1711 Video demonstration

[MrForbes]

We were having trouble with air consumption, so we thought about how to set up the cylinders so that they only need air applied on one end, the other end is open and gravity or some other part of the robot pushes it back to starting position.

On the jaw hinge...that looks like a tough problem, and it's hard to see enough detail of what you have now to help figure out different ways to do it. Maybe some close up pictures would help.

[x7shaddow]

It looks like a good well thought out design but I might suggest bracing the claw that grabs it because I's hate to see what would happen if you slammed unexpectadly into the overpass of arena wall.

[Qbranch]

Originally Posted by squirrel

We were having trouble with air consumption, so we thought about how to set up the cylinders so that they only need air applied on one end, the other end is open and gravity or some other part of the robot pushes it back to starting position.

We are using this feature in our succsssful "Six-Shooter" trackball launcher. Only one piston has a return line which pulls the others back along with it. This also greatly increased efficiency as the high side of the other pistons is fully vented in the pre-firing condition.

-q

[Furrah!!]

Hmmmmm if you had some surgical tubing or some elastic material attach to the jaws to close then you would only need to use air to open them.