So I've been yelled at by my team for not keeping this thread up. We are now half way through week two and our team has been designing like crazy. We are trying to solve ALL of the problems BEFORE we start building. I am especially excited about how much we have grown as a team. The students are working hard, and learning Autodesk Inventor under tremendous pressure. We are also learning how things fit together so we should SAVE money this year!
The team spent week one divided into 4 design teams. Each team came up with their own design which we presented to our community partners. (We are partnered with the NAVY, and we also have a number of community members who help us out.) After seeing the presentations the community voted.
Below are descriptions of the different designs and what the community thought of each.
C.L.U.E.
(Coolest Launching Unit Ever)
Description
This robot was designed primarily as a shooter to fire Frisbees in the goal as well as hang from the first level of the pyramid. It was designed to be short enough to aim from underneath the pyramid for an optimal firing angle; however, it can fire from anywhere on the field. Its only defensive ability is to evade other robots. Teflon was used to decrease friction resistance in the Frisbee shooter. Mecanum wheels would be used for optimal movement. All materials would be cut out using laser cutters.
What went wrong?
The main issue with the design was it attempt to do too much at once. The sponsors were concerned about the various moving parts of the shooter. Height was also an issue, as the other robots could easily block ours.
Stormtrooper
Description
The robot was designed as both a climber and a shooter. During the autonomous period, it will use computer vision to file 3 pre-loaded disks at the 3 point zone. During the teleoperated period, the drivers will follow a rehearsed path through the field. It would have a capacity for 4 disks and will include a 360-degree horizontal swivel. The design is a tested and simple design with a highly maneuverable drive train and allows good mobility.
What went wrong?
The designs were not chosen because the presentation of the design was poor. The design was also deemed to similar to others. (taken directly from the internet with little modification)
Agent 2980
Description
This design is a 90 degree launcher with a pneumatic wheel at the center to launch the discs rapidly and precisely with a manually fed queue hopper that pushes the Frisbees into the shooter with a piston. Agent 2980 also has a four wheel drive to insure accurate launching capabilities. Agent 2980 would be able to successfully launch and score points in every game. It can also evade other robots. Thanks to the basic design of the robot, more time can be devoted to troubleshooting and perfecting the system.
What went wrong?
The robot is unable to climb the pyramid, and cannot pick up Frisbees off the ground, forcing the players to feed the robot often
Agent M
Description
This humanoid robot runs around the arena throwing disks through the top slot just like any human player would. It is controlled using a kinect skeletal motion capture just like the robot in REAL STEELE! At the end of the match it climbs up the pyramid like a monkey and dunks four disks in the top scoring zone all while singing the national anthem!
Bumpers! We don't need no stinking bumpers...This robot carries a big stick to swat the competition!
Did we mention IT CLIMBS LIKE A MONKEY!
(Just Kidding!)
Description
Agent M is made to climb the entire pyramid. Unlike the other designs, this is not a shooter, but rather an extended arm that dumps buckets of Frisbees in to the goals. The protocol is to climb up the 3 levels of the pyramid, and dump all 4 allowed Frisbees into the 5 point box, guaranteeing 50 points.
Why it was picked
While it not a long range scoring mechanism, this robot was chosen because it offers the most efficient path to 50 points. The community especially liked how daring the design was.
(My students wrote the above descriptions with the exception of the bit about the humanoid...I through that in for fun. :-)
I am sure we will see all of the above ideas at the Microsoft Seattle Regional!
Can't wait to see it all come to life!
Edoga