Design Challenge: Baton
 

Someone posted a challenge to pick up a hula-hoop before, this is kinda like that. With all the talk of what the 2006 game is going to consist of, many people think that we will have to manipulate a baton-esque object.

So, how would you manipulate a baton?

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Well, it'd be tricky.

I suppose the best bet is to get some of the ribbed conveyor belting from McMaster-Carr (the stuff right below wedgetop in the catalog), then space a break every few inches for the nubs on the end. Put a ramp underneath, and drive that belt from the top. It should work...at least in my head.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Like I'm going to tell you all...:p. I would use double set of manipulators that would resemble tweezers, and space them out so they grip a baton easily and do not have to be lined up just right, or I could use a conveyor belt with little C shapes on it to make like a belt flipping batons behind it into goals or whatever they are scored in. Going by history though, I would look for balls not batons...but then again, it is FIRST so it can be unpredictable.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

My dad has always thought it would be cool to have a relay race FRC game.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

The best solution for handling and manipulation would probably be a log truck end effector. To see a guy with like three levers twirl around a massive tree and gently set it into a small spot on a truck, thats amazing! If the baton are relatively large. If they're small, who knows?

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

If you have to place the baton with any accuracy, I'm thinking we might want to look closely at automatic screw feeders / sorters.

Anyway, to pick it up...
- Something that doesn't need to be placed accurately or lined up to the baton
- Something that doesn't need to be controlled by a human well, or at all
- Something that won't jam if they go in wrong
- Something that won't change shape/grip/size as time marches on

Can anyone else come up with some other performance characteristics? I KNOW there are more.

I know... I didn't answer the question. But that's OK. I'm just trying to think about the problem right now... (I wouldn't come up with a method for my own team either.)

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

1. Doesn't break! If you're going to have a fancy, manipulative end effector that's going to be in rough competition, it's got to be sturdy.
2. Small. For this reason:if you need to manuever a long object into a small spot (just speculation), it should be as unbulky as possible. No need to complicate the problem.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Actually you've made the best start. Figure out what characteristics you want the machine to have first, then think about what it looks like or how it accomplishes the task. Because when you start comparing your concept list to the requirements list, a lot of concepts will drop out. They won't meet the requirement for one reason or another. Other concepts you might have to test first to figure out whether or not they will work

This is a hard discipline to learn, particularly for us creative types. We want to go out and build something right away. But it is better to think a little bit first.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

No kidding. Getting the students to do this is, I think, one of the hardest things to mentor them on. It's takes some time to realize that your first idea is not always the best, and there ARE good, disiplined ways to select designs. Last year we had to withhold all materials and machine keys from the students until they completed a Pew Analysis of the game and possible robots... But I think they realized it was worth it....

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

I would have to side with the what ifs category on this one...

It is my strong opinion that the hardest part of a relay type challenge with a batton would be the transfer

Getting one robot to do what you want it to do is possible...but hard all the same

If you had to somehow transfer a small object between robots there would be immense room for error

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

The orientation of the baton will likely be random, so it needs to be able to handle that when picking it up.

I would imagine that the game might require some positive placement, rather than being able to just drop it, so manipulation might be important.

Robust, insensitive (especially to impacts) and not overly complex.

I like the idea of little to no operator skill required, the skill requirement is one thing that killed us last year, since we had nearly zero practice time before the regional.

The hint I saw mentioned something about 'things around the office' being an inspiration for the game - I see a wastebasket, or perhaps a pencil holder (e.g. a coffee can), so it may be necessary to pick up a baton in one orientation (horizontal) and dispose of it in another orientation (vertical).

My few cents' worth.

Don

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Something with a "knobbler" on the front. The "knobbler "would sweep in batons. It would use either a shaft or conveyor belting with long springy metal bristles on it. The bristles would rotate and rake things into a bin. The entire mechanism could pivot up above the robot to dump the bin into wherever the batons need to be placed. Picture a dump truck lifting a dumpster overhead.

I could also imagine a mechanism in which the robot has a hollow space underneath. You drive over a baton and a wiper mechanism sweeps the baton into a tray. A line of really stiff bristles could be used instead.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

Yes, and then it is funneled into a V shaped thing so then it is lined up straight and a conveyor sort of system will carry it to the "hand" which places it whereever it needs to go.

I know my description is kind of vague but I think the "funnel" part is important, to ensure that is lines up straight.

Re: Design Challenge: Baton
 

For things on the ground, this is definentely one of the best ways. it lines 'em up straight, and all you do is drive into the baton. Like was said, just the v with parrallel conveyers.