What was 2000 National winners?

[Wayne C.]

Perseus-

This year's machine is more functional than the decorative Robo Kong of last year but we did design it with an "out of the box" flair. The Silver Scorpion is a powerful 2 goal grabber. The machine has two huge retractable hooks which deploy as the robot leaves the gate. They grab two goals simultaneously while we run between them and then pull the goals in towards the chassis locking them to the robot as a tight unit. Shock absorbers and a sliding carriage for the hooks allow a full speed grab of the dead weight goals without damaging the machine. As the hooks deploy they give the sound of two scimitar swords crossing- kind of a ninja intimidation sound. They arch around front like the chelae of a scorpion- hence the name. They can release goals, work independently and even drag a robot if necessary. They dragged last year's Kong sideways like a rag doll. These grabbers are unlike any grab mechanisms I have seen so far.
The machine runs on six, well machined enhanced tires which have incredible traction and a 33/1 geared down power of Chiaphua motors. At Rutgers we were usually the first robot to the goals and had them hooked and in our zone by the time most robots reached center field. The machine is also highly maneuverable and our drivers have a well practiced matador routine for beating other robots.
To top it off there is a 30 ft fold out tether arm powered by a small robot which is aimed on a 360 degree turret. It can reach from zone to zone from nearly anywhere on the field.

Sorry if it sounds like boasting but we are really proud of this machine. It is the most powerful and durable machine we have ever built and seeded us the highest we ever achieved at Rutgers- 4th!!. If you guys have time between battling Sparky and Beatty drop over to Archimedes and take a look!!

Good luck in your division and maybe fate will let us meet on the big stage.

WC