Well, we're just about done.
I wish I could say that this thing was updated nearly often enough, but it wasn't. Maybe next year (when we
also have more credibility under our belt by NOT getting second-to-last place at Regionals the previous year.)
This robot is so good, we're probably not going to end up in second-to-last place at regionals!
Its features:
A
Passive Aligner, for when you just want to ram into a tote until it's in the right spot for your robot to pick it up!
We built the Passive Aligner in about an hour. It's basically just two long sticks that are attached to the main robot by a bolt and some surgical tubing. Despite their simplicity, they seem to work almost magically. Previously inept team members
(me) can now pick up bins with relative ease!
A
Non-Unique Forklift, capable of not only picking up stacks of up to six totes, but also able to lift bins!*
*Bin-lifter will probably be done in a day or two.
I'm actually very proud of our forklift. At this point, we could probably carry around a team member of average size and weight without the robot tipping. It has a special attachment to lift bins, and the clips we're using seem to do a nice job of carrying 4 totes reliably (we should be able to get up to 6 with a clip replacement and some guards on the sides of the forklift.)
A
Vertical-Mounted Electrical Board!
Because why not. It's wonderful to see all of the twinkly lights, and it also puts the on/off switch in a very convenient location, so that if the robot suddenly begins driving off at full speed, we can chase it down and stop it! (This actually happened three years ago.)
A
Reasonable Center of Gravity! Because tipping is bad.
Our robot is only about three feet high (without guardrails) and weighs in at about eighty pounds. In other words, it's a scrawny little thing... and yet it can pick up tote stacks that weigh more than half of what it does.
It's capable of making Coopertition stacks, though only barely! It's quite simple and difficult to break! With some properly placed decals, it will be so beautiful, it will cause the opposing team to cry and drop their tote stacks!
I can't believe that there's still a week to go before the Week-Zero Scrimmage! It'll be held on Valentine's Day here in Colorado (how romantic), and there's no better color for Valentine's Day than good ol' eye-rattling pink!
Oh, and here's a video of the robot. Because a video is worth 30,000 words a second.
Let me know what you think! Thanks for any feedback.
-Thromgord