Smaller robots

[Eric Bareiss]

I think making the limits smaller will tend to hinder rookie teams because they have not yet learned to complete all of the tasks using a smaller amount of space. Also depending on the task, like lifting a big ball, even the most veteran of teams would have trouble with a smaller robot. Just look at how accurate most teams were with the big ball this year. Now if the tasks were lower or smaller I could understand making the robots smaller. But all in all the size is not out of hand, the robots are still managable and the larger size allows for more variaiton in the robots. besides there is no rule that says your robot can't be as small as you want it to be, so more power to the people that make thier robots small and maneuverable.

[GregT]

I am going to attempt to end this in 3 very true words:


BIGGER IS BETTER

[Carolyn Duncan]

The size of the robots should be based on the game. Sometimes things get too big to handle safely. Things tend to get cumbersome when they are larger. Weight is not always balanced as well and the cg changes. I'm not saying that the robots should be smaller or larger, but that the size constraints should be set to the game. I also think that access to the field will have to be made better than it was last year.

[GregT]

Tha access should be like battlebots- a ramp

[Jeff Waegelin]

Actually, building a cart is not all that difficult. Our team's cart is rather simple, but has managed to hold three different robots with no problems. All it is is 4 pieces of angled steel with casters on the bottom and a piece of plywood across the center and a long handle on one side. Simple, easy, and efficient. Plus, the plywood makes it easy to decorate, or, can be removed if you space the sides out right.

Jeff

[patrickrd]

Originally posted by Jeff Waegelin
Actually, building a cart is not all that difficult. Our team's cart is rather simple, but has managed to hold three different robots with no problems. All it is is 4 pieces of angled steel with casters on the bottom and a piece of plywood across the center and a long handle on one side. Simple, easy, and efficient. Plus, the plywood makes it easy to decorate, or, can be removed if you space the sides out right.

Jeff

I couldn't have described 639's cart better myself... Nice design

[GregT]

Originally posted by Jeff Waegelin
Actually, building a cart is not all that difficult. Our team's cart is rather simple, but has managed to hold three different robots with no problems. All it is is 4 pieces of angled steel with casters on the bottom and a piece of plywood across the center and a long handle on one side. Simple, easy, and efficient. Plus, the plywood makes it easy to decorate, or, can be removed if you space the sides out right.

Jeff

Did you build yours the day in school before you left for compitition too?

That design is great, you have no idea the abuse my team put that design through.

Greg

[Jeff Waegelin]

No, we didn't, but it was not a high priority. A cart should be a functional transport vehicle, not a wacko crazy designed thing. (Though I must admit, T3's cart is really cool...)

[Andy A.]

95 decided we wanted something a bit more flashy and functional in our cart (or war wagon as its called here). It was quickly decided it had to be powered.

Over the fall a wood from was built (complete with a really neato lift to allow easy acceses to the underside of the bot and drive motors) along with boxes for tools. By the time that was finished, the season started and we had to put it on the back burner.

After we shipped the bot, work resumed on the wagon. A pallet jack set up was used for the wheels (two fixed wheels and one center mounted wheel in the back that pivots to change direction). The drive motors were two old vandoor motors hooked up to a unused control system and old battery. A single joystick was the only control (tank steering on the the two powered wheels). Even had a nice suspension. Not only was it strong enough to move the bot and tools around, but a driver could stand on a fold out metal plate in the back and ride it around.

When we got to NJ, we found out that it bearly fit through the gym doors, and was to fast to ride in the pit. So we just walked behind it while controling it.

Unfourtantly, we had to take the controler out of it for use in an older bot (for demos and such) after nats , so its just collecting dust for the time being. For the summer games, we just used our practice strecher.

At least it was fun making the thing (riding it was even better!)....

-Andy