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

[EricH]

Originally Posted by happyWobot

No, I didnt. Incidentally we have an arm and counterbalance weights on this year's robot. I've only been with 122 since about 08 so would not have any reference for what the 97 year's robot was like. I'm grateful to know that it wasn't a description of this year's bot. The steel was so difficult to cut it was sent out to be done on a Bridgeport. They came back beautifully milled complete with beveled edges to the exact profile we provided. I was really confused why anyone would think it was cut with a hacksaw. Thanks for the clarification.

Ah, yes, when the old-timers start talking about the "good old days" and the newbies don't have a clue... No worries, happens a few times a year. (Back in the year he was talking about, I do believe that steel would have needed to come from the Small Parts Inc. catalog.)

Probably the most kludged-together robot I've seen was back in 2005. Kit frame. Electronics protection was a clear plastic tub upside down. Superstructure was a small stepladder. Arm was a single piece of PVC (not a bad option). The gripper, on the other hand, was a masterful piece of engineering: Needle-nose pliers (or was it a pair of dikes?), stuck into the end of the PVC pipe so the handles were out and slightly open. Talk about creative uses of materials...

[C.Lesco]

Originally Posted by Andy A.

In the same vain, HSS drill bits make crappy yet expedient dowel pins. Drill the hole and, while still running the drill, angle it to the side with a sharp jerking motion. Instint pinned connection. Back it up with a drop of CA glue if you're the nervous nelly type.

Oh my god im so happy to hear that we werent the only ones doing this. Sketchiest thing, losing bolts on battery box, fixing battery box to frame using zipties which all broke at the end of every match.

All fixed for worlds though

[Gsquared]

At centerline last year there was a robot with a cornhole game on top of a kit bot frame. Still put up more points then anyone on our alliance.

[Ninjastahr]

Team 3928's can burglar from last year was pretty janky, we had to bend plastic (pvc?) pipe by using a heat-shrink gun between qualification and finals because one broke.

(It's the grey one in this picture)

[Batterink]

On our current robot we have a potentiometer double sided taped to our chassis then a cut pen tube attaching it to the shaft. I'll see about getting a picture.

[Twepeler]

We're using a garage door spring to help lift our arm and to slow it down when it comes down

[techhelpbb]

On my test chassis I wanted a way to couple my enclosed rotary shaft encoders to the shaft on the AndyMark gear boxes. So we tie wrapped a piece of automotive hose around the shafts on either end making a 1 foot long flexible shaft coupler that goes back to a brace in the middle of the robot.

I was concerned it might slip but it does not.
I was concerned the misalignment from end to end might cause it to lash, but it does not.

It is janky (jenky sp?) and I like it.

That's not quite as bad as the day a friend and I put a model airplane prop on a weed-whacker small engine clamped to my deck to test something. What could ->possibly<- go wrong there? (Leave that dumb trick to the professionals okay kids!)

[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