off of the ground absolutly blew me away. i think that robot has to be my all time favorite.

i also liked 824's arm in 2004. i'm not sure if it ever worked, but it was a prety awesome concept.

at the robot rodeo this weekend i spotted a couple pretty cool components, PINK's battery holder, and Krunch's custom made bearings, to name a few.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

In 2002, Bionic Bulldogs (Team 60) could pick up two 180+ lb goals and could also spin the around at 30 rpm (I never saw them spin the goals during a match, but heard they demo'd it for a tv crew during a Friday lunch break at Sil. Valley).

WildStang's 2003 bot overall was incredible. It could find and knock down stacks and hit the top of the ramp in under 10 seconds consistently. And once they were on top, they dominated, you might be able drive over them, but you couldn't move them!

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

I agree John. That was my first year in FIRST. When I saw 71 I remember everyone around me (people from several teams) saying, "Ahhh. That's what we should have done."

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Team 190's puck control system from 1999. It's hard to call this system a component, because it integrated so many components perfectly to accomplish a single goal.

This system allowed the operator to latch onto one of the bars of the puck with little effort. Next, the puck could be tilted 6-12" off the ground with a motor powered linear actuator. By slamming the puck into the corner of the playing field, opponents were rarely able to get on the puck. Further, 190 had a drive system allowing the robot to move laterally with the puck (all wheels could turn 90º), effectively allowing 190 to use it's robot as a blocking device for other teams trying to get on the puck. As the match approaches 10 seconds left, 190 would reverse it's motor, and hoist itself up off the ground and be fully supported by the puck.

An amazing puck control system, involving every aspect of the robot. In retrospect, this machine definately inspired me to become a mechanical engineer. I've looked back to this design a number of times while working on other FIRST robots and other robotics projects.

- Patrick

Re: Question of the Week!!! (10/25/04)
 

Rich, that's what everyone says about Beatty! :D