Team 701 20+ Foot Puncher Prototype

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by Taylor

If only we could build in an environment where an undershirt could be worn outside ...

True with what Doug said. We've only had around three rainy days that I could recall since last spring, and our county and surrounding areas are still brown from the summer, since it doesn't rain in the summer here, except for the beginning of June some years. Usually, the rain comes down nearly every day starting October or November until march or April, and this drought has me worried. This is supposed to be our winter wet season, and it feels like we've skipped that and gone back straight to spring. It's so anomalous. It does feel nice outside, with the sun out to warm up the day, but it's not exactly for the better of our environment here in Solano County.

Also consider that the one wearing the undershirt is our mentor Karan, who will probably wear one no matter what weather anyway. He's a character.

[billbo911]

Nice job 701!

It looks like you are launching from about 3' in the air. Is this where you will be launching on your bot? If not, try it from your proposed height, you may find your trajectory will be quite different. Either way, I know you will dial it in. It's just the RoboVike way!

[alexander.h]

Really cool shooter! Do you think that maybe you could help our team out by giving us a few specs and details? Thanks!

[Tuba4]

We would gladly trade you California folks! We were in the middle of the so called Polar Vortex. We have had several days with highs only in the single digits. And Erie PA leads the nation in snowfall for cities of 100,000+ in size. A full foot ahead of number two. Such an honor we would gladly trade!

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by Tuba4

We would gladly trade you California folks! We were in the middle of the so called Polar Vortex. We have had several days with highs only in the single digits. And Erie PA leads the nation in snowfall for cities of 100,000+ in size. A full foot ahead of number two. Such an honor we would gladly trade!

But...we're in a water shortage.

[mrnoble]

Bedhed, we are bummed you guys aren't coming to Denver this year! When you pushed us out of the way in semis last year, it inspired us to build a much better drive base. We wanted to take you on again...

Nice long shooter, btw.

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by mrnoble

Bedhed, we are bummed you guys aren't coming to Denver this year! When you pushed us out of the way in semis last year, it inspired us to build a much better drive base. We wanted to take you on again...

Nice long shooter, btw.

A rematch will have to happen sometime in the future. Maybe take a trip to sunny California and participate in the Sacramento Regional! Glad my team could inspire your team to improve themselves. Maybe your new drive base might put ours to shame!
I'm assuming that this is the match you are talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXXGj...5KJTAd_c8IRL8Q

Most of the credit actually goes to 2259. I directed them to push, and in some instances, for our team to push behind them for extra force. The double pushing is actually a derivative of one of my pre-written match strategies called "Caterpillar," where all three robots on the alliance drive bumper to bumper towards a goal as an offensive strategy to prevent defending robots from pushing. The other team would be forced to forego their offensive strategy in order to stop our offensive strategy, since two defense robots still would have a difficult time against three robots in line.

If you look to the left at the alliance station, you can see me going back and forth between alliance stations coaching the other teams. Communication was super crucial for this strategy.

[evanatch]

It looks like your shooter/arm setup is quite similar to what we have been prototyping! Nice job on the 20 foot shot, it looks to be really effective.

Originally Posted by bEdhEd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXXGj...5KJTAd_c8IRL8Q

Ah, that was a fun semifinal! Thanks for the video link, it's one of the better ones I've seen from that competition. I'm the human player for 1332 in that video. You guys certainly pushed us around. Our rookie team this year has built a much sturdier drive train for the same reason as our alliance members on 1339 (who were excellent, by the way!).

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by evanatch

It looks like your shooter/arm setup is quite similar to what we have been prototyping! Nice job on the 20 foot shot, it looks to be really effective.



Ah, that was a fun semifinal! Thanks for the video link, it's one of the better ones I've seen from that competition. I'm the human player for 1332 in that video. You guys certainly pushed us around. Our rookie team this year has built a much sturdier drive train for the same reason as our alliance members on 1339 (who were excellent, by the way!).

What kind of drive system did you have for your team that season?

[evanatch]

Originally Posted by bEdhEd

What kind of drive system did you have for your team that season?

4-wheel tank drive, with plaction wheels on the back and omnis on the front. It was reasonably effective, but we felt like the omnis in front were limiting our pushing power. This year, 4944 will be using six plaction wheels.

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by evanatch

4-wheel tank drive, with plaction wheels on the back and omnis on the front. It was reasonably effective, but we felt like the omnis in front were limiting our pushing power. This year, 4944 will be using six plaction wheels.

We stick with the six wheel aluminum treaded wheels with a dropped center wheel. That's what we used last year, and we are using it again this year.

[Doug G]

Originally Posted by alexander.h

Really cool shooter! Do you think that maybe you could help our team out by giving us a few specs and details? Thanks!

CIM motor with 12 tooth pinion to 48 tooth gear on the first stage. 20 tooth to 36 tooth on the second stage. 20 tooth to 35 tooth AndyMark Dog gear on the third stage. The third stage uses the AndyMark long shifter shaft and a custom made spool which winds up the nylon strap pulling back the "piston". Attach a bunch of surgical tubing to the piston base and the front of the launcher and there you go. Our next version is redesigned so it uses a minicim and a GEM500 gearbox in conjunction with the dog shifter/spool assembly so as to simplify the gearing. It will also include a sled launching approach, instead of at the end of a piston. Hopefully it works just as well, if not better.

[brianbond]

Very impressive. That is a far shot. Is the power going to be adjustable?

[bEdhEd]

Originally Posted by brianbond

Very impressive. That is a far shot. Is the power going to be adjustable?

Our new design calls for the need to pull back the slider nearly all the way back to load. We plan on having a stopper that comes up and down by a pneumatic, so we can do long shots, far shots, short assists, and long assists. This will stop our ball seat from going the full distance, in turn making the launch distance shorter.

[Doug G]

Originally Posted by billbo911

Nice job 701!

It looks like you are launching from about 3' in the air. Is this where you will be launching on your bot? If not, try it from your proposed height, you may find your trajectory will be quite different. Either way, I know you will dial it in. It's just the RoboVike way!

Thanks Bill for the advice. Our next version will be shooting from about 15" from the ground. So it will surely be a different trajectory.