Robot Lifting

[JohnFogarty]

Our idea was bungied Dual Telescoping Towers shooting up with crane hooks and a wench system with a cable strong enough to lift an elephant to pull us up and anyone who wants to hang on us.

[Rick Wagner]

In '04 several teams used a bent fiberglass rod with a hook on the end and cable dressed to the rod with velcro. Rod is held bent by a servo or small pneumatic cylinder pin-puller. When released it snaps upward as it straightens to the right hight to hook the bar. Winding the winch raises the robot.

[Brian C]

Originally Posted by John_1102

Our idea was bungied Dual Telescoping Towers shooting up with crane hooks and a wench system

Now that brings some interesting designs to mind

[bobosalad]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

It would be beneficial for teams to examine alternate lifting methods. Why is everyone so focused on hanging from the horizontal bar, when there are four vertical bars that would work just as well with a smaller, simpler mechanism?

this is the type of thinking we need, it may not work exactly as easy as sounded but this is what makes robotics cool and innovative.
if any teams come up with good ideas and prototype it, leave links for pics or something

[spiffyspleen]

Does anyone have any alternate ideas that are really compact?

Also, I'd just like to point out that (1) you only really need to extend a little over thirty inches during the finale, cutting time considerably if you can extend to about sixty inches beforehand.

And (2), anytime you touch the tower during the match you can extend to finale proportions. That way a slower lifter could get up ten or fifteen seconds before the twenty second finale and still score. If you're planning on lifting other robots as well, this would give much needed extra time, especially if the first robot could get to the top just as the finale period began.

Thanks for any ideas.

Originally Posted by bobosalad

this is the type of thinking we need, it may not work exactly as easy as sounded but this is what makes robotics cool and innovative.
if any teams come up with good ideas and prototype it, leave links for pics or something

I'll have my team put some images up here if they're interested in sharing.

Originally Posted by spiffyspleen

Does anyone have any alternate ideas that are really compact?

Also, I'd just like to point out that (1) you only really need to extend a little over thirty inches during the finale, cutting time considerably if you can extend to about sixty inches beforehand.

And (2), anytime you touch the tower during the match you can extend to finale proportions. That way a slower lifter could get up ten or fifteen seconds before the twenty second finale and still score. If you're planning on lifting other robots as well, this would give much needed extra time, especially if the first robot could get to the top just as the finale period began.

Thanks for any ideas.

(1) assumes you're maxing out your height, and won't be able to drive through the tunnel.

(2) I actually like the idea of a dedicated lifter playing defence and moving to the tower early. It would make for an interesting strategy, with the possibility of points that cannot be defended against, due to the penalties surrounding lifting/hanging.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

(2) I actually like the idea of a dedicated lifter playing defence and moving to the tower early. It would make for an interesting strategy, with the possibility of points that cannot be defended against, due to the penalties surrounding lifting/hanging.

Those penalties only apply during the 20-second FINALE.

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Those penalties only apply during the 20-second FINALE.

Yep. So as long as your bot can be in position before the FINALE, and can hang/hang others in less then 20 (or 15, for safety) seconds, you're guaranteed points for each match. Play defense for most, then go hang. Nice and simple, I like it.

[FrankN]

Hi, As I understand the rules the lifting is defined as "above the platform and in contact with the tower". It doesn't say the robot has to hang of the cross tube. So why can't the robot clamp to one of the vertical tower poles and pull itself up. It would not have to reach so far and also would not have to be concerned with the center of gravity wanting it to swing under the tower.
Frank

[Tom Line]

That is perfectly acceptable if you can design a mechanism that can lock in place without damaging the tower.

[bobosalad]

Originally Posted by FrankN

Hi, As I understand the rules the lifting is defined as "above the platform and in contact with the tower". It doesn't say the robot has to hang of the cross tube. So why can't the robot clamp to one of the vertical tower poles and pull itself up. It would not have to reach so far and also would not have to be concerned with the center of gravity wanting it to swing under the tower.
Frank

the hardest part of this is obviously attaching to the bar; how would you keep from sliding down the vertical tube?

[FrankN]

Originally Posted by bobosalad

the hardest part of this is obviously attaching to the bar; how would you keep from sliding down the vertical tube?

you have an arm that folds up past the tower, with a pivot above the platform. then you have a cross member at the tip of the arm and that is past the tower pole and a second on that is lower before the tower pole . If you then start retracting ( folding) the arm back it will clamp itself to the towerpol and the weight of the robot will lock it in. to support this function the crossmembers should have rubber surfaces.

[FrankN]

Like an adjustable
c-clamp

[gorrilla]

Is noone thinking about getting on the platfrom from the bump?

[bobosalad]

Originally Posted by gorrilla

Is noone thinking about getting on the platfrom from the bump?

problem with that is there is a lip from the bump to the tower, and geting centered on the bump isnt going to be easy anyways