Team 16, Baxter Bomb Squad, 2012

[Meredith Novak]

Meet Detonator:

http://www.youtube.com/user/baxterbo.../0/nxU526QgVks

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[Drivencrazy]

Awesome video and great, unique robot design. I'm glad to see the smooth Baxter Bomb Squad swerve back.

Cya in a couple days! Great work!

[Lil' Lavery]

Elegant.

[AllenGregoryIV]

I'd expect nothing less from you guys. That is an ingenious solution, I love how you queue balls for the launcher. That's also one of the smoothest barrier crossing I've seen and it's from a crab drive.

What was your reason for building so short?

I'll make sure to walk over to the East side of Dallas to see this live.

[xSAWxBLADEx]

too legit...good job with an other amazing robot. just one question is that 3 wheel crab or or did you try something new and add a wheel?

[Meredith Novak]

We decided to go short, so we went short. No trouble shooting over taller robots. The camera is mounted a little higher up. The "packaging" of the 119.7 lbs. was pretty intense.

We have 4 wheel modules - we went with 4 in 2011 and really liked the performance. It makes it a bit harder to manage the weight. We have made some significant changes to our driving capabilities; Austin will have his hands full with all the driving modes.

[Gray Adams]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

The "packaging" of the 119.7 lbs. was pretty intense.

That robot is 119.7 lbs? That sounds impressively compact.

[Akash Rastogi]

I'd love to get background on your design process for this season or the decision making that went into the launcher. Definitely was something unexpected from you folks.

Digging the drive as usual, and your driver's slalom looks impeccable.

[Garrett.d.w]

Love the catapult, love the swerve, heck... love everything

What is your control layout? We tried swerve last year but had difficulties creating an intuitive control system.

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by Garrett.d.w

Love the catapult, love the swerve, heck... love everything

What is your control layout? We tried swerve last year but had difficulties creating an intuitive control system.

If you mean OI: we use a steering wheel and single joystick. The joystick buttons change modes. Not sure if it is intuitive - it is what our current driver prefers. There are about 8 modes this year...he may not prefer it after that!

[Garrett.d.w]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

There are about 8 modes this year...he may not prefer it after that!

That's what happened to us last year. Too many modes.

As for a steering wheel, that's a good idea. Thanks.

Good luck this year

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

If you mean OI: we use a steering wheel and single joystick. The joystick buttons change modes. Not sure if it is intuitive - it is what our current driver prefers. There are about 8 modes this year...he may not prefer it after that!

That your driver has a strong preference is very promising. Some kids are just born to be fighter pilots .

Nice 'bot!

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

I'd love to get background on your design process for this season or the decision making that went into the launcher. Definitely was something unexpected from you folks.

Digging the drive as usual, and your driver's slalom looks impeccable.

Next to winning, "unexpected" is our favorite accomplishment. We didn't want to do a wheeled shooter - we've done them, we're bored with that, never liked the limitations. We really planned to do a puncher/ plunger, but the catapult prototypes were more convincing. Beater bars and catapults have been good to us.

We have hard stops for different shooting positions and a load cell to measure the force before firing.

The driver better be impeccable. No pressure, Austin...

[tzjin]

Expect nothing less from an original team!

Good job pulling off a swerve robust enough to go over the bump! Since we're consider swerve next year, I'd love to get a closer look at that thing.

Aren't you scared of using surgical tubing to power your catapult though? If either end ever snapped, calibration sounds pretty painful. Unless your load sensor somehow can adjust to compensate?

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by tzjin

Aren't you scared of using surgical tubing to power your catapult though? If either end ever snapped, calibration sounds pretty painful. Unless your load sensor somehow can adjust to compensate?

It is powered by a winch and belting. There are several discreet loops of surgical tubing on each side, so one break doesn't unwind the whole bunch. And, yes, the load cell is there to make up for discrepancies in tubing, belt stretch, etc.

And surgical tubing has been very good to us. We are sponsored by a medical plastics manufacturer...