pic: Team 1501 (T.H.R.U.S.T.) 2009 Skyhawk

[Wayne Doenges]

The camera rotates to find, and lock onto, the target trailer, than it brings the shooter turret in line to make the shot.
Turret can also be manually controlled. We have 180 degress of movement.

[Collin Fultz]

I got to see this bot at a pre-ship scrimmage yesterday. VERY cool and will definately be a force at Boilermaker.

[Fireworks 234]

I have to say that I find myself staring at your robot year after year. It's one of those robots that I look forward to seeing, because I know it'll amaze me every time! Great job you guys!

[Luke Pike]

I'm the programmer that Wayne was referring to. I thought I would explain how the shooter does it's stuff. The camera code is a slightly modified version of the Two Color Tracking Example. Once the camera has a lock, I do a bunch of trig to get the distance and therefore the velocity of the moon rock. I also get the angle the turret needs to point at and, using a 1000 pulse per revolution encoder, turn the turret to the correct angle.

Most of the time, the camera can lock on quickly to a target and all the operator has to do is fire. However, if the target is moving very erratically or the camera is blocked by something, the operator can take full control of the turret and firing speed.

If any of the shooting components should fail (it shouldn't, but with other robots ramming into us, it is a possibility), we still have another option. That "huge gaping mouth", as roboticWanderor put it so well, is capable of holding 7 or 8 moon rocks held back by the thresher. We can deliver these balls to human players or even other robots by reversing the thresher speed (controlled by the driver) and regurgitating the moon rocks (seriously, that's what it looks like).

[Wayne Doenges]

We will be holding our usual Count-the-Rivet contest at Boilermaker.
We don't know what the prize will be, but it will be nice.

The total count is not 1501

[BPetry234]

It was really cool to see it in action this past weekend. Like others have said, it sounds really cool when it fires. Seemed to do pretty well on the field, better then I thought a shooter would do.

[Steven Zehner]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Not only is it one of the most beautiful FRC robots I've ever seen, but it makes the most wonderful "Ding!" sound each time it scores a moon rock.

It doesn't like to miss either, so the "ding" is truly telling others that it scored.

[That Green Gent]

WOW! Nice. This is my teams first (pun intended) year and from what I've seen so far, this is the nicest looking one with a clever utilization of rivets and the exit sign (lol). Just throwing this out there, it looks like a kitchen mixer. But still awesome at that!

[samir13k]

I totally thought it looked like a kitchen mixer when it was finished! I just was not sure if i was just dillusional since i was hitting my 20th straight hr in the shop and it was 7 am!

[Wayne Doenges]

I thought it looked more like an espresso machine.
One of the possible names was Express-O Delivery

The name "Skyhawk" is to honor one of our mentors who passed away 2 years ago. Jerry Smyth flew for the Navy and his aircraft was the A4 Skyhawk.

[Nathan]

Congrats 1501! The robot looks amazing!!

[Crump]

maybe its just me... but are those 1024 shirts you're wearing!?!?! GO THRUST!

[Curt Henderson]

Those are Kil-a-byte T-Shirts, but they are on the Kil-a-byte team memebers who got caught in the crossfire of the camera.

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Wayne Doenges

I thought it looked more like an espresso machine.

It is so sleek. I really thought it looked like a combo espresso machine/salon hair dryer - futuristic/and something you would find in a cool games arcade. It's a beauty.

[Enigma's puzzle]

It is so clean and beautiful

inserting Envy here