pic: Our spine

[Qbranch]

Very Innovative... It will be interesting to see how it functions!

Can you tell what that material is you used for the spine's core?

What regionals are you guys going to?

I usually don't ask two questions in a row?

-q

[Darkforces]

We do cover it so the cables dont get tangle up with anything, its made out of a fiberglass antenna for a boat, its very strong and flexable, and were going to the florida regional.

[bear24rw]

Thats awsome

Do you have a video of it yet?

[Cody Carey]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I honestly can say uh.. I don't get it. lol
Sorry.
I'll have to see this bad boy in person.
What regionals are you headed to?
Atlanta as well?

Think of it like when you reel a fishing pole in too far, and it bends over because of the pressure.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by Cody Carey

Think of it like when you reel a fishing pole in too far, and it bends over because of the pressure.

except you can control the direction it bends, so you can pick up in the front, the back, or any where in between just by changing the tension on the 4 cables.

Is it safe to assume that you guys have some clever control, or are you manually controlling the tension on the cables?

[Darkforces]

Unfortunatly the motors for the arm dont have encoders, however we dont really need them. I will say we do have "somthing special'' that helps with control.

[Cody Carey]

A miniature model of the robot?

[Darkforces]

Nope its part of our actual robot.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Darkforces

Nope its part of our actual robot.

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

[Darkforces]

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

Im sorry im not following could you please explain?

[Cowmankoza]

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

What he is stating is that you could make a miniature version of your arm in order to control your robot, you have a feedback sensor on the model on the points of movement, and you have the same on the larger version and you just work it in the code to say when this is he (on the mini) this goes here (on the real one), im not sure of how its exactly done, but i have seen it done before

[Darkforces]

Oh i get it know, crap now why didn't we think of that. Its a good idea unfortunately we didn't think of it and probably wouldn't of had time to do it.

[silicon_ghoti]

Guess' for control:
1. A resisting flex seonsor allowing for the approximate bend of the antenna to be read.
2. A camera that looks for a "green blob" on the end.

and coolest (but least likely)...

3. Your using a fiber-optics cable and analyzing the light distortion to find how your bent!!!!

[Nuttyman54]

The most direct (and probably easiest) method would just be to build a miniature version of the arm and put potentiometers where the motors would interface. Then you just read the pot values and map them.

If you design it, you can build it into a project box the size of a joystick base during your fix-it windows, and just plug it in at competition

[goingdeafsoon5]

that is crazy i cant wait to see it in action at the FL regional

I think we are using the same mecanum wheels as you guys