Robot-Appendage Balancing

[ipburbank]

In brainstorming ideas for an effective active balancing solution, while considering constraints such as limited to no mobility when three robots are on a bridge, I stumbled upon the idea of counting the entire super structure of the robot as an appendage. This would allow a team to shift the majority of a robot's weight (all but the chassis) up to 14" in either direction of center.

With the understanding that this may soon become illegal, what are the thoughts on this system?

PS: Having just today tested our bridge's balance using an old robot, we realized how much more difficult this will be than we originally thought, especially if balance adjustments require driving the robot.

Cheers, Istvan.