Week 1 lessons learned: balancing strategy

[RRLedford]

Originally Posted by RogerR

We have a purpose built mechanism just for this purpose; it may not be as impressive as a triple bot balance, but a garunteed double balance in thirty seconds or less allowed us to play some strategic defense and the rest of the alliance to score until the last part of the match.

I'm surprised so many teams wrote off balancing as easy or simple, and there weren't more dedicated robots or mechanisms.

Our whole design is based on the assumption that the winning alliance will be capable of getting consistent and fast 3-bot balancing in elims. We designed our ~33" wide bot to to be able to roll up the side of the bridge with ~20" of our width overhanging into the air, out beyond the side, and only ~13" above the the bridge.

We wanted be able play defense and then use end with our super strong plow arm to get up onto the bridge with ~25 seconds remaining to pre-tilt it toward our partners on the offensive end. We can reach balance in 3 seconds after our first wheel goes up. We then lean the bridge toward them while they continue shooting as long a possible. We can ride along the side rail of the bridge (without holding or gripping it) from end to end, while most of our width is cantilevered out over the edge guide. Our engagement with it guides us accurately (even when wheels slip) so we can stay laterally balanced and avoid tipping off the side.

Once we tilt bridge toward our offensive , our two non-wide (max ~34") partners are able to quickly and smoothly drive right up the bridge, bumper-to-bumper fashion, stopping on either side of the center, as we simultaneously roll up alongside them toward to center and finish the balance. Our bumper can also help align & guide them, if they are having traction issues, since we cannot be moved laterally much (< 1") or be easily pushed or tipped off the side from the way we overlap the aluminum edge guide and from our lowest possible height bumper positions.

We are a day or two from finishing an identical practice bot to give us two full weeks of driving practice, a first for our small team.

-Dick Ledford