Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

My team has personally experimented with suction in the 2007 game and we were met with great disappointment and in the end failure to that idea.

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

If you look earlier in this forum someone on I think the first page posted a link to some pictures of a 2008 robot with a fork lift that would solve that problem easily

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Hey for everyone whose considering an arm, check the rule update! the 60"diameter has been changed to 84"!!

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

The problem with a vacuum is the power it will take and that you need to apply a complete suction to most of the surface for a hold. also if the intake of air is not completely covered that means less pressure and less of a grip. This competition calls for speed so there is going to be some bumping no matter what. That suction might not hold. If you still plan for all this and do vacuum successfully then i tip my hat to you. good luck to all this year! :)

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

60" is only the starting configuration after the match has started you can go as high as you want

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

This entire week my team and i have been designing and searching for ideas just like most everyone but we've found that watching the championship games from 2007 show some great bots with incredible designs that use the articulated arm with a claw and the forklift idea that was mentioned. We've pretty much settled on the arm idea but engineered our own claw. My suggestions would be to watch some videos and study up a bit. Also with the new updates that have been set into play could possibly help! Like for instance the 84' diameter now no longer 60'. So it might be somethin to consider maybe! Best of Luck to all! :)

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Good luck with that, if you really want to go with static electricity I'd recommend using capacitors to build up charge.

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Team 2502 has a mentor that is a salesman at a pneumatics company and deals with all sorts of pneumatics and industrial extruded materials.

He brought in his kit of vacuum products with all assortment of cups (standard to weird shaped ones) and all sorts of valves and vacuum modules and items of that nature and we tried everything. It held on to the tubes REALLY well and even held tightly when shook... But once we put our hand to one of the father places of the tube and pushed it, it just popped right off.

Also, air consumption, we thought, would be an issue to keep the seal tight for the entire 2 minutes.

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

This is generally my objection to pneumatics.

If you are repeating the process over and over, you're chewing through your batteries via the compressor. If you're not, then why are you including pneumatics when a motor or servo can do the same job?

I long for the day that the electric solenoid -- so darn useful in industry -- is finally allowed in FIRST.

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Really?

Hmm.

I think we need to setup a party between our teams at your shop sometime after you build it... :p

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Nevermind... We came up with something even better. :D

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Arm pros:
simpler
more robust
lighter

Lift pros:
easier to score on the pegs
can raise lift in safe zone without having to leave the zone

As a team that did the lift back in 05. I can say that it takes a lot of upkeep and in many ways is not worth it. on the other hand that was one of our best robots all time. I couldn't find any pictures of the lift but if I do I'll post them

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Here's my teams 'bot from 2007. You'll want to watch from about :37-1:27

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...5109075900959#

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

I think he was joking :rolleyes:

Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm
 

Not to crash your party, but since we are doing that, I can't wait to see how you do it at FLR!