Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

With the regular season over and the off-season coming to a close, we've seen tubes scored with single jointed arms, lifts, arm/lifts, Rube Goldberg Machines (Team 118 :D ), etc. In your opinion, what was the most effective type of scoring mechanism used in Logomotion?

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

Most effective, or most interesting/unique? Most effective was 254's roller claw/elevator combination (it did win champs this year after all!). The most interesting/unique design was easily 118's. I love their entire bot, which looks like half of it was salvaged from a shopping cart! :D

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

From what I saw 254 had a very smooth fast and consistent scoring device. Why? because it was very fast, simple and consistent. So in my opinion a machine like 254,111,33,118 (yes 118 counts) and any other team that had the roller gripper & the linear lift. Why? Like I said they were fast, simple and consistent.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

Honestly, it didn't matter what kind you used, as long as you beat the heck out of it and practiced with it to the ground.

If I had the resources, I think something similar to 1625's IRI bot was probably the way to go.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

I think our claw can attest to that... I'm surprised it still functions after all the crap we put it through. But honestly, I don't think anyone's claw took as much of a beating as 469's did. Their lift slamming that thing on the ground coupled with their aggressive defense put their arm through the ringer. I believe it actually shattered during IRI.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

1717 at champs had a consistent 10 tube per-match robot. Didn't do as well during regionals but hats of to them for constant improvement. Thats with a krab base, elevator and 'pecker' manipulator.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

Nick Lawrence.

Hands down they key to many robots is their driver. If you build a system that may not be as fast as another in THEORY but have a skilled driver you can easily make up the difference.

If i had to pick the most effective design I'd have to say 1503/330 They are simple, easy to manufacture, and allowed teams to have driver practice. Yes they are "worse" than the elevators but part of my evaluation criteria is ease of manufacturing.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

The Arm+Lift method was definitely tops, but I also like the low mounted, telescoping arms, like Mighty Monkey Wrenches' design.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

Hands down I'd have to say 469's 8 foot elevator was one of the fastest darn things I'd seen all year. That thing dropped like a boss. One of the manipulators I liked best was Team 1986's spatula-esque claw. Their design was so wide I'd be amazed if they couldn't get a tube.

Oh, and there's the Roller-Clamps, but those never seemed to work out too well ;)

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

IMO, it seems like the Roller Claw with a Wrist on an Elevator Seemed to be the most effective. The Extra degree of freedom offered by the wrist seemed to add a visible advantage. (See 111 or 254 for this design)

Really, Andrew?

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

While teams were able to achieve amazing results with telescoping arm and single joints, I believe the driveablity and repeatability of the linear lift made it somewhat superior. The linear lift, coupled with a roller claw or well designed "pinch" claw seemed to be a very solid combination this year.

A "new" design, at least to me, seemed to show up this year. I consider what 111 and 177 built this year to be "hybrid" designs where they basically have an arm mounted on a linear lift. Very interesting functionality came from this design choice.

In my opinion the roller claw with the ability to open was a huge advance in tube gripper design.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

I stand by my claim that a good driver is a key component of an effective design.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

I've seen their claw shatter at least once per tournament (and I've watched them at 6 in-season and off-season tournaments). They usually have around 6 spares with them, and usually fix it often.



As to design, many teams have a vertical elevator, short arm, and roller claw used by us, and teams such as 254 and 111. Note that all of these robots have a vertical elevator, short arm, and pneumatic-release roller claw, and all were developed independently, which tells me that it is likely very close to the optimal solution.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

It's always fun to analyze "the best design", but Chris is right; it doesn't matter what design you have, it's all about specific implementation and practice.

Re: Most Effective Scoring Design?
 

In determining the best design, I don't think you should look at how the top teams do, because they have enough talent, experience and dedication to make almost any design work. 111 would have been an elite scorer with 330's design, 254 would have been equally sucessful with 1503's design. Instead, I think its wise to look at which designs lead teams to have breakout years. In doing this, I think the elevator with short roller arm (like 111, 254) shows to be the best design. 1675 used this design to have easily their best year (Alliance captian at both regionals and championship) and 2122 was quietly one of the best tube scorers (upset 148/234 on Newton then IRI finalist) with this design as well. There are a few others teams that had their best year with this design, but I can't think of them right now.