pic: 179 Swamp Lobster = Done

[Swampdude]

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[Mr MOE]

Very nice. Awesome job.

Love the greeen!

[Brandon Holley]

This robot is going to be very sucessful

[Rick-906]

YEAH Pratt and Whitney
i didnt know they sponsored other teams
ahah siiick

[Cowmankoza]

Definetly gonna be a good competitor, very efficient at scoring on the low goals, good drivetrain, and nice ramps, good luck and see u at ucf

[Adela]

holy shimitaki!
thats a cool bot!
great colours and you have huge ramps!!!!

[crazykid234]

I have a question about your bumpers, why did you put them on the sides?

I thought the point of your octagonal drive was be small and maneuverable. Don't the bumpers kinda defeat the purpose? I ask because we patterned a drive after you.

[Tytus Gerrish]

this one;s not relay octagonal. its a hexagon. the front is pointy and the rear is square

[Swampdude]

Originally Posted by Rick-906

YEAH Pratt and Whitney
i didnt know they sponsored other teams
ahah siiick

Yeah Pratt sponsors quite a few teams. 179, 180 and I think they have 2 teams in CT. now. But we're all under the UTC umbrella. Our particular sponsor (and team 180) is the Space Propulsion division here in South Florida.

I have a question about your bumpers, why did you put them on the sides?

I thought the point of your octagonal drive was be small and maneuverable. Don't the bumpers kinda defeat the purpose? I ask because we patterned a drive after you.

Just because theres a bumper there doesn't mean the shape isn't. It's still a reduced length edge. Actually the original 2005 design purpose was to miminize "pinnability". The shorter your exposed edges, the easier it will be to rotate out of a pin hold. I needed the flat rear to facilitate the ramp width. Although the front is small to pin point a hit on another bot to get them turned away from a scoring position. If our front was long and broad we would just square off. But this narrow front will let us deliver specific hits along a chassis to get it turned away from scoring.
I'm also assuming we will be a target this year because this thing can score fast, and last year we got spanked. This thing is designed to take a pummeling.

[UlTiMaTeP]

Wow Dan, you really were serious about mounting the radio away from all metal.

[Swampdude]

Yah no kidding, and it still doesn't work right....

[wilsonmw04]

Great Robot! saw you guys playing via Web cast. My team used an arm similar to yours this year but it couldn't grip the ring. How did you articulate the upper and lower half of the gripper? I see pneumatics in there but i can't see how it's done. I would love to give my kids this as a project before our off season event in August

[Swampdude]

If you look at our gallery on our website www.179swampthing.org you'll see some CAD pictures as well as close-ups of the mechanisms. There are (2) 3/4" bore pistons with 1" strokes that actuate the rear grippers on a pivot point about 3" up from the point the piston is connected to it (so there isn't much leverage - but you don't really need it). The forward pinchers are static. Then this whole assembly is welded together and pivots on the chasis by another 3/4" piston with 5" stroke. Its hard to see and explain, but hopefully the pictures will help.