Anyone thinking NERF ball turret

[eiii]

Originally Posted by KrtZer0

Turrets are very legal.

the big issue for our team is side-loading vs bottom-loading.
We are actually probably going to end up with the launching device being part of the turret with just as much movement allowed., Remember, the longer the ball stays enclosed without direct propulsion, the slower and less accurately it will go

the 'no open system' refers to the covering of fast/dangetously moving parts. There have been some pics up of teams launching through two fast-moving belts and for safety reasons, the final model will need to have those belts covered from the outside. The same will go for spinning gears and wheels that could possibly come in contact with another bot.

Thanks.

[Stephen.Yanczura]

What I ment about no open systems, was that you cannot design the air system just to dump to the atmosphere such as an air cannon design. Now that was my belief but upon scaning the rules I found nothing to back that up. So perhaps that is not the case. Would anyone like to offer input on that?

[Taylor]

At the kickoff they spent an awful lot of time talking about the softball launcher - surely they wouldn't have been misleading us would they?
Are softball launchers compatible with a tube? Would it improve accuracy or put sidespin on the ball, forcing it to hook or slice?
And I know you're not Shirley.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by boiler

At the kickoff they spent an awful lot of time talking about the softball launcher - surely they wouldn't have been misleading us would they?

They wouldn't intentionally provide misleading information in the official presentation of the game. However, the game with the rocking ramp (Diabolical Dynamics?) was won using a scheme which ignored the example of a single robot balancing on the ramp while holding on to one goal at each side. The teams who followed that example lost the opportunity to have all four robots score bonus points at the end of the match.

So consider well your options. A spinning-wheel ball launcher is an obvious choice, but it might not be the winning one.

[Leo 1529]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

They wouldn't intentionally provide misleading information in the official presentation of the game. However, the game with the rocking ramp (Diabolical Dynamics?) was won using a scheme which ignored the example of a single robot balancing on the ramp while holding on to one goal at each side. The teams who followed that example lost the opportunity to have all four robots score bonus points at the end of the match.

So consider well your options. A spinning-wheel ball launcher is an obvious choice, but it might not be the winning one.

yeah i thought that a spinning-wheel launcher would be a real common feature on most of the robots. I dont know if we are still considering even using a cannon or pitching machine on our robot

[Jonathan Norris]

Surprisingly the cannon extension will not provide as much accuracy as you may think. At least that is what we found from our prototyping.

[TEAM456MS]

You could use a spring then pull back a plate inside the turret with a winch. It would be semi simple design that would follow regulations.

[EricRobodox]

What i have figured out, there are only 4 plausible ways of firing a ball.
1. Single wheel shot (pitching machine on kickoff video)
2. Multiple wheel shot (more advanced pitching maching, look at a batting cage)
3. Catipult
4. Pneumatic piston/spring shot (both similar in a platform pushing the ball out)

[Andrew Blair]

Don't forget "Flywheel to linear transition" thrower"...

[EricRobodox]

Originally Posted by Andrew Blair

Don't forget "Flywheel to linear transition" thrower"...

Can you show me an example. i can up with this basic list in like 2 min, so i want to know what the fly wheel to a linear transition is?

[Ianworld]

I'm not sure if this is what Blair was going for but this is what i'm envisioning. First place a ball on a cart like object that can carry the ball and make it travel on a short track. Then take a flywheel and bring it into contact with the cart to accelerate it. the cart should travel until it hits a stopper making it stop and any ball on it flying off. It seems like a nice compromise between a flywheel and some other sort cannon mechanism. You get consistency because you're always shooting the same cart object, but it isn't quite as fast and quickly repeatable as a straight flywheel. If you springload the cart so that it automatically comes back you wouldn't have to devote another motor the cart mechanism.

[EricRobodox]

that still is categorized in the one wheel system, its just a small modification.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by Ianworld

I'm not sure if this is what Blair was going for but this is what i'm envisioning. First place a ball on a cart like object that can carry the ball and make it travel on a short track. Then take a flywheel and bring it into contact with the cart to accelerate it. the cart should travel until it hits a stopper making it stop and any ball on it flying off. It seems like a nice compromise between a flywheel and some other sort cannon mechanism. You get consistency because you're always shooting the same cart object, but it isn't quite as fast and quickly repeatable as a straight flywheel. If you springload the cart so that it automatically comes back you wouldn't have to devote another motor the cart mechanism.

Eh, something like like. Your's is better. There was a thread on here before about converting rotational into linear motion. That was what I referring to. But it seems rather feasible. The other option is to have a flywheel somehow coupled to a rod so that you can throw the rod forward. Rod hits ball, ball goes out.

[warcommander200]

Originally Posted by TEAM456MS

You could use a spring then pull back a plate inside the turret with a winch. It would be semi simple design that would follow regulations.

that might be fine as long as you remember that the ball we are using for the game is made to absorbs force so it would require 2x the force to send the ball the same distance. plus a spring would constantly lose it rebound as the match went on.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by EricRobodox

Can you show me an example. i can up with this basic list in like 2 min, so i want to know what the fly wheel to a linear transition is?

think crankshaft or camshafts too

also how about gravity fed trbuchet style or bow and string mangonels. crossbowish stuff.
so basically simply put the list gets to be

angular kinetic energy (flywheels and the such)
gravitational potential energy (obvious)
elastic potential energy (bows. cross bows. springs. bungees)
compressed gas
electrical(as in motors so i guess this is kinda angular kinetic)
mind power(technically unless you need to send radio waves from your head you dont even need to have the driver do this. someone in the stands can do this.. and even shoot down opponent's shots. but maybe violates GP? i unno
some sort of chemical reaction or sumthing. probably not legal