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Unread 19-01-2011, 10:02
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Tom Line Tom Line is offline
Raptors can't turn doorknobs.
FRC #1718 (The Fighting Pi)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Rookie Year: 1999
Location: Armada, Michigan
Posts: 2,514
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Re: Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm

Quote:
Originally Posted by davidcone315 View Post
Suction devices will not work, even if you generate enough power to keep hold of the tube, it will make the rest of your robot lose speed and power. Besides, the slightest collision knocks the tube off of the vacuum. So either way, it is not efficient
I suggest you look to team 1771 in 2008 picking up a 48 inch trackball that weighed orders of magnitude more than a tube:
http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv.../2008arc_qf1m1

I'll go a step further. I will bet you a steak dinner (this is the accepted bet on our team, to be collected at an away-regional or competition) that not just 1, but several teams do a vacuum system, do it well, and consistently win matches with their robots.

Nearly every idea we brainstorm in our team meetings ends up being implemented by someone successfully on the field. That includes the ones we've decided not to use because of some perceived technical problems - like vacuum in '08, a dumper bot in '09 (but you'll need to be able to shoot at different angles so a turret is perfect!), and linear-motion kicker in '10 (binding killed ours).

Last edited by Tom Line : 19-01-2011 at 10:07.