View Single Post
  #21   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 11-03-2010, 21:38
Radical Pi Radical Pi is offline
Putting the Jumper in the Bumper
AKA: Ian Thompson
FRC #0639 (Code Red Robotics)
Team Role: Programmer
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Rookie Year: 2010
Location: New York
Posts: 655
Radical Pi has a spectacular aura aboutRadical Pi has a spectacular aura aboutRadical Pi has a spectacular aura about
Re: All About Ball Control

639 doesn't actually use an active ball control mechanism, however our kicker is also quite different from the "average" team's kicker.

First of all, we placed memory foam over the majority of our kicking area, allowing us to herd balls easily without them running away the moment touch them.

Also, our kicker is pneumatic powered, but it is also a spinner, using a clutch against a dual-FP motor gearbox to allow us to slide out the actual kicker without the ramming of the motors. Behind the memory foam, our kicker gets to target speed, then when we are ready to kick the pneumatic pistons fire, releasing the motors so the kicker spins on momentum. Since it is constantly moving, we have a 1-2 second window where the ball can be kicked with a good amount of force after we tell it to actually kick, removing the major need to possess balls

Anyways, we only have .5 pounds to spare. How can we not use it on cool LEDs?

P.S. image of our kicker here, and on the overall robot here
__________________

"To have no errors would be life without meaning. No strugle, no joy"
"A network is only as strong as it's weakest linksys"

Last edited by Radical Pi : 11-03-2010 at 21:42.
Reply With Quote