pic: Technokats Robot pic 2

[Kyle Love]

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[Mike Hendricks]

So uh, how many feet of #25 chain is on there?

[Chriszuma]

That robot looks insane. I like it.

What is the shooting mechanism?

[Nick Bailey]

What is the shooting mechanism?

I'll point you to here
but the shooter is a catapult

So uh, how many feet of #25 chain is on there?

Lots (and lots and lots and lots) plus many little master links and half links.

[Chriszuma]

How did you manage to build a catapult without violating the "no rapid mechanical stops" rule?

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Chriszuma

How did you manage to build a catapult without violating the "no rapid mechanical stops" rule?

This is quite a generalization. Do you mean this rule?

"<S01> If at any time a ROBOT’s operation or design is deemed unsafe by the head referee, it will receive a 10-point penalty and be disabled for the remainder of the match. If the safety violation is due to the ROBOT design, the head referee has the option to not allow the ROBOT back onto the field unless the design has been corrected. An example of unsafe operation is repeatedly throwing balls off the field at audience members, media personnel, judges, referees, etc. An example of an unsafe design is a SHOOTING MECHANISM that has a large mass that is stopped abruptly at the end of travel and is at risk of breaking off the ROBOT and becoming a projectile."


AB

[Chriszuma]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

This is quite a generalization. Do you mean this rule?

"<S01> If at any time a ROBOT’s operation or design is deemed unsafe by the head referee, it will receive a 10-point penalty and be disabled for the remainder of the match. If the safety violation is due to the ROBOT design, the head referee has the option to not allow the ROBOT back onto the field unless the design has been corrected. An example of unsafe operation is repeatedly throwing balls off the field at audience members, media personnel, judges, referees, etc. An example of an unsafe design is a SHOOTING MECHANISM that has a large mass that is stopped abruptly at the end of travel and is at risk of breaking off the ROBOT and becoming a projectile."


AB

Yeah, how did you design your catapult to not violate that? It seems vague enough that any catapult design would be illegal. (Unless it's more of a lacrosse-style thrower)

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Chriszuma

Yeah, how did you design your catapult to not violate that? It seems vague enough that any catapult design would be illegal. (Unless it's more of a lacrosse-style thrower)

The likelihood of this arm in being a "risk of breaking off the ROBOT and becoming a projectile" is just as likely as any other robot's wheel breaking apart and becoming a projectile.

Yes, the arm comes to an abrupt stop. No, we don't see a risk of anything breaking off and becoming a projectile.

We do need to put some more guards on this thrower and the camera, though.

Andy B.