pic: Team 1388: Done.

[Mike Hendricks]

loading photo ...

[jgannon]

This robot is a beast. I got a chance to drive it around tonight, and it goes so fast, yet stops almost immediately, even with the Victors set to coast. The telescoping boom also goes way fast. I can't wait to test all the backdrive protection on the arm motors tomorrow.

[Mike Hendricks]

Originally Posted by jgannon

This robot is a beast. I got a chance to drive it around tonight, and it goes so fast, yet stops almost immediately, even with the Victors set to coast. The telescoping boom also goes way fast. I can't wait to test all the backdrive protection on the arm motors tomorrow.

*cough*

http://www.eaglerobotics.com/videos/sparky.wmv - 1.3mb WMV9

By the way - Unoffical name is Sparky .. after the sparks that shot out of one of the CIM victors tonight. Hopefully we'll get some better videos once the thing actually works without letting the arm fall back ..

[Denman]

nice, and i assume thats a ram at the back to keep it in size requirements?

[Zanella BR]

Really interesting design!

What's its speed?

[Mike Hendricks]

Originally Posted by Denman

nice, and i assume thats a ram at the back to keep it in size requirements?

No .. theres no pneumatics on the bot. It actually stays in the offical size with the power off .. but once you start driving it around it'll backdrive (until the feedback gets programmed in .. which .. should be happening as I post this)

Originally Posted by Zanella BR

Really interesting design!

What's its speed?

Thanks. I'm not sure if anyone has calculated the actual speed yet. I'll check with the drivetrain people.

[Stu Bloom]

Are you powering the front wheels only? It looks like most of the weight is in the back. How well does it turn?

Nice looking arm design - top section telescoping??

[abeD]

I think its 6wd..you can't really see it in the picture but in the video im pretty sure i saw some chain connecting the the other wheels to the front one....btw awesome design reliable drivetrain + great looking arm. Good luck with the feedback on the arm we did it on my old team and it really helps alot. (Except when we forgot to recalibrate the pots and the arm went insane... )

[Ready_Mix]

Oh yeah, thats my exploding victor!

Although I feel bad about killing that victor, Im glad our bots name is "Sparky" rather than DerFlem or whatever.

and so, after 5 1/2 weeks and one victor, the robot is ready to go.

[Crebb]

There might be other teams and robots named "Sparky"

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Crebb

There might be other teams and robots named "Sparky"

Fear not... it is now known as "Ratchet".

[Pin Man]

I like the little lip that unfolds... Clever... Nice 6WD too... Can't wait to see it in action!

[Mike Hendricks]

Originally Posted by Zanella BR

What's its speed?

9 feet per second.

And it is no longer Sparky (for a short time it was also called smokey, because of those wonderful FP motors). It is offically named "Ratchet" (as Joey said already)