[EricH]

Originally Posted by happyWobot

No, I didnt. Incidentally we have an arm and counterbalance weights on this year's robot. I've only been with 122 since about 08 so would not have any reference for what the 97 year's robot was like. I'm grateful to know that it wasn't a description of this year's bot. The steel was so difficult to cut it was sent out to be done on a Bridgeport. They came back beautifully milled complete with beveled edges to the exact profile we provided. I was really confused why anyone would think it was cut with a hacksaw. Thanks for the clarification.

Ah, yes, when the old-timers start talking about the "good old days" and the newbies don't have a clue... No worries, happens a few times a year. (Back in the year he was talking about, I do believe that steel would have needed to come from the Small Parts Inc. catalog.)

Probably the most kludged-together robot I've seen was back in 2005. Kit frame. Electronics protection was a clear plastic tub upside down. Superstructure was a small stepladder. Arm was a single piece of PVC (not a bad option). The gripper, on the other hand, was a masterful piece of engineering: Needle-nose pliers (or was it a pair of dikes?), stuck into the end of the PVC pipe so the handles were out and slightly open. Talk about creative uses of materials...