[Chris Hapstack]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

I'm pretty sure the cables used to engage the winch clamps would also be used for the lift so the whole thing, so the grasp and lift portion of the process would be done in one action. Sure, positioning would take time but could be done before the 20 second mark. Winding in the winch could be done quite rapidly depending on the motor and gearing used (a decent PTO could probably climb in less than 10 seconds).

IMO the biggest issue with these types of designs is accuracy, if you can get past that, you probably have the most effective type of climber out there.

Yes, the same cable both engages the clamps and lifts the robot. Our winch is designed to run at 12 inches/second under the load of the robot's weight, so we could ostensibly complete the climb within 4 or 5 seconds of firing the hook. Accuracy is definitely the biggest hurdle yet to go.