[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Rickertsen2

Something with a "knobbler" on the front. The "knobbler "would sweep in batons. It would use either a shaft or conveyor belting with long springy metal bristles on it. The bristles would rotate and rake things into a bin. The entire mechanism could pivot up above the robot to dump the bin into wherever the batons need to be placed. Picture a dump truck lifting a dumpster overhead.

I could also imagine a mechanism in which the robot has a hollow space underneath. You drive over a baton and a wiper mechanism sweeps the baton into a tray. A line of really stiff bristles could be used instead.

Yes, and then it is funneled into a V shaped thing so then it is lined up straight and a conveyor sort of system will carry it to the "hand" which places it whereever it needs to go.

I know my description is kind of vague but I think the "funnel" part is important, to ensure that is lines up straight.