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Unread 22-02-2012, 03:59
RRLedford RRLedford is offline
FTC 3507 Robo Theosis -- FRC 3135
AKA: Dick Ledford
FRC #3135 (Robotic Colonels)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Rookie Year: 2009
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Posts: 286
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Re: Let's Talk About The Bridge:

Quote:
Originally Posted by davidthefat View Post
This is what I have observed about balancing after practice and going to a scrimmage: it is all about knowing when to just "stop driving". So far, I have consistently balanced the robot in 4 to 10 seconds every time. I realize that you just require a lot of that "gut feeling". You just have to "know" when to stop driving. Once you overshoot, it gets fairly hard to balance. Also, about balancing two robots, I found hand signals to be the best way to communicate with the opposing alliance; have the coach watch and do hand signals.
We made it to balance in 3 seconds from first wheel touching bridge for out best time in our first real driving tests today. Only ~14" lateral inches of our robot (including the bumper) is above the bridge, and the rest (~19") is hanging off the left side of our bridge. We have only 2 of our 3 right wheels (6 wheel tank drive) making decent contact with the bridge and are just able to make it up with wheels slipping all the way. We can over shoot to send bridge down at opposite end and then spin wheels slowly to hold that tilted position at near mid way down at the low end. After our alliance partners from the scoring end roll right up the bridge going past us, we can then get back up toward center and balance with them near center, along side them.

We really had to get as much of our mass as possible assembled as far over to the right side as possible and we are still needing a bit more far right placed ballast to improve our bridge traction for the 2-3 driven wheels that remain in contact as we go up it. We will likely just keep adding weight there right up to the point where we hit 120 lbs. so we can max out our traction for the right side (on bridge) wheels. Our left wheels are just spinning in the air as we climb up using only the left <1/3 of the bridge. It is a very cool looking DOUBLE balancing act.

-Dick Ledford

Last edited by RRLedford : 23-02-2012 at 02:48.