pic: Team 330 - Beach 'Bot 2010 - "XXXII"

[ShaneP]

Here is a shot during assembly which shows the detail of the kicker. 3 cylinders are used. Two 3/4" bore "trigger" cylinders in the front, and one 1.5" bore cylinder in the back which supplies the major punch for center and far kicks. Just the trigger cylinders are used to fire balls in the near zone.

For center and far shots, the rear cylinder is charge while the trigger cylinders lock it back. The "triggers" are then shot and the geometry in the linkages allow the kicker foot to increase speed as the "triggers" travel through their stroke. The large cylinder only uses roughly 4 inches of stroke, allowing for decent compressor recharge time.

The different between center and far kicks: Stopping the roller results in a center (low) shot and running the roller as we kick results in a far (chip/high) shot.

All the kicking options and cylinder timings are coordinated in software.