How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

Any ideas guys???

-Pneumatics
-some sort of piston
-springs
-forklift


we were considering the springs but will FIRST allow?
is it safe? Cocking 3 springs before the match??

Pneumatics; how much force required??

Actuators; what kinds are allowed??
http://www.firgelliauto.com/default.php?cPath=94

what are your inputs??

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

First, those linked actuators are definitely NOT allowed. The only legal types are described in Section 8.

Springs--definitely watch the safety. If those things are deemed unsafe, you won't be able to do anything with them.

Pneumatics--I'm not sure about the force you'd need.

As for your ideas, how about having your team discuss those? One of them might stand out to your teammates.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

Here's how I would do it. I would build an arm to grab the ball, and instead of throwing the ball, I would get the robot to extend the arm over the overpass to the other side. Then "drop" the the ball onto the other side.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

rather than extending over it, just punch it with a piston once its high enough. Or build a catapult (some team will try it I promise you).

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

i think lots of teams are going to try this.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

springs or momentum type *throwers* probably will have trouble getting past inspection because so much energy will be required, and it becomes very unsafe. Last year springs were used on our robot as a buoyant force so we could easily raise and lower our ramps, not in a way to rapidly release all that potential energy.

also is...

<R60> Items specifically PROHIBITED from use on the ROBOT include:
 Electric motors and/or servos different from, or in addition to, those in the Kit Of Parts, with
the exception of those specifically permitted by Rule <R59>.
 Electric solenoid actuators (note: electric solenoid actuators are NOT the same as pneumatic
solenoid valves – the latter are permitted, the former are not).

...why those firgelliautos actuators are definitely NOT allowed?

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

How about motorized conveyor belting arms (green polycord makes a return) that hug the ball and can either suck it in or spit it out?

Or the Technokat's Klaw from 2004? That thing was big enough grabbing a 30" ball. Imagine one that could encompass a trackball. Oy.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

We are trying to find out if we can forklift it onto the overpass then push it off and over.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

<R60> (which you quoted) prohibits motors that aren't in the Kit of Parts.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

our team is having issues with this decision as well... we have a general consensus though that we do not want to use an arm but rather a claw/fork lift hybrid because of the balls immense weight and size

the problem with using an arm also is the cantilever effect that is generated by extending the arm so far away from the bot (at best you'd have the arm one foot horizontally and 6ft vertically from the base of your bot and that adds up to be some intense weight pulling you into the bars)

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

They looked like pneumatics to me. Even then, there is a rule...

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

The animation gave has a lot of ideas (many can be a joke), including things like a forklift and an arm - check that out if you haven't already.

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

Have you found out yet? (We're trying to find out the same thing)

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

Here are some tests my team did:

Pneumatics: Our team got the biggest piston we had laying around (1" bore 1.5' throw) and rigged it up to a pressure device rated at 60 psi (the maximum allowable pressure on the robot) and placed this piston behind the ball which we laid on some inclined sliders. Not only was the mechanism HUGE but it only was able to launch the ball 4' max, thus not clearing the overpass.

Springs: We used the same inclined sliders and made a little "cart" that carried the ball. This cart was attached to a mass of surgical tubing. We hoisted back the cart and released it. We were able to shoot the ball about 3'. This system was very dangerous, and involved the cart shooting forward and coming to a dead stop. We decided that designing a mechanism to draw back the springs would be very difficult.

And of course, neither of these designs presented a method of actually picking up the ball and loading it...

Forklift? :cool: ;)

Re: How to get the ball over the overpass!?
 

Well here's what I wanted to do but couldn't because the gigantic flag holder is in the way, although I'd love to see someone try it. Basically, if you could hold the ball at the end of a pole (about 4' long maybe) behind your bot, as you travel towards the bars (finish line), plant the front end of the pole in the carpet with a grippy foot on it, and you pole vault the ball using the bots inertia.
The bot itself is your best source of stored energy which can be transfered into the ball.