Re: Launchers VS Arms
 

I agree that launching seems to be the most efficient way to do this. Also I think blocking a launch will be hard and can get ugly. I see no reason why a launcher can't get balls down (with a simple extending post or whatever), back up at the end is another story (not that important in my opinion). I think many of us went the conventional route with the arm. Which can get the job done almost as good, but I'm thinking this is a launchers game. 2 or even 3 good launchers that have a good hybrid mode will totaly dominate. Offense will win the championship, defense against 3 offensive bots will lose consistently. So if you can get the attention off your good launcher, with another launcher, or even 2 of them you're set. I don't think these feeding strategies are going to work well. I think they'll take too much time handing off the balls. So picking up well is just as important. Maybe a muscular ball grabber like 1902 and a couple launchers could put a good system together.

Re: Launchers VS Arms
 

Launcher (118, our own design, etc)
- From what I've seen this is faster
- Less COG movement, less vulnerable to tipping
- More complicated pick up and delivery system (I think we will see more 2 step processes to launch than to use an arm)
- Can shoot from multiple positions on the field
- Less vulnerable to "clothesline"
- Can place ball on overpass if very careful

Arm (121, 179, 1902, etc)
- From what I've seen, this is slower
- Able to knock the ball off with little extra machinery
- Can place ball on overpass easily
- Moving COG may lead to tips or tough control spots
- More complex software to manage joints and mechanisms

I think an efficient launcher that can "clip" the ball off the overpass and pass 2 lines in Hybrid mode will win most of their qualifying matches. From there an alliance of 2 launchers and a fast and powerful arm bot (defense) will be a good alliance, so long as the launchers are efficient at picking up the balls.

Re: Launchers VS Arms
 

I agree with tom here. I think launchers are going to be the faster of the robots, not necessarily the "dominators". I think teams getting their launchers in order is going to be a bigger task than many of them estimate. Arms have been done many a time in FIRST, not too many catapults have been built here before.

Re: Launchers VS Arms
 

Two threads on this subject, the other one came first... so, this one's locked. Go to the other one:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=63474