Quote:
Originally Posted by h3x
These are all good ideas for picking up many balls.
Does anyone have any very simple ideas for how to pick up just one ball at a time, or much less? We were thinking a smaller conveyor belt, but there has to be a simpler way. From what I've seen, claws or shovels are too complicated or take up too many resources.
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The biggest issue with claws and shovels is not their complexity, but rather how forgiving they are. With a conveyor, you drive over it and you pick it up. with a claw, you have to get the claw in exactly the right position. The result will likely give the drivers a migraine from the frustration of trying to coordinate arm and robot position while other robots are moving around. The best claws preform pickup operations directly in front of the robot like a conveyor belt, but with round objects there is the additional complication that if the driver hesitates upon contact with the ball, it will roll away from the claw. Luckily, The ease of use of the conveyor and the selective collection of the claw can be found in the roller/conveyor claw.
that being said, the only thing less complex than a typical conveyor is the degenerate case, a big wheel. It has only one moving part, but this is paid for by its large size.