Gears on the floor?

[Kevin Thorp]

I wonder how many gears we'll see on the carpet? Dropped while loading or trying to place on the axles? Or getting knocked out of bots by hard impacts?

Will they get in the way? Cause robots to get high-centered?

Is it worthwhile to build a device to pick gears off the floor? This could save a lot of time running back & fourth across the field, but the design would be a major challenge, considering the new robot envelopes rule.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Kevin Thorp

I wonder how many gears we'll see on the carpet? Dropped while loading or trying to place on the axles? Or getting knocked out of bots by hard impacts?

Will they get in the way? Cause robots to get high-centered?

Is it worthwhile to build a device to pick gears off the floor? This could save a lot of time running back & fourth across the field, but the design would be a major challenge, considering the new robot envelopes rule.

My own answers:

1) Double-digits per event.
2) Both.
3) Probably.
4) Only if they're at the chutes or right at the lifts, where they can jam against the wall.
5) Unlikely, given the bumper zone. But never say never.
6) Iron Kings labeled it Expert Mode on their priority list (something that we really want to pursue, but don't want to lock ourselves into if it severely compromises other functionality). I think others will make it happen too.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by Billfred

My own answers:

Same here. 3946 has this as a priority 2 item, which means about the same thing.

I expect dropped gears to be more common in quals than eliminations unless it's due to defense, e.g. "forced fumbles".

[Mr_I]

Originally Posted by Billfred

My own answers:

1) Double-digits per event.
2) Both.
3) Probably.
4) Only if they're at the chutes or right at the lifts, where they can jam against the wall.
5) Unlikely, given the bumper zone. But never say never.
6) Iron Kings labeled it Expert Mode on their priority list (something that we really want to pursue, but don't want to lock ourselves into if it severely compromises other functionality). I think others will make it happen too.

Agreed with 1-5. 811 put a Prototype Team on it, and we think we have something that will work.

[Taylor]

Honest question:
Why bother? There are 22 gears available to each team (not counting the presets) and 13 places to put them. If a gear is on the ground, why make a mechanism to manipulate it when there are nine teammate-controlled extras?

[Peyton Yeung]

The two questions I have for whether gears off the ground is a viable idea are:
A) How many gears do you imagine are going to be on the ground? and
B) Is your ground gear system faster than driving back to the load station?

[AndyBare]

Originally Posted by Taylor

Honest question:
Why bother?

There are many ways of accomplishing the same task. If you can pick up off the floor, then you have the capabilities of grabbing your opponents dropped gears as well, instead of trying to traverse the field for them.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by AndyBare

There are many ways of accomplishing the same task. If you can pick up off the floor, then you have the capabilities of grabbing your opponents dropped gears as well, instead of trying to traverse the field for them.

I think this is the most strategically important reason to be able to pick them up. If an opponent fumbles a gear at their chute (maybe because of well timed defense) then you can grab it and take it right to your own lift.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

I think this is the most strategically important reason to be able to pick them up. If an opponent fumbles a gear at their chute (maybe because of well timed defense) then you can grab it and take it right to your own lift.

Unless the opponents tag you in their loading zone...

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Unless the opponents tag you in their loading zone...

I'm picturing the opponent tries for a gear, drops it. Grabs another, takes off for their lift. You swoop in, kick it out of their loading zone, push it along the floor and finish intaking it outside the zone.

[mrnoble]

Having an intake for floor gears is the only way to get a 120 point autonomous. That's maybe a decent reason to pursue it. Maybe.

[Boltman]

Keep in mind a good gear floor pickup greatly decreases travel time to acquire a gear and you need 12 for RP. it takes a while with across field vision to even obtain a gear. Would be much better to scoop fallen ones closer up. Plus greatly eases load time no line up needed human just drops gear on floor robot gets.... I think floor pickup of gears is a must due to cycle times for top gear bots considering driver station views, distance, defense and the rest. bots that just have passive gear collection will struggle IMO

[IndySam]

FRC Design rule #4 you must be able to pickup your primary scoring object off of the floor.

[frodobaggins05]

https://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/portal.php?
I dont think that there is going to be many gears just lying around on the floor and it would be a waste of time to build a collector.

[TroyCDH]

Made a wood chassis and a wood apparatus. We can pick gears up off the floor! Prototype human motions are simple 90 degree "door" rotation and a peg that slides forward and back.

Geometry figured so the same apparatus delivers the gear to the spring peg.

With some more work we can add a chute to get a gear from the human at the wall.

2450