pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Looks very nice. Am I correct that the two pincers grab the ball, rotate it up to the top, where it is launched? How high off the ground is it tossed?

How well do the claws hold on to the ball? It looks like you have very little surface area, and therefore making it so that the ball must be very precisely positioned, but if it works, it works.

And what might the unmounted "super awesome special feature" be?

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

You are correct! The ball is grabbed, picked up, released (the ball rests pretty securely between the top two pipe pieces, the hockey puck (whose curve matches that of the ball) and the open arms keep it from rolling away), then six 3/4" bore 10" stroke pistons hurdle the ball. Seperate solenoids are used to shoot and retract the pistons, to allow the topsides of the pistons to be vented before the bottom side tries to push (no effort wasted pushing pressurized air out of the way).

After the ball goes out of contact with the pistons, it travels up another two and a half feet due to its momentum for a total hurdle height of about three feet. The ball starts out being about four feet off the ground, so the bottom of the ball goes to about 7 feet 4 inches off the ground to clear the overpass.

Hopefully I'll be posting video footage later this week of the robot hurlding as well as running in autonomous.

-q

**EDIT** Forgot to mention the super awesome special feature. The super awesome special feature is a homebrew nine inch tall by 27" long four character segmented LED display, 3,000mcd red LEDs. It may be shortened to three characters as finding mounting locations while still being able to list sponsors has been... eh... how shall I say... problematic. At any rate, photos (maybe video) of that running to come as well. (As it sits now, it functions, but is a big PCboard with lots of wires hanging out all over. Figuring how to ruggedize it now.)

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Very cool! I'm looking forward to the video.

Jason

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Looks great. I have one question and am hoping that you simply have a typo.

Do you really have "six 3/4" bore 11" stroke pistons"?

3/4" bore cylinders are only allowed up to 10"

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

fully extended that thing is within 80 inches?

from very back of robot to front of arm?

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Very observent. Yes, it is, once the arm tips are cut to length. Again, neatness was not the goal that early in the morning.

If you're wondering why this length was on there, in order to make the final bend on the arm pipes, you need a tail for the bender to grab on to.

-q

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

what'd you use for a bender?

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Don't really know too much about it... all I know is its a pipe bender made in the USA...

-q

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

lol...... we used a steel railing and a football player.....haha

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Nice work... can't wait to see it in action!

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

what kinda psi does that take?

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

The usual 120psi in the two storage tanks, the usual 60psi in the working area of the pneumatic system (and the two 60psi accumulator tanks)...

-q

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Nice protoype but it looks like it needs to be cleaned up!

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

you regulate the accumulator tanks?

personally i'd put the accumulator tanks before the regulators to get a greater quantity of air in the system

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

Regulators don't deal too well with shock-loads on the pneumatic system (low flow). I realize it has less air capcity, but what we have is what we need to handle shock loads on certain parts of the pneumatic system.

-q

Re: pic: First Fully Functioning 1024 2008 Machine - Isometric View
 

i'm guessing that massive launcher thing is your idea of a shock load?