Vacuum Pickup

[Kevin Thorp]

We had good results in 2014 (https://youtu.be/tPNvIXTAd4s), but decided not to use vacuum because adapting a FIRST-legal motor to a small shop vac was beyond our resources at the time. But another team won our regional with a vacuum pickup. That was Aerial Assist & the game piece was a giant yoga ball with a fabric covering.

I recommend high flow/low vacuum like a small shop vac produces, rather than low flow/high vacuum, as you would get from a venturi-type vacuum generator. Those things are small and light but require a LOT of pressurized air to work.

To prototype just cut a hole in the bottom of a plastic pail or bowl & duct-tape a vacuum hose to it. Even a cheap vacuum can generate ~60" of H20 vacuum (about 2psi). With a 6" diameter bowl: 2 psi x 3 x 3 x pi = 56 lbs lifting force! Even at 50% loss due to leakage, etc. that's still 28 lbs. You might need to vent your system to keep from collapsing the boulder.

Happy prototyping!

[Ryan Dognaux]

We've included a vacuum in our puncher prototype mechanism. So far using a shop vac we've found that the boulder lends itself well to vacuum suction for maintaining control. Also if you get the vacuum over the pinhole, it sucks all of the air out of it and makes your boulder look like a brain or a raisin. https://youtu.be/f24bk-4sZCo?t=54s So that's fun.

[BoilerMentor]

Vaccuum repair shops are quick to give you their broken motor assemblies if you ask.

I'd agree with Taylor's assessment about the relative size of the game pieces and visibility.

It worked pretty well in 08 for 1741.

http://www.thebluealliance.com/match/2008in_qf2m1