Deployment Brainstorm
 

So we got our third iteration of our deployment system set up and are pleased with its performance, but realized one major issue when testing today: our minibot just isnt stable enough to hold for a two minute match. I am trying to come up with as simple and lightweight solution as possible, but know I must be missing something. What are other teams doing?

So far I have considered servo holding down the minibot, a long piston through the minibot, a frame that mounts concentric to the shaft of rotation like a casing, a casing just fixed in place when the minibot sits rotated into the bot, an electromagnet (still need to check on legality, hadnt gotten that far yet), trying to get the pin to go all the way through into the minibot slideout the goes vertical through the minibot also (doubt how effective this would be).

Currently, the system is set up with 3 vertical posts through holes in the minibot with an extra support to hold the battery, but in a 2 minute match we doubt this will last. Here is a video of the whole system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE0EN...eature=related

What are other teams doing? All these ideas we have had so far either seem over complicated or impractical. At alamo, 118 had an awesome 3D printed bracket, unfortunately we dont have this capability. Any brainstorming help would be great! Thanks! :D

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Our minibot has a small piece of tetrix shaft sticking out each side, which fit into 3"ish deep notches in pieces raised up from our deployer. We have had no issues of it falling out.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

smart, i was thinking about doing something similar, might try that if its working well for yall. Does that plate also provide side support? That isnt exactly possible with our minibot design unfortunately.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

We used this kind of an idea...

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/36149
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=89991

By putting two tubes on the minibot, and then two pins on the robot, we never had any problems with it falling off or coming loose. we used about 4 inch pins and the shorter tubes to save weight.

It does great with side to side movement and keeps the minibot in a perfect vertical orientation.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

We are using a retainment system we learned from Simbotics last weekend, a ball detented spring pin tied to a robot structure, the pin is pulled as the minibot is deployed via a string tied to something on the robot which allows the pin to be pulled straight out during deployment... Simple!

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Cool, my only issue with that is what happens if the pin comes out on its own?
With the tube and pin design I mentioned before the minibot lifts itself off the pins when it contacts the tower and begins to climb. That way if the deployment system comes out to early, you don't lose the minbot!

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

We have a setup like this. I'm concerned about the pins still contacting the minibot when it crosses the 18" line (we have a rather tall minibot). I guess we'll see on Thursday. We never thought to check when building it.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

yea, we thought about this problem as well. Luckily the deployment system was attached to extrusion so it could be lowered and we shorted the pins a little. Currently the minibot is not in contact with the pins when it crosses the 18" mark.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Thanks, yet another elegant solution by 1114!

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Huh, our team came up with a solution that has both of the ideas in this thread

Our deployer is a drawer slide, which is run by a fisherprice motor and goes straight out the back. The MINIBOT is held on by 4 inch aluminium tubes on the HOSTBOT end, and some PVC on the MINIBOT end. Our MINIBOT's motors start running when it gets a little way off the chassis, with a pin tied to the HOSTBOT and a limit switch on the MINIBOT.

I can see why the GDC likes capitalizing stuff now :).

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Ours sounds very similar. Two 1.5 inch vertical pins on HOSTBOT deployment platform, PVC tubes on MINIBOT. One of the pin/tube setups had a horizontal locking pin though a hole in both the tube and pin which was attached to the HOSTBOT via strong cord so that the pin pulled out 'just in time' At setup, excess string was bunched up and secured with a loose zip tie so that it didn't mess with the HOSTBOT or otherwise get tangled.

Worked extremely well.

Re: Deployment Brainstorm
 

Beth,
1114 uses a 1/4 inch ball spring pin which holds the minibot on a small nylon block, if the holes are right the only way to get the pin out is to pull it, it wont come out on its own due to the spring loaded ball at the end. Simple and effective!