Team 842,The Forbes Arm, Mach-1

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

The non 1:1 ratio is where the mechanism gets its "magic", really. Still seems like the first of its kind.

First time in FIRST? Maybe...

However, no offense to Steve -- this is just an example of a grounded link, or as some people might call them a "virtual 4-bar" linkage. It is pretty darn cool, but this technology has been around for a long time.

One of my hobbies is researching cool mechanisms and linkages from history. Back in "the day" when computer control was non-existent, engineers designed machines which turn constant rotary motion (from a stem engine, or water wheel, or whatever) into all sorts of different motions -- including linear motion.

In fact, I know a company in NY involved in a design which utilized something similar to this for an oscillating shower-head on a paper machine.

Call it the Forbes arm if you want, but to me this is similar to the people who used to say Paul Copioli invented the 4-bar linkage...

Again -- no offense intended to Steve Forbes on a beautiful design.
I love it when someone takes a cool linkage or mechanism and uses it with great success on an FRC robot. Now if only I can find an excuse for a Geneva Mechanism (I keep trying to find one).

-John