Ideas on how to do something...
 

Well, currently my team is thinking about our robot's design, and we have a basic design. So, here's my question:

How would we be able to build a fork that would turn up and down? Our idea is to build a bot, that uses a worm turner thing (I forget the actual name of it) that pushes our fork up and down like a forklift, but the fork itself will turn up and down to a 90 degree angle with the robot and drop directly to the bottom of the field, then raise,the turn up to hold the trackball, then a pneumatic or solenoid powered kicker would shoot the ball over the overpass. We have ideas for how to do all of this, except how to make the fork turn up. My only idea at the time is to hook it up to a drive motor, and file down a wheel so it has a groove, and hook it up wit ha cable in the middle, pulling it up. Any other ideas on how to turn the fork?

Thanks, and any advice is greatly appreciated!

--Raven

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

a worm gear?
and you're going to have to be a bit clearer.
idk if its just me but i can't exactly figure out what you're describing :confused:

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

yeah! one of those. sorry, I've been thinking all day and cant remember some of those little details...

alright, I'll try again..

The robot is going to be X Big, with a forklift that rises and falls, powered by a worm gear. Said forklift is going to have to turn up to hold the track ball without it falling out of the space we will set for it. And the only thing I can come up with is hooking it up to a motor, and then hooking that motor to a wheel with the center filed out into a groove, which will hold a cable, or a belt to create tension to raise it past ninety degrees, and release it back to the default point of ninety degrees. This will tilt up to Hold the Trackball, and also to aim it over the overpass.

hope that was more clear. n.n

--Raven

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

seems how i dont have any idea on what a worm gear is,
what i was thinking was to attach the "fork" to a fixed chain on the robot. so the chain does not move. the chain would go down to the floor and up to the top of the robot. but once it got to the top it would turn backwards toward the center of the robot, and level out at 90 degrees. on the "fork" would be a motor that moves the "fork" up and down.
i dont know its just a thought

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

... I cant believe I didnt think of just hooking the wheel to the fork and using that! :eek: And a worm gear is one of those little spiral things that are really fun to play with if you're easily amused. Like, its got a plastic piece to mount it, and the opposite goes in a motor, and turn and push out and... Come to think of it, I know what it does, but not how it will work to raise out lift... :ahh:

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

o i know what those are now. i just didnt know wat they were called. thanks.
i hope the idea helps!!!

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

I think your idea is pretty good, do you have a way to test it???? I f you do, try it, if you don't like it or if it doesn't work then dont't do it. If you have to, come up with 2 plans and see what your team likes better.

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

If you are using it as the travel from the ground to overpass, might i suggest a rack-and-pinion style of track. I think a decent size motor would be able to handle the demand of the ball directly. But, if you think the motor can't, then worm gear will be about the only option with the motor on the fork. Bear in mind that the travel will be really slow with the high gear ratio.

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

put the fork on a pivot point that won't allow the forks to fall past 90deg, then have a pneumatic cylinder that lifts it up

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

for the worm drive, we will only be using it to raise it slightly, so it will not be shot from the ground. We want to raise it maybe two feet or so, where there will be a pneumatic or solenoid powered kicker which will extend, and Pop the trackball out over the overpass, then the bot drives under the pass, and lowers the lift to pick it up again, goes around and launches it again

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

Ok, so, new idea... me and my bro are discussing this, and this is our idea:

A robot with a curved front, with a fixed motor, and the fork attached to a gear on an axle with wheels, on a guided track. when you move the controller forward or back, the wheels turn, and go alongthat track, and since it is curved, it will go up, and along that arch. It will raise enough, that we can push a button and the kicker will pop out and launch it... sound like a good idea?

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

remember, it is a rather large ball, what you are suggesting might not work but by the time it is built it will be too late.

-vivek

p.s. I like the idea just not sure of how successful it will be if not built properly.

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

well, I was also thinking of walls on either side so it doesn't get away from me, and the point of tilting the fork would be to keep it in place. and the pneumatics and solenoids have some serious kick to them.

Re: Ideas on how to do something...
 

The thing that you're talking about came in the KOP and is called a lead screw. It is manufactured by Igus.