We spent some time at the Simley pre-ship scrimmage yesterday working out all the kinks on our robot. The ceiling in our shop is a little low, so we hadn't really been able to calibrate our shooter before getting there. In the video, you can see us loading in balls, the conveyor system, and our shooter, as we tried different values to calibrate speed versus distance.
What you can't see with the conveyor, is our ability to automatically store balls until we're ready to shoot. The first ball will pass through the conveyor system, until it is just below the shooter. At that point, the rear conveyor automatically reverses, holding the ball in place. The second ball can then come in and is held just as it enters the vertical section, ensuring the two balls don't touch. When the third ball enters, it trips the last sensor, which automatically turns off the conveyor (preventing us from loading a 4th ball accidentally) until we hit the button to shoot.
Can't wait to see everyone at Duluth and North Star!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg_ZRSLQCNM