pic: Team 1511 Prototype Drivebase Mk. II

[Arpan]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

I guess....but wouldn't your linkage be just as susceptible to failing in the down position? Call me old fashioned but, I would rather stick 3x 1/2 steel shafts taking the brunt of the impact than some aluminum linkage bracket. Also 1 degree of freedom vs 2+

When the half inch steel shaft bends just a little, it gets stuck. The proper linkage with a robust hinge can be bent and still retract.

The other option here is to incorporate some kind of shock absorption system that absorbs impact. I recall doing something like that on our 2013 robot when we didn't want cylinder shafts to bend as we ran into the pyramid to start our climb.