Self-righting

[Tim566]

i was wondering are there any robots out there that can right themselves if they fall over during the competition? In other words, can any robot can stand itself back up should it accidentally tip over during the competition? I don't really see many bots having that ability this year as there was last year. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the subject even if your robot does not have the ability to right itself.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Tim566

i was wondering are there any robots out there that can right themselves if they fall over during the competition? In other words, can any robot can stand itself back up should it accidentally tip over during the competition? I don't really see many bots having that ability this year as there was last year. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the subject even if your robot does not have the ability to right itself.

Most of the time when a robot was able to correct a fall it was due to their arm design. There are no arms this year so no way to correct a fall. Once you're down, you're down for the count.

[Stuart]

Ohh god now all I can think about is our robot tiping over. . . .

[Tim566]

believe me its been blazing through my mind for weeks now I was just wondering if any team took measures to correct the tipped cow situation... because quite a few of robots seem to be built taller with more top weight making them more susceptible to being tipped over

[rjp744]

Originally Posted by Tim566

believe me its been blazing through my mind for weeks now I was just wondering if any team took measures to correct the tipped cow situation... because quite a few of robots seem to be built taller with more top weight making them more susceptible to being tipped over

There are pros and cons to being tall. Although you are top heavy, if your shooter is up on top(60 inches) you cannot be blocked. It all depends on the strategy.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Ohh god now all I can think about is our robot tiping over. . . .

Happened to us at our last practice. A ball got between us and the ramp, and...boom. *shudder*

[Nuttyman54]

I KNOW! you just shoot the balls down very rapidly and the reaction force will tip it back up!!! but seriosly, we don't have a tipping problem (thank god) in testing we rocked it all the way back to about 45-50 degrees and it still righted itself when we let go. Yay for low CG!

[Beth Sweet]

As one of the technical mentors showed me (as I was screaming at him), it would take a pretty good fall for us not to be able to get back up. I think that they have so much weight in the front that it just pops back up again.

[Tim566]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

As one of the technical mentors showed me (as I was screaming at him), it would take a pretty good fall for us not to be able to get back up. I think that they have so much weight in the front that it just pops back up again.

front weight would only help if your robot tipped back but supposed it gets tipped over forward while being rammed.

Anyway I am currently trying to figure out how to reduce the chance of tipping over because a sideways robot is essentially useless...

[Mullen]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

As one of the technical mentors showed me (as I was screaming at him), it would take a pretty good fall for us not to be able to get back up. I think that they have so much weight in the front that it just pops back up again.

Quick explanation for beth's comment, as i was the one ignoring her screams:
i was able to tip our robot so that the highest most point was about 1ft from the ground
as we stand now our robot is only 68 pounds (we will be adding more) but of those 68 pounds, 65 of them are within 9 inches of the ground because the rest is just a hopper. we also plan on adding an extra 50 to the chasis at the competition, as well as battery and bumpers. So in the end, we should have about 140/145 pounds within 1ft from the ground spread out through the entire chasis
needless to say, with such a low CoG, we shouldnt have any tipping issues with our bot

[Koko Ed]

Tipping will be a very common occurance this year:
1. Because of so many tall robots
2. Because of the steep angle of the ramp
3. Because of the physical nature of this year's game.

We tried to combat this by building a robot that is under 3 feet tall but there is no garuntee that we won't get tipped over (I remember at IRI last year after Rush Robotics arm exploded intp pieces they took it off and just ran thier hulk on the floor for the next match and they still ended up on thier back (I think they ran up a wedge bot).

[Tim566]

similar thing happened with ours but due to quick thinking by the driver throwing the drive wheels in reverse as the front of the robot went airborne thus the front slammed down bending the battery holder slightly due to the impact of the 120 lb robot slamming back down. you can imagine the collective gasp that occurred or maybe you experienced it yourself

[Steve S.]

we may have a problem with our bot, its .2" under the 5 ft limit

11 Days til FLR!!!

[Nuttyman54]

Originally Posted by team1591

we may have a problem with our bot, its .2" under the 5 ft limit

Height isn't going to be as much of a problem as weight distribution. A robot that is exactly 5 feet tall, but has nothing but PVC and netting above 2 or 3 feet should be just fine. Only those who have motors and launchers (or other heavy items) up high should be worried. Careful driving and knowing the limits of your machine can also help you from getting tipped over. Good luck to all teams!

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by team1591

we may have a problem with our bot, its .2" under the 5 ft limit

11 Days til FLR!!!

You guys seemed to get up the ramp pretty easily at Penfield so I think you'll be alright so long as no one is pushing on you.