What is the most ghetto thing you've seen on a robot?

[Alan Anderson]

At an off-season several years ago we had a motor sticking out the side of the robot's superstructure with wires in danger of being damaged by contacting other robots. After trying and failing to fashion a wire guard out of polycarb, we pulled an empty plastic soda bottle out of the trash, cut off the top, and zip-tied it around the end of the motor.

I have seen aluminum ladders cut into short sections and used as robot frame pieces.

I don't know what category I'd put this one in: a rookie team at the 2014 Arkansas Regional used a mannequin leg as a kicker for Aerial Assist. They also had a lampshade they put over the top of the robot.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I don't know what category I'd put this one in: a rookie team at the 2014 Arkansas Regional used a mannequin leg as a kicker for Aerial Assist. They also had a lampshade they put over the top of the robot.

I hope they won a Major Award for that.

[Alan Anderson]

[leg lamp]

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

I hope they won a Major Award for that.

I'm pretty sure they got Rookie Inspiration.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

I don't know what category I'd put this one in: a rookie team at the 2014 Arkansas Regional used a mannequin leg as a kicker for Aerial Assist. They also had a lampshade they put over the top of the robot.

I really wanted to use a toilet plunger as the "kicker" that would push the boulders into the shooter. We even prototyped it, as it was approximately the contour we needed, but as expected, the plunger occasionally created suction that stuck to the boulder.

My next suggestion was a boot - they stopped taking my suggestions after that.

[bennettj800]

How about a box made of pegboard which was *made* to entrap the ball in the Hub City Regional of 2014? (it was affectionately known by all as "Fridgebot" and did exactly what was required of it... although it made a few people mad... and the referees had to make an improv move on entrapment, but still! it was awesome! (so creative, they were)

[logank013]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

I really wanted to use a toilet plunger as the "kicker" that would push the boulders into the shooter. We even prototyped it, as it was approximately the contour we needed, but as expected, the plunger occasionally created suction that stuck to the boulder.

My next suggestion was a boot - they stopped taking my suggestions after that.

Why not just drill a hole in the the rubber of the plunger somewhere to prevent suction?

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by logank013

Why not just drill a hole in the the rubber of the plunger somewhere to prevent suction?

We did talk about that actually. Or 3D printing a piece of rigid plastic that just looked like a toilet plunger. We decided at this point that we were solving the wrong problem.

[techhelpbb]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

We did talk about that actually. Or 3D printing a piece of rigid plastic that just looked like a toilet plunger. We decided at this point that we were solving the wrong problem.

You ever see the Red Green Show?

Handyman Corner
Red attempted to demonstrate creative and often humorous ways to tackle relatively common tasks, such as taking out the trash or making use of derelict cars, or to create something extravagant out of whatever he could get his hands on. Memorable examples included a paddlewheeler made out of a van on pallets and a revolving door, a jetpack made from two propane tanks, a hybrid car from recycled golf carts and satellite dishes, and a kiddie ride made from a bar stool attached to the agitator of a washing machine. Duct tape, "the handyman's secret weapon," was almost always the fastener of choice. In one episode, he tried to duct tape the Ontario-Quebec border as a potential solution to Quebec separatism. The segment customarily concluded with the aphorism "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."

Whenever you find yourself over engineering, I just ask myself can this be done with a some piece of junk I've got laying somewhere

[natejo99]

Not sure if this qualifies as sketchy/janky, but I have to bring up what our team has dubbed "chairbot" from 2014


https://imgur.com/bHhtJpb

[arc25565]

On our robot at the Greater Toronto central regional the screws holding a cim into a transmission were loose. Needless to say we didn't have enough time to fix it properly so we used pieces of scrap metal, zip ties and about a half roll of duct tape to hold it in place.

[C.Lesco]

Originally Posted by natejo99

Not sure if this qualifies as sketchy/janky, but I have to bring up what our team has dubbed "chairbot" from 2014


https://imgur.com/bHhtJpb

I am not even kidding, hands down, no doubt, this is my favorite robot from 2014. This is so awesome. We use peices of chairs on our bot as a frame but this is next level. Fav bot fav team 2014.

[messer5740]

Originally Posted by C.Lesco

I am not even kidding, hands down, no doubt, this is my favorite robot from 2014. This is so awesome. We use peices of chairs on our bot as a frame but this is next level. Fav bot fav team 2014.

WHAAAAAAAAAA?????
Catcher only or could it shoot too? (Don't know the rules too well rookie year was 2015)

[Hitchhiker 42]

Originally Posted by messer5740

WHAAAAAAAAAA?????
Catcher only or could it shoot too? (Don't know the rules too well rookie year was 2015)

Seems like a defense bot.

[Christopher149]

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker 42

Seems like a defense bot.

Amusingly, the chair replaced a wooden structure for their second event.

Example of it earning a possession in a match (so it is much more than a mere defense bot).

[techhelpbb]

Originally Posted by natejo99

Not sure if this qualifies as sketchy/janky, but I have to bring up what our team has dubbed "chairbot" from 2014

https://imgur.com/bHhtJpb

Chairman's: light on man, heavy on chair