Minibot Time Showcase
 

Out of curiosity, as well as friendly competition, I would love to hear from other teams what they have gotten for their minibot.

Currently, we range from 2.9 - 3.1 seconds.

To see an image of the bot as well as a more detailed explanation:
http://jcoinster.blogspot.com/2011/0...ibot-2011.html

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I had had the idea of starting a thread about this but you beat me to it! Anyway here is a video of our prototype in action, we tried one like yours but it failed too many times...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IKLSgfXqcM

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

It probably kept failing because of the center of gravity issues, we actually gave up on it too but then realized the next day that it could be fixed. Good Luck!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Thats what i keep trying to tell the rest of our minibot subeam, they dont believe me.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I can relate.
When you had the similar design, was there a guide bar along the side? Without that bar, it wouldn't work. At one point, we mounted a dummy gear as a counterweight :)

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We tried guide bars in 3-4 different spots but the bot went off in one direction or another, we got more tetrix hardware in though and a may give the other, more simple (deployment wise) bot another try again tomorrow.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Heh. One of our prototypes is of this design. We just got our batteries yesterday, and have yet to complete the wiring, but it's good to know that we're on a good track in terms of ascension time.
The center of gravity issues took some tuning, but we got it so that the minibot can hang on the pole without support or power.
Have you considered a deployment system?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

The smallest and sometimes accidental mistakes can lead to a big improvement!

Did you use a weight to substitute the battery?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

My team tried to do FTC in 2008, so we have a battery. Problem is, the battery doesn't charge. Thus the need to order new ones.

So yes, we did technically use a weight to substitute a battery.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Did you check the fuse? We honestly were stumped at how our new battery wouldnt work for a good hour. :o

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Does this include deployment time? It seems like that will be just as important as how fast it climbs.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I think it's safe to say that this number is without deployment. It would need a rocket to go up that fast including deployment :D

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We have! I was working on a simple pneumatic deplorer today. I don't have any pictures however...

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I'll get a video of it tomorrow and post it.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Can't wait to see it!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

The same thing happened to us. Eventually Figured it out though..

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Deploy <1 second, climb<2.5 seconds, maybe even 2 seconds.

That is the target.

Right now we have the concepts on the deploy and the practice on the climb. Still working on the return to ground without touching the deployment device.

Starting to get fun!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

our deployer= 2 pneumatic pistons and a limit switch, videos will be posted later today.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Have you considered just reversing your mechanism or the whole hostbot away from the tower?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

That's a really fast deployment, nice work!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I'd rather use electrical solenoids too, but I don't really deplore pneumatics. :) (I do love malapropisms though.;) )

Our Minibot, Ferdinand, only climbed about 5 feet on a pole in a vise, right at the end of our meeting, to the tune of "WRAP IT UP ! WE Gotta GET OUTTA HERE!!" (haven't heard that one yet? quite a beat, but you can't dance to it.)

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Well.... apparently my team has decided to not let me post the minibot deployment test videos to youtube, sorry.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Team 2200 has the climb down to 2.36 seconds (average for 3 runs), we got time time by recording video, and using a millisecond counter built into quicktime. I will post a video in the next few days.

- Bochek

edit: Just so everyone understands, we have calculated that in theory, a minibot weighing 4.5lbs can climb the pole in 2.25 seconds. under near perfect conditions using 2 of the tetrix motors. I am slighly amazed that we achieved such good results.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Sure you can!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

ok then.... let the uploading commence!!!!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I have posted a video on my site of early deployment

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

do you have a link? I cant find the video on your team website or youtube channel.

Ok I've started to upload the videos but that will take forever and a half (3-4 Hours) because its about 3gb worth of videos.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Anyone know some of the team numbers that drove up the pole with 2 wheels last year? I know there were at least some in Atlanta, but I can't remember the numbers

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

2056 and 78 are the two that come to mind.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Beat me to it... anyway i cant think of anymore and of course TBA is still down so i cant look for anymore.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

So the videos are about 2/3 done uploading and I don't want to post individual links because of the number of videos (~20 ish) so heres a link to my youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/klmx30302

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

To OP, sorry about this question since it could be answered by viewing your photo but my school internet access blocks the website. Is your minibot complete with the mechanisms necessary for attachment and stopping/starting autonomously or do you still have some things to add. I ask because we are in the middle time slot but we were faster, until we added polycarb wedges and surgical tubing to grip the pole.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

All the videos are uploaded now.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

The link on the first page of this thread

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I am honored that my site has been blocked.
Did you add a httpS?

Anyway, we are using a NXT controller but it's bricked, of course, so until it is fixed, we are manually testing

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Add 359 to the group of 2 wheel climbers last year.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

There is currently no clear majority for the minibot times, I'm really surprised to see the poll even out between each group.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Including deploy time,
639 is clocking 3.7 (rounded up from an average of 3.6) consistently.

here is a vid, it has some other stuff too. Like, you know, the rest of the robot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo2RGj2aH4M

Around :56 is the mini-bot run.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

That is fast as hell! Nice work on the deployment!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Our two will be shown at Jersey. Yes, I said two.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We have two as well Mr. Showoff.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Oh yeah? Well we have 4 but only two work :(

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Haha, that's what everyone should do though, make a ton of ideas and narrow them down!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We have 2 that will be shown at Florida.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Haha well who knows?? After qualifications, people may beg to use one.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

To all people posting, post some pics & vids! Since I spent the whole build season on the minibot, i'm curious to see other teams!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Here's our not-quite-refined 'bot at about 3.0 seconds at the RaChaCha Rally:

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...t=CIMG0653.mp4

We did some more work on it this past Saturday and got it to under 2 seconds (plus about .2 seconds for deployment).

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Our prototype is 1.3 second climb so far with maybe .5-1 second deploy. Still in the works, hoping to get it 1 sec or under

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Vids or it didn't happen.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I would but the current vids show more than we care to reveal. If we can gets tests shot from a distance then we might post them

Edit: Our programmer will post a video sometime tonight

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I agree, anyone could fladoodle their times. You can always blur the minibot... If you're that worried.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Our Prototype was averaging 1.6 seconds with a fastest time of 1.4 seconds.

The current revision looks like it's coming in right around 1.4 seconds on average.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

With or without deployment?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Without deployment.

With deployment, average ascent time should be about 1.6 or 1.7 seconds.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Pictures? Videos? That sounds awesome

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Our prototype bot is pretty fast compared to what ive seen and we are shaving 3lbs off if it as of tomorrow. New watter jet cuts. Just needing assembly! Our deployment is less than a second and consistant. Ill post new vids soon but demos are up of our first prototype is on www.youtube.com/user/jacob9706 all videos there are with half speed and battery including the deployment.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Very nice deployment, I don't think the minibot can be blamed for its slowness based on it's battery though. We never charged our battery once the whole season until the competition and the speed remained constant.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We cut almost a second off of our time by making sure the battery was tip-top. YMMV.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I can see about a .5 deployment speed on ours. and then about a 2.25 second climb. The best part. The mini-bot pulls itself onto the poll.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I'll post up a video after week one, we're not exactly ready to give our secrets away yet.

(Our Deployment system is also being re-manufactured)

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

You can always blur the minibot. Heh.... We didn't on our video..

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Heres are minibot, along with are robot. This video was made for a freshman orientation to promote our team, hence all the additives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgYIhOiyi4Q

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Here you are, a 1.3 second minibot from Team 2733:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRCJ9cxy-o

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Here's the videos I promised a little while back, timed using frame by frame in 3 separate programs

Edit: wow my bad, here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRCJ9cxy-o

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

[quote=Mpengelly;1033472]Here's the videos I promised a little while back, timed using frame by frame in 3 separate programs[/QUOTE

Something is missing...do I need special glasses to see this otherwise invisible video?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Thanks for fixing the link...fair to say that you will have to add a little weight in the form of a 3 way switch or such to keep from flying off at the end of it's run?

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Yes and no, we obviously do need that switch in there, as we almost had a few nasty falls, but we simulated the weight of the switches on the minibot during testing

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Why blur the video when build season ended....

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Even though build season has ended, minibots are still with their respective teams. If the improved design doesn't change your deployment characteristics you could rebuild it in a couple of days.

I imagine that some teams competing close to home with above average machining resources could see a new design Thursday in the pits and have it up and running on their robot in time for Saturday.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

That would violate <R25>.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

<R25> has an exception clause which refers to <R33>

Exception: A limited amount of FABRICATED ITEMS (not to exceed the limits specified in Rule <R33>) may be reatained as part of the WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE and brought back to the team's home facility for continued development.

<R33> Exempts the minibot from the WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE allowing you to work on it even if you've already used your 30 pounds.

If we can work on the minibot at home after the ship date, I don't see how Thursday night of a tournament would be any different.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Can teams close to home use their fabrication capability outside of the competition site during Thursday through Saturday? I would not think so.
Withholding applies to everyone and I thought it meant material can be brought in Thursday. No fabricated material can be brought in or out between Thursday and Saturday. COTs and raw materials can be brought in any time during competition and worked on during open pit times.

Fabrication outside the competition site and during the Thursday through Saturday time frame, either "in the hotel" or at the home base facility does not seem consistent with the intent of the rules.

I could be misinterpreting.

The "home" teams only advantage should be knowing where to get COTs locally.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I don't believe the Withholding Allowance applies between individual competition days. That would be a rather large loophole.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

When I read the exception, I assumed it only applied to the last part (shipping the robot after the event). However, I can see how since it's separated, it could be applied to the entire rule. If you are concerned about that, it would make a good Q/A question.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I can't wait to see how many minibots actually come in at the times people said they would!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Indeed... Some people have been quite... exhuberantly misleading when it comes to minibot times...

(I won't mention any names, but one of these people has the initials "Jason Rees"...) :p

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

I did not think those times were possible until we hit a breakthrough last night. Now I am sure 1.6-1.7 is possible to do reliably. :)

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Whoops.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

team 3467
first minibot goes up in 2.6 seconds
http://www.youtube.com/user/frc3467?feature=mhum
we also are making anther one that we estimate for it to go up in 2.2 seconds
god way to start our first rookie year

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We are arround 6.5 sec complete-- You can view here
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-2...2532332?ref=nf
Unit is about 7 LBS and has quite a bit of friction but after 4 weeks of protos that didn't work, we are happy

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Oh, I'm sure of it, too. We have about 1.8 seconds reliably. I was just picking on Mr. Rees. :D

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Nice job. I have talked to a whole bunch of "3 second" teams that still can't deploy there mini and hope to figure it out later...

At a minimum it is worth 10-15 points. If it works every time, I would wager this will get you picked up for eliminations and thus well worth the effort.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

That is so true! We had a fast bot but it took quite some effort to get it onto the pole!

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Team 241 had a breakthrough on minibot design # 5.

Design #1 - tank= The All Tetrix Aluminum, nuts and bolts - direct drive 4" wheels on Tetrix gearbox and motors. Mousetrap action to connect to pole.

Weight 4.4# Time 4.5-5 sec
Reliability - 10/10 trials
Deployment 0.5 seconds - self-aligning to pole prior to End Game.

Design #2 - add 2:1 external gearing to design #1 - mostly built but not tested. Stopped work when Richard published his dynamometer results of Tetrix motors with and without gearboxes.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=89072

Design #3 - direct drive motors w/o gearboxes with motors with 3/16" shaft covered in thin surgical tubing running on the inside rim of the 4" wheels.
Weight 4.5# Time - fail - the motors would slip on the inside of the rims.

Design #4 - "the crossbow" - direct drive motors w/o gearboxes with motors with 3/16" shaft covered in thin surgical tubing running on the inside rim of the 4" wheels. Inside rim covered with rubber band material to provide extra grip.

Weight 3.3# Time 7 seconds - too much friction on rubberband to surgical tubing contact. Very disappointing.

Design #5 - midget - direct drive to 3/8" wheels, Mousetrap action to connect to pole. Uses bare motors, battery, nylon standoffs, OFF switch and 3 or 4 nuts and bolts from the Tetrix kit.
Weight 2.1# !!! Time ~2 seconds
(still need to adjust deployment to allow either the midget or the tank and mount the turnoff switch) may add another 0.1 lbs.
Reliability - not known yet

No magnets.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ibot+time+poll

Repeat thread...

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

In case you can't read a date, this was first, by far

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Well, This is the culmination of six hours of work. Our team didn't take the minibot seriously, so when the minibot team failed to produce in 6 weeks, I took it upon myself to fix it. When calculated, from the base of our deployment to the top, it will take a little over 4 seconds. Sorry about the video, I almost broke the robot. :ahh: It uses direct drive to two 3" wheels. The wiring has been planned for deployment, but has not been fixed yet.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

Pretty great weight. We have a similar super minibot that uses magnets and we are sitting at about 2.5 lbs.
How are you protecting the motors from smoking in case of a misfire? And how many motors have you gone thru?
We have inadvertently smoked 3 motors early on and since have been more careful.

Re: Minibot Time Showcase
 

We have ruined the same amount :D