kicker idea input

[RRLedford]

We considered pneumatics and ordered our free Bimba cylinders, but then we estimated we could not have enough CFPM flow from the compressor do frequent full-field power kicks without depleting the reserve pressure.
So we opted for CIM powered bungee tension kicking.
A piece of wood 2x4 foot + PVC pipe leg pendulum test showed we could get some decent bungee powered kicks.
We are now testing a sliding PVC pipe ram having kevlar cables attached at rear on both sides and two bungee groups (one for each side of ram) attached to cables.
We plan to pretension the ram so it already has some bungee force on it at the start of the pull stroke. Then a geared down CIM with output of 12-15RPM will give us a 180 degree wind up of cable for ~10 more inches of bungee pull. The winder mechanism is designed to be able to release shots at any point in the wind up, so we can have programmable control of distance. The winder mechanism design can immediately start the pulling for next wind up cycle as soon as it shoots, and we don't have to wait for gearbox to run another 180 degrees before it starts the next pull. We will have enough power to shoot full length of field shots every 2-3 seconds for the entire match. We will also be able to use our kicker winder as a tower winch at end of game, so it is located near bottom center of robot.
More info to follow as we assemble.
-RRLedford