Let's Talk About The Bridge:

[372 lives on]

I would love to see if anyone builds "minibots". Yeah of you can get your robot down to 10x10 that would be intense but would probably not be very usefull so how about other weird sizes like 10x 20 I want to see something crazy like that designed for 3 bots on a bridge but still able to function during normal game play.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by 372 lives on

I would love to see if anyone builds "minibots". Yeah of you can get your robot down to 10x10 that would be intense but would probably not be very usefull so how about other weird sizes like 10x 20 I want to see something crazy like that designed for 3 bots on a bridge but still able to function during normal game play.

You can fit three normal sized robots on the bridge.

While smaller robots would make it easier, it's not impossible with "normal" sized robots.

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

You can fit three normal sized robots on the bridge.

While smaller robots would make it easier, it's not impossible with "normal" sized robots.

You can fit four normal size robots on the bridge too, even the outer ones.

-RRLedford

[372 lives on]

Originally Posted by RRLedford

You can fit four normal size robots on the bridge too, even the outer ones.

-RRLedford

LOLOLOL

i want to see your math.

no really...

28*4=112 inches
+ bumpers=136 inches


ok so how do we get 136 inches onto 88 inches???

finishies lolrage realizes we have three robots per alliance.........

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by 372 lives on

LOLOLOL

i want to see your math.

no really...

28*4=112 inches
+ bumpers=136 inches


ok so how do we get 136 inches onto 88 inches???

finishies lolrage realizes we have three robots per alliance.........

I didn't say that any match would be having an actual 4 bots on a bridge result.
I only said that four full size bots CAN be balanced on the outer bridges, and without overlapping each other
In order to imagine what I am saying you will have to start thinking more "outside the bridge"

Now that I consider it further, even five (5) full size bots can balance on the bridge
-RRLedford

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by RRLedford

I didn't say that any match would be having an actual 4 bots on a bridge result.
I only said that four full size bots CAN be balanced on the outer bridges, and without overlapping each other
In order to imagine what I am saying you will have to start thinking more "outside the bridge"

Now that I consider it further, even five (5) full size bots can balance on the bridge
-RRLedford

I now believe that even without trolling or overlapping, as many as eight (8) 27" x 37" robots could balance on the bridge.

-DIck Ledford

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by RRLedford

I now believe that even without trolling or overlapping, as many as eight (8) 27" x 37" robots could balance on the bridge.

-DIck Ledford

I don't believe more than 3 could stay on as the bridge changes from tipped to balanced due to the angular momentum.

Thus, theoretical maximums are not valid compared to the real world physics of making it happen.

In fact, I believe we will see a number of rolled robots as in the elims as they try for 3 robot balances. Build your robot robustly

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

I don't believe more than 3 could stay on as the bridge changes from tipped to balanced due to the angular momentum.

Thus, theoretical maximums are not valid compared to the real world physics of making it happen.

In fact, I believe we will see a number of rolled robots as in the elims as they try for 3 robot balances. Build your robot robustly

Our robot plays defense and then goes on the bridge first. We head for the balance point and we go just past it enough to tip it down toward our two alliance partners, who can then roll right up with both of them bumper to bumper.

Since we are able to hang off the SIDE edge of the bridge with less than 1/2 of our width located above the bridge, our partners can drive right past us, stopping near the middle. This lets all of three of us remain closer to the center of the bridge as we balance it, making the job much easier than if we had two bots hanging off the ends. None of our alliance needs to go anywhere near the ends to still have a 3-bot balance in elimination round, and we all have plenty of bridge length to work with as we balance it.

-Dick Ledford

[Tom Ore]

Originally Posted by RRLedford

Since we are able to hang off the SIDE edge of the bridge with less than 1/2 of our width located above the bridge, our partners can drive right past us sitting near the middle. This lets all of three of us remain closer to the center of the bridge as we balance it, making the job much easier than if we had two bots hanging off the ends. None of our alliance needs to go anywhere near the ends to still have a 3-bot balance in elimination round.

-Dick Ledford

We pursued this same idea for a few days very early in the season. We took it far enough to get a rough CAD and even named it Harold. In the end, we abanded it with the other two "out there" ideas we were thinking of (the 179 style and the trollbot style.) It's really cool to see that teams actually built all three of these ideas.

[davidthefat]

This is what I have observed about balancing after practice and going to a scrimmage: it is all about knowing when to just "stop driving". So far, I have consistently balanced the robot in 4 to 10 seconds every time. I realize that you just require a lot of that "gut feeling". You just have to "know" when to stop driving. Once you overshoot, it gets fairly hard to balance. Also, about balancing two robots, I found hand signals to be the best way to communicate with the opposing alliance; have the coach watch and do hand signals.

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

This is what I have observed about balancing after practice and going to a scrimmage: it is all about knowing when to just "stop driving". So far, I have consistently balanced the robot in 4 to 10 seconds every time. I realize that you just require a lot of that "gut feeling". You just have to "know" when to stop driving. Once you overshoot, it gets fairly hard to balance. Also, about balancing two robots, I found hand signals to be the best way to communicate with the opposing alliance; have the coach watch and do hand signals.

We made it to balance in 3 seconds from first wheel touching bridge for out best time in our first real driving tests today. Only ~14" lateral inches of our robot (including the bumper) is above the bridge, and the rest (~19") is hanging off the left side of our bridge. We have only 2 of our 3 right wheels (6 wheel tank drive) making decent contact with the bridge and are just able to make it up with wheels slipping all the way. We can over shoot to send bridge down at opposite end and then spin wheels slowly to hold that tilted position at near mid way down at the low end. After our alliance partners from the scoring end roll right up the bridge going past us, we can then get back up toward center and balance with them near center, along side them.

We really had to get as much of our mass as possible assembled as far over to the right side as possible and we are still needing a bit more far right placed ballast to improve our bridge traction for the 2-3 driven wheels that remain in contact as we go up it. We will likely just keep adding weight there right up to the point where we hit 120 lbs. so we can max out our traction for the right side (on bridge) wheels. Our left wheels are just spinning in the air as we climb up using only the left <1/3 of the bridge. It is a very cool looking DOUBLE balancing act.

-Dick Ledford