Re: Minibot deployment
 

In our second regional we added a camera located directly behind the minibot deployment. this made a huge difference and we never missed the pole once. Being able to sight right down the deployment made lining it up very easy. We only had to be in contact with the tower and then look through the camera...

If you have the weight... I would highly suggest this strategy to any team.

You don't need anything special.. you just need to put the camera in line with the line of deployment ... if you want to get fancy you could put little tabs on your minibot... then sight right down the line and center the pole between the tabs...

This is very similar to using a scope on a rifle...

I am sure you will like it if you try it...

Good luck on the field!!

Re: Minibot deployment
 

http://www.youtube.com/user/JakeLenh.../5/17HhD-_o_7w

An example of two different methods. For some reason, 180 backed away from the tower (I don't know why, their minibot always worked really well). But then we gave it a shot. Ours is a tray with a hole that the minibot's shaft sits in, and theirs is a swinging method.

Re: Minibot deployment
 

We used the kiss rule in designing ours. We had a drawer system, rigged to surgical tubing, so it acted sort of like an underpowered sling shot. A servo, which was rigged to hold it in place, acted as the trigger. Our camera was behind the minibot with a screw sticking out to serve as a sight. In order to deploy, you had to push both the 11 and 6 buttons on the Logitech joystick, which is hard to do accidentally. Our team diligently worked hard at figuring out this system after finding out our first one was illegal due to incorrect plastic. Sadly, it took the whole three days to figure it all out, and we never got to try it. It was ready to use in the finals, though, because we ended up being first backup. Not bad for a team with 1/3 of a robot (our arm was also deemed illegal due to an improper motor.)

Re: Minibot deployment
 

So far the mini bot deployment system that have worked well, are slides and numatic cylinders. Also a bridge that attatches to the poll, so that during the last ten seconds the mini bot rides from the robot and on to the poll.

Re: Minibot deployment
 

[quote=Alex2614;1046780
An example of two different methods. For some reason, 180 backed away from the tower (I don't know why, their minibot always worked really well). But then we gave it a shot. Ours is a tray with a hole that the minibot's shaft sits in, and theirs is a swinging method.[/QUOTE]

If I recall correctly, the pin holding the mini-bot jammed in the swing-arm after we released it (pneumatically actuated). We widened the hole, a bit, after that.
Eric

Re: Minibot deployment
 

I have yet to see a team align the way we do. Its not the best way, nor do I really prefer it. However, when our robot weighed in at 119.6 during the last week of the season, we didnt have much choice.
A simple software aid and use of the camera. It has to be dead on, but it does it every single time.

At NYC, it didnt launch for two matches. 1st, we didnt get there in time. Stupid mistake. 2nd, we lost com and never got there. FTA fixed the problem, but we didnt replay the match.
In Hawaii, we played in 17 matches. It launched successfully in 16 of them, except the last one due to a surgical tubing issue that finally gave out after two tournaments. Problem solved for Vegas in a few days.:)

Re: Minibot deployment
 

So can you describe how you do it with .4 lbs? Or perhaps a video link? I'm imagining a minibot as the ammo in a surgical tubing sling shot and you just shoot it at the pole...

John Vriezen
Team 2530 "Inconceivable"
Mentor, Drive coach, Inspector