Video of FRC488 lifting two robots

[Madison]

We've finally begun parsing our raw video from the Pacific Northwest Regional into individual matches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9rLeu0NYyU

Here's qualifying match #3. The ringer-scoring machines hadn't yet warmed up, explaining some of the really defense-heavy strategy. I thought some folks might be interested in seeing how the lifts looked in action, though, so check out the last twenty or so seconds.

[yourface1277]

well done. very smooth. looks like you make it easy on other robots

It was really cool to watch your lifter system in action. The motion seemed so smooth and even, unlike some other lifters.

Just wondering, what angle were the small ramps attached to your main platforms?

[Dave McLaughlin]

Ah what a nice reminder of the PNW regional, that was one of our best matches. Best of luck

-Dave McLaughlin, 1983 Driver

[Otaku]

Congratulations on your #2 finish today, and your two post-game awards (Like the engineering award)!

Our team was right next to you in the stands so...

What time is it?

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Otaku

Congratulations on your #2 finish today, and your two post-game awards (Like the engineering award)!

Our team was right next to you in the stands so...

What time is it?

488!!

Thank you so much for the compliments! We are beyond thrilled to be moving onward to Atlanta!

[Chris_Elston]

Independent lifting, very nice. That can come in very handy. Hope to see you guys in Atlanta. Can you guys do a "buzzer" lift too with your gas springs? 1501 Buzzer Lift.

I was looking at this picture

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Chris_Elston

Independent lifting, very nice. That can come in very handy. Hope to see you guys in Atlanta. Can you guys do a "buzzer" lift too with your gas springs? 1501 Buzzer Lift.

I was looking at this picture

Gas springs would also be capable of a "buzzer lift", as they don't require power to move.

[Chris_Elston]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Gas springs would also be capable of a "buzzer lift", as they don't require power to move.

I wasn't sure what they had to "release" them to make them lift after the buzzer.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Chris_Elston

I wasn't sure what they had to "release" them to make them lift after the buzzer.

Probably a failsafe or something, like if radio contact is disabled, then release a pin or something, or maybe a system so that it needs power to keep the ramps down and after power is taken from the bot it lifts.

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Chris_Elston

Independent lifting, very nice. That can come in very handy. Hope to see you guys in Atlanta. Can you guys do a "buzzer" lift too with your gas springs? 1501 Buzzer Lift.

I was looking at this picture

Originally Posted by Otaku

Probably a failsafe or something, like if radio contact is disabled, then release a pin or something, or maybe a system so that it needs power to keep the ramps down and after power is taken from the bot it lifts.

Our gas springs are restrained by two steel hooks per side that mechanically link the upper part of the lift's four bar linkage with the lower part, holding them shut. On the bottom side of each lift is a Fisher Price motor passing through a Banebots 256:1 gearbox with a custom clutch and bellcrank assembly on the output. The bell crank is fixed to the hooks by some threaded rod and translates the rotary motion of the motor to linear motion required to release the hooks. It takes a fraction of a second long pulse of power to the FP motors to rotate them enough to pull the hooks and the clutch helps to avoid damaging the bell crank if the system is overrevved.

In effect, we're using the force of the gas springs -- 125 lbs. ea., 250 lbs. per side -- to create sufficient friction between the hooks and the lower part of the four bar linkage. When the lifts do not have a robot on them, it's very difficult to overcome that friction and release the lifts and is intentional. The added weight of a robot on the lifts reduce the force of friction and makes it far easier to release the hooks. It's as much of a failsafe as we could afford and works very well. The lifts have only deployed unintentionally twice and both resulted from very high shock loads.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

488!!

Thank you so much for the compliments! We are beyond thrilled to be moving onward to Atlanta!

Yeah, and with any luck, 675 will run into 488 at Atlanta as well. We did pretty good at the San Jose Regional (as you probably saw, We were Semifinalists and were allied with 987 & 846) and we're optimistic for Davis.

Anywho, the xbot seemed to work pretty well. I like the controller board (with the shielded toggle switches for ramp release) and the detachable ramp mechanisms.

[georgia.belter]

Are you done with your robot

[Madison]

This is from last season. So far, this year, we're only almost done with our drive train.