The Perfect Design

[archiver]

Posted by Dan, Student on team #10, BSM, from Benilde-St. Margaret's and Banner Engineering.

Posted on 3/2/99 8:59 PM MST



OK, the title is wrong. It was just meant to get you to read this. Although my design isn't perfect, I think it's really good. Unfortunately I thought of this just weeks ago so I haven't bothered mentioning it to anyone. But I need to get it out and just see what everyone thinks.
The very basic idea of the design is: get to the puck as quickly as possible and lock onto both poles so no one can climb them. Then, raise the mast and unfold the box covered in velcro (on the inside only). Rotate the mast (via the big red gear on the base) as necessary so your opponents can't throw floppies at the velcro. Throw all human player floppies at the velcro wall while your ally (if they are not blocked) pushes in more floppies to throw. At the end, refold the velcro box to it's starting position if some floppies are below 8 feet.
Assuming no one else can get on the puck and they push the puck to your side (giving them a doubler, but giving you an easy throw), the highest they can get is 60. Therefore if you get 7 floppies over 8 feet you are guarenteed a win.
This robot would be built to get to the puck and climb it as quickly as possible and only for that purpose. The white pole with the yellow circle at the top is a rough version of the spring-loaded pole-lock arms that would be lowered to stabilize as well.
One of the few ways to beat this design that I can think of is to push the puck so close to to their side that their drivers' stations block the throw- I don't know how effective that would be.
This design would be tough to build, but definitely not beyond the range of most teams.
So, if you encountered this robot in a match, how would you defeat it?
What are its weaknesses?
I've thought this one through and it all checks, but perhaps I'm not being realistic.
I hope I have conveyed my idea effectively, I'm notoriously bad at that.
:-Dan