306 Nearly Complete

[Andrew Blair]

Well, for the first time in 9 years, we have decided to complete our robot before the first regional. We are running a 3-speed Dewalt drive train (2.8, 7.5, 11.5 fps), pneumatic actuated scorer, and two robot teeter totter.

A passive ramp extender, ramp top, and potential second row scorer remains to be added, but we intend to be ready for powder coat by Tuesday.

The ramp is capable of loading two robots-two robots of footprints up to 38"x38" can be loaded, or even one flop bot and a standard footprint robot. The teeter totter is generally passive, and an end of match lift- after time- is easily pulled off. The absence of a ramp lip means that the chance of a robot tipping is almost eliminated.

The entire robot is designed around modularity, and every system can be removed for repair or replacement with between four and eight bolts between matches.

CRT 306 Video

[MOE]

Helloooooo from the North East
Job well done team 306 good luck bot looks great maybe see you sometime.
MOE from TEAM 88 TJ2

[Cody Carey]

Man, Your guys robot looks weak! I bet that it would only take 3 full grown men to beat it in a pushing match

[silicon_ghoti]

That's really cool. So when you say passive teeter-totter, do you mean you load one robot, the CoG shifts and another robot gets on? If not how does it work then? Any-who, great looking robot, great job.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by silicon_ghoti

That's really cool. So when you say passive teeter-totter, do you mean you load one robot, the CoG shifts and another robot gets on? If not how does it work then? Any-who, great looking robot, great job.

That's exactly how it works. If you're loading one robot only, you simply drive past the center point, and down the ramp comes to 12 inches. If you're loading two, you simply drive up halfway, wait for the robot behind you to get on, and you drive on together. Simple, reliable, and easy to use!

Plus we won't need teams to sign a waiver releasing us from robot liability before they get onto the thing!

[Cody Carey]

The robots will actually have to load like this:


If the first robot on the ramp is too light to lift up the second, we have a piston to assist in balancing.

[silicon_ghoti]

Gotcha. Thanks for the animation, it helps. Kinda bummed that I'm not going to pittsburg to see it. Oh well.

[Lord Byron]

The short length of your robot makes it looks like it'll be easy for another team to tip you over. Also it would prevent you driving up on robots with a somewhat -steep ramp (if for some reason yours didn't work). Is it better balanced than it appears?

[Andrew Blair]

I would say that close to 80% of the robot's weight is located less than 8 inches off the ground, and in preliminary drive tests, pushing human subjects anyways, this does not seem to be an issue. And, if it gets too bad, we'll add a gyro to counter. But it does not appear to be an issue at all.

[Cody Carey]

Originally Posted by Lord Byron

The short length of your robot makes it looks like it'll be easy for another team to tip you over. Also it would prevent you driving up on robots with a somewhat -steep ramp (if for some reason yours didn't work). Is it better balanced than it appears?

Yes it is... The way we designed our plates, it is like we have built in wheelie bars. I just made this short animation of a side view of our plates when they are tipped in either direction.




As of yet, no matter how hard we've tried, we can't tip it.

[Rich Ross]

it would appear that my earlier concerns have been addressed very completely. Great work!

New concerns:
1. What is the angle of that ramp?
2. Is your arm going to deal well with being run over, or will there be a lexan type substance that keeps the arm from suffering the brunt of that force?
3. You said you can hold a flop bot. How big of a flop bot can you hold?

Very descriptive animations by the way.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by Rich Ross

it would appear that my earlier concerns have been addressed very completely. Great work!

New concerns:
1. What is the angle of that ramp?
2. Is your arm going to deal well with being run over, or will there be a lexan type substance that keeps the arm from suffering the brunt of that force?
3. You said you can hold a flop bot. How big of a flop bot can you hold?

Very descriptive animations by the way.

Rich;

The angle is about 20* right now. However, as you might remember from last year, much of the problem with ramps is not getting on them to start with, but the lip that one must negotiate at the top. Our design eliminates this lip completely, so as long as you can start up the ram at all, you're probably home free.

There is a Lexan flop-out that has yet to be attached. This will completely cover the arm, and provide the first bit of entry ramp.

As far as the flop-bot goes- If its wheel-to-wheel width is less than 36", then you'll be able to negotiate the ramp with issue.