A feature that 1618's robot has
this year that its past robots didn't?
It's tall.
I can't say that there's anything particularly innovative about "What robot?"* this year--when I did any design work, I immediately looked back to what had worked in the past. Borrow
1293's 2006 drivetrain, add a speed, and switch your source of rolling stock from Texas to Indiana, and there you go. For the arm, borrow loosely from
one picture of 330, add a wrist to let you reach the floor, and make it so fast, you'll be glad you're behind lexan. (I'll have to find the video on my iBook to post.)
The arm is all PVC and angle aluminum, with a little bit of flat to mount a 12:1 BaneBots gearbox. (Granted, I'm still a little worried about running a BaneBots gearbox, but we felt the loads it'd see, both normally and otherwise, aren't going to be as severe as what it'd see (and wither in the face of) on a high-grip drive system.) The second stage is the Denso motor handling a little bit of PVC; I don't expect that exact end effector to see action on Friday, but its replacement is currently a known unknown. (Good thing we can bring bandsaws to events again...)
The drive system is an AndyMark two-speed, with gearing through sprockets for fast and faster. I've got a few ideas percolating for Palmetto as to how we can best use that to our advantage. (I've also got a few more ideas percolating as to how we can handle defense better if need be, since this competition is proving a just a smidge more physical than planned.)
Perhaps more unique is that we were able to do all this with seven kids, one engineer, a PLTW teacher, and a slightly-eccentric marketing major, in a room with two bandsaws, a grinder, a couple of drill presses and a chop saw**, and still come in about ten pounds underweight as of ship day. It might not be the prettiest dame at the ball, but we hope to fill up its dance card.
*That's another unique feature to this year--it's got a name!
**Chop saw.