[mrnoble]

Hi everybody. Let's see if I can answer all your questions...

*It is indeed a longish wheelbase, at 31 inches. Full dimensions with bumper standoffs is 27 1/2" x 34" x 59".

*We are going over the bump, as the 10" wheels give it lots of cushion. It's pretty fun to watch, like a monster truck rally.

*The bumper standoffs are not shown in the photo. We CAD'ed the whole thing and cut it out on a CNC router, including the standoffs, which are kind of like old flare-side truck fenders. The standoffs also extend the front and back, and give it the requisite 8" of support across the front. The sides and back are completely supported.

*The ball drops onto a lead-screw piston, which lifts it into the shooter. Originally we were going for a full rotary piston (like a steam train wheel mixed with an internal combustion engine) but it was too unreliable. The lead screw moves it up directly into the shooter. We did this so we would have consistent loading as the shooter rotates about 200 degrees on the turntable.

*The center wheel has a 1/4" drop. The frame is heavily modified nanotubes. It drives on carpet really well, which was a big surprise, as we've used the tank drive for years and have always had trouble with turning without slick wheels. It has a 0' turn radius and the drive team has gotten enough practice in that they have good control.

*The arm is pushing down the bridge well enough, though I have seen several people say it wasn't working well on theirs, and I'm wondering if our practice bridge might be a little loose compared to the real thing. We'll see, I guess.

*One of our sponsors is a plastics company, and we really took advantage of their specials bin this year. It is .175" smoked polycarb and 1" polystyrene (hollowed out to 1/4"). It is our first plastic bot, and I think it is pretty awesome so far. If it works well in competition, there is no way we are going back to metal or wood.

Thanks!