pic: Recycle Rush Re-design

[KohKohPuffs]

Originally Posted by DaveL

Nice job!

About picking up the can.
- Is there a 2nd elevator section hiding behind the stack?

- How does the robot grab the bottom of the can?
(elevator pivot or another mechanism)

Dave

Nope, there's only one elevator, and that's exclusive to stacking. Also, the elevator is really short: it can lift up to the second tote level; after all, stacking really only occurs at that level.

To answer the second question, the robot has a four-bar linkage arm powered by 2 BAG motors (okay is there like a thread about BAGs vs. 775s somewhere?). That lowers down and actuates a pneumatic claw to grab the bin. I do not need a pivot for the claw, because the geometry of the four-bar automatically controls the angle of the claw to be horizontal with the ground.

[DaveL]

Interesting.
Check out team 4488. They have an amazing robot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZazV3wP1s

Dave

[EmileH]

What is the gear reduction for the versaplanetary on the BAGs driving the can grabbers?

[nuclearnerd]

Originally Posted by KohKohPuffs

Nope, there's only one elevator, and that's exclusive to stacking. Also, the elevator is really short: it can lift up to the second tote level; after all, stacking really only occurs at that level.

You might consider lifting a little higher so you can do co-op.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by nuclearnerd

You might consider lifting a little higher so you can do co-op.

I haven't looked at the CAD, but from the render, it appears you need more than just lifting higher to score co-op. The elevator bracket appears to be fixed on the horizontal axis, and the way it supports a tote means that it cannot be extended outside of the robot frame. This could probably be enabled without additional actuators but would certainly require greater complexity to push the totes out while being supported by the elevator.
The intake rollers also appear to be at a constant altitude and possibly location, interfering with the coop score. The rollers would need to move out of the way (or better, up so that they push the totes out).

Edits:

Originally Posted by EmileH

The intake rollers do actuate out - it's hard to see from the render but there is a pneumatic piston there.

Oh, I see that now. That does mean that (as currently mounted) they would not be useful to help place the elevated stack on the step; another mechanism would be required.

Also, I was curious about the RC lift - do I understand correctly that it would be a two-step process to cap a stack of fewer than six totes? That is, you'd have to score the short stack, then back up a bit to score the RC atop it. Not a showstopper, but an interesting trade-off.

[EmileH]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

The intake rollers also appear to be at a constant altitude and possibly location, interfering with the coop score. The rollers would need to move out of the way (or better, up so that they push the totes out).

The intake rollers do actuate out - it's hard to see from the render but there is a pneumatic piston there.

[KohKohPuffs]

Originally Posted by EmileH

The intake rollers do actuate out - it's hard to see from the render but there is a pneumatic piston there.

Yes, there are pistons that actuate the intakes in and out. As for the bot's ability to do coopertition, I never intended this to have that function. Maybe the intakes are high enough to do it, and if it does, then I can use the intakes to roll the yellow totes out. However, for this bot it's all about the stacking. If this were in a competition, I would love the 40 points from the yellow totes, but making consistent stacks looks better for scouting. That was my logic for that.

As for dropping a stack less than 6 totes, yes the bot does have to back up a little because of the bin grabber arm. It's a disadvantage, but I kind of also wanted to do such a mechanism because I never made such things in CAD before, and I wanted to try it out.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by KohKohPuffs

I would love the 40 points from the yellow totes, but making consistent stacks looks better for scouting. That was my logic for that.

Noted, and respected. Just trying to clarify the decisions that led to this design.

Originally Posted by KohKohPuffs

As for dropping a stack less than 6 totes, yes the bot does have to back up a little because of the bin grabber arm. It's a disadvantage, but I kind of also wanted to do such a mechanism because I never made such things in CAD before, and I wanted to try it out.

Again, noted and respected; just clarifying.