Articulated arm vs Forklift style arm

[Snowbotics]

Originally Posted by davidcone315

My team is considering using a vacuum to pick up the tubes instead of an arm, does anybody think that is a bad idea?

My team has personally experimented with suction in the 2007 game and we were met with great disappointment and in the end failure to that idea.

[Snowbotics]

Originally Posted by JosephBurns35

i was thinking of doing a fork lift type arm but was wondering how important it would be to be able to pick the pieces of the ground. if it is important than the arm would have to be far more complex than i originally thought.

If you look earlier in this forum someone on I think the first page posted a link to some pictures of a 2008 robot with a fork lift that would solve that problem easily

[Furrah!!]

Hey for everyone whose considering an arm, check the rule update! the 60"diameter has been changed to 84"!!

[Timmur]

The problem with a vacuum is the power it will take and that you need to apply a complete suction to most of the surface for a hold. also if the intake of air is not completely covered that means less pressure and less of a grip. This competition calls for speed so there is going to be some bumping no matter what. That suction might not hold. If you still plan for all this and do vacuum successfully then i tip my hat to you. good luck to all this year!

[tomy]

Originally Posted by drakesword

The biggest con with an arm this year is the 60' rule!

60" is only the starting configuration after the match has started you can go as high as you want

[Nemisis]

This entire week my team and i have been designing and searching for ideas just like most everyone but we've found that watching the championship games from 2007 show some great bots with incredible designs that use the articulated arm with a claw and the forklift idea that was mentioned. We've pretty much settled on the arm idea but engineered our own claw. My suggestions would be to watch some videos and study up a bit. Also with the new updates that have been set into play could possibly help! Like for instance the 84' diameter now no longer 60'. So it might be somethin to consider maybe! Best of Luck to all!

[TheGreatPhil]

Originally Posted by Tom Ore

We're thinking of using static electricity to pick up the tubes. The programmers are trying to figure out how to make the robot shuffle it's feet on the carpet.

Good luck with that, if you really want to go with static electricity I'd recommend using capacitors to build up charge.

[keehun]

Originally Posted by Snowbotics

My team has personally experimented with suction in the 2007 game and we were met with great disappointment and in the end failure to that idea.

Team 2502 has a mentor that is a salesman at a pneumatics company and deals with all sorts of pneumatics and industrial extruded materials.

He brought in his kit of vacuum products with all assortment of cups (standard to weird shaped ones) and all sorts of valves and vacuum modules and items of that nature and we tried everything. It held on to the tubes REALLY well and even held tightly when shook... But once we put our hand to one of the father places of the tube and pushed it, it just popped right off.

Also, air consumption, we thought, would be an issue to keep the seal tight for the entire 2 minutes.

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by keehun

Also, air consumption, we thought, would be an issue to keep the seal tight for the entire 2 minutes.

This is generally my objection to pneumatics.

If you are repeating the process over and over, you're chewing through your batteries via the compressor. If you're not, then why are you including pneumatics when a motor or servo can do the same job?

I long for the day that the electric solenoid -- so darn useful in industry -- is finally allowed in FIRST.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by pfreivald

What if one were to design a forklift that could still pick up things off the floor, over the top of the bumpers, without use of a motor to articulate their grabber?

Hmmm...

Really?

Hmm.

I think we need to setup a party between our teams at your shop sometime after you build it...

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

Really?

Hmm.

I think we need to setup a party between our teams at your shop sometime after you build it...

Nevermind... We came up with something even better.

[jblay]

Arm pros:
simpler
more robust
lighter

Lift pros:
easier to score on the pegs
can raise lift in safe zone without having to leave the zone

As a team that did the lift back in 05. I can say that it takes a lot of upkeep and in many ways is not worth it. on the other hand that was one of our best robots all time. I couldn't find any pictures of the lift but if I do I'll post them

[efoote868]

Here's my teams 'bot from 2007. You'll want to watch from about :37-1:27

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...5109075900959#

[TEE]

Originally Posted by TheGreatPhil

Good luck with that, if you really want to go with static electricity I'd recommend using capacitors to build up charge.

I think he was joking

[Grim Tuesday]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

Really?

Hmm.

I think we need to setup a party between our teams at your shop sometime after you build it...

Not to crash your party, but since we are doing that, I can't wait to see how you do it at FLR!