Minibot switches and soft landings

[WarehouseCrew]

Thanks for the help. We will try this.

[Andrew Bates]

You don't necessarily need to make your minibot come down slowly. Our minibot hit the top, turned off, and then free falled down to hit either our deployer or the platform. Our minbot hasn't had any issues with this.

[boomergeek]

Team 241 uses a high friction hinged flap over the top of the kit-of-parts limit switch. When the hinged flap hits the plate, it absorbs the energy in the friction on the hinge. The bottom of the flap then strikes the limit switch and the minibot starts down the pole in brake mode. The small spring in the limit switch is not strong enough to push the high friction hinged flap up. After the minibot comes down you manually have to put the flap back up and off the limit switch to be ready for the next race.

Our hinged flap is just a piece of angled aluminum connected to the minibot with a screw and TWO nuts as the hinge. The first nut is tightened until the hinge gives the right amount of friction, the second nut is tightened while securely holding the first nut in place. This will keep it from loosening.
The flap can also have a stop under it to assure the limit switch does not absorb the full blow of the tower plate. The stop can just be a well placed screw and nut.

[JB987]

Originally Posted by boomergeek

Team 241 uses a high friction hinged flap over the top of the kit-of-parts limit switch. When the hinged flap hits the plate, it absorbs the energy in the friction on the hinge. The bottom of the flap then strikes the limit switch and the minibot starts down the pole in brake mode. The small spring in the limit switch is not strong enough to push the high friction hinged flap up. After the minibot comes down you manually have to put the flap back up and off the limit switch to be ready for the next race.

Our hinged flap is just a piece of angled aluminum connected to the minibot with a screw and TWO nuts as the hinge. The first nut is tightened until the hinge gives the right amount of friction, the second nut is tightened while securely holding the first nut in place. This will keep it from loosening.
The flap can also have a stop under it to assure the limit switch does not absorb the full blow of the tower plate. The stop can just be a well placed screw and nut.

How did you turn 1 limit switch basically into a 3 way usually used to produce the break mode?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I know it is hard to read this in the rules for the minibot, but you can modify the light switch so that a plunger mechanism turns the switch off when it reaches the top. You can also use a lever to increase the pressure placed on the switch.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by JB987

How did you turn 1 limit switch basically into a 3 way usually used to produce the break mode?

The KoP limit switches are in essence identical to a "3 way" sw. How to make it so the off position if brake is detailed in post 2 and 3 of this thread.

[boomergeek]

Originally Posted by Mr V

The KoP limit switches are in essence identical to a "3 way" sw. How to make it so the off position if brake is detailed in post 2 and 3 of this thread.

Here's a marked up diagram...
(I always tell students to use a continuity meter (ohm meter with a beep mode) and flip the switch on and off to make sure they know which terminal is the common before wiring anything- sometimes its easy to get confused by the markings).

[kws4000]

UNTESTED: We have applyed a 'brain bucket' to our minibot...lime green...got us the imagery award at GVSU/West Michigan comp last week...Amen. Thats all I can say.

[Vermeulen]

Originally Posted by corpralchee

You don't necessarily need to make your minibot come down slowly. Our minibot hit the top, turned off, and then free falled down to hit either our deployer or the platform. Our minbot hasn't had any issues with this.

We also did this. We had a small latex tubing cushion on the bottom, but removed it due to deployer issues. Our minibot never had any problems with this. On a semi-related note, you don't want to have the minibot contact the deployer if at all possible. I've seen red cards being given because of this.

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Vermeulen

We also did this. We had a small latex tubing cushion on the bottom, but removed it due to deployer issues. Our minibot never had any problems with this. On a semi-related note, you don't want to have the minibot contact the deployer if at all possible. I've seen red cards being given because of this.

Can you provide a rule that would indicate this is a red card/yellow card/penalty?

-Brando

[cgmv123]

<G22> HOSTBOTS may not contact their ALLIANCE‟S MINIBOT while any part of it is above the DEPLOYMENT LINE.

[Andrew Bates]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

<G22> HOSTBOTS may not contact their ALLIANCE‟S MINIBOT while any part of it is above the DEPLOYMENT LINE.

At least in our setup, when the minibot can touch the deployment, the minibot is not above the deployment line.

[cgmv123]

That should be legal.

[Vermeulen]

@Brando

Hm, I guess I was misreading rule G22 as not being able to contact the hostbot after any part crosses the deployment line, and not as long as any part is over the deployment line. In that case, I don't know what our partner's red card was given for during that match, we just assumed it was a G22 violation.

[boomergeek]

Originally Posted by Vermeulen

@Brando

Hm, I guess I was misreading rule G22 as not being able to contact the hostbot after any part crosses the deployment line, and not as long as any part is over the deployment line. In that case, I don't know what our partner's red card was given for during that match, we just assumed it was a G22 violation.

If a deployer swings the minibot down, like a drawbridge, and as it comes down if any portion of the minibot is above the deployment line and simultaneously within the vertical cylinder of the tower and in contact with the deployer- independent of whether it is in contact with the pole, I think the referees will rule it in violation.

Here's a whole thread on it...

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ent+cylind er