[Matt Reiland]

Hey Greg

I am working on an intermediate size battlebot (Silverado) with a mix of features not yet seen out there. Our most important feature is the clampbot action like 'complete control' but instead of a small air cylinder to clamp we are trying to get an air-over-oil hydraulic system (AMPAC) in this system usually has a pressure of 10-15 times hydaulic to air pressure. The other benifit is that it closes a gap really fast then intesifies up to pressure. I also want to put in a 4 wheel steer system like we have on this years FIRST bot. (Its our prototype). The robot will have some type of front wedge with protruding forks then the crushing bars hidden in the top. You align with the other bot run into them, the crushing bars rapidly come down on the opposing robot to clamp them then intesify. Should be fun, I just got a CNC kit for my smithy milling machine in my basement to make the parts faster. Some of the guys I work with want more and more power so it should be interesting. We will use some mag motors from robotbooks.com for the drive. Lastly we are designing an anti-spin bot defense that can absorb the huge forces that the rotating robots exert. I am designing most of it in ProDesktop which is free from PTC.com and it is really sweet program for 3-d mechaincal design