Safely removing a level three climber

[chi-town-biker]

I’ve started planning how we will remove our robot from the pyramid after a level three climb. The robot will be over five feet from the floor and the top close to eight feet. We’re trying to keep the weight down but with battery and bumpers I expect we’ll approach 100 pounds. For testing and practice at school, we’re planning to use an engine hoist or gantry to lift the robot, roll away from the pyramid and lower it to the floor.

I’m less confident about our plan at competitions where special tools are not allowed and the belay system cannot be used for lifting the robot. Here is the procedure I’ve come up with so far.
1) Attach the belay system
2) Turn off the robot
3) Release the pressure on the pneumatic lines
4) Have two students stand between the second and third horizontal bars and lift the robot off the pyramid using secure handles made for lifting
5) The first two students hand the robot to the next two students who are standing between the first and second horizontal bars
6) The second pair of students hold the robot while the first pair climbs outside the pyramid
7) The second pair hand the robot to the first pair who set it on the floor
8) Detach the belay system and carry the robot off the field
In addition to safety glasses, we’re going to issue hard hats to the four students.

I’m mostly concerned about safely handing the robot from the first pair to the second pair. 100 pounds is a significant weight to handle overhead while constrained between a set of bars. Rather than lifting handles, a stout bar that can be grasped along the whole side of the robot may be better even if it is heavier. I hope others have considered this problem and I’m asking for suggestions on how we can improve our procedure.

As an aside, I do think a safer solution at competitions is for FIRST to provide a rolling engine hoist or gantry to teams. The gantry can be used to carry the weight of the robot, roll away from the pyramid, and lower the robot to the floor. Harbor Freight sells a gantry that is over 12 feet high for $650.