pic: 885 rollers lower front

[Andy A.]

Originally Posted by Tyler Olds

Looks great!!! Rollers are very similiar to ours.

Couple questions:

1. How many balls can you hold

2. Do you catch the balls from the ball release

3. Any other features

Good luck this year.

Thank you for the kind words.

To answer your questions:

1. Honestly, we don't know for sure. There is space for up to 8, but we've never had enough balls to see what happens when it sucks up more then 4 balls at once. On paper, it will work. In reality, roller systems are somewhat upredictable. I guess we will know for sure at Manchester.

2. Currently, yes, we could catch balls from under the dump. However, the top of the roller assembly may have to be closed off to keep balls from popping out. Additionaly, the top opening isn't really that large, nor is our capacity. I guess to me it makes just as much sense to pick them up off the ground rather then hope to get them as they fall out. Its more fun, in anycase.

3. Additional capabiltys include a mobile goal latch and an arm that currently can only knock off a 2x ball or a 10 point ball. We may get the ball grabber installed in the pits if we get lucky. In anycase, the rolller assembly is the real core of the machine (taking up roughly half the size of the machine!). Additional capabiltys have been sort of bolted on afterthoughts. But, with 15 pounds of spare wieght to play with, things to look for may be a brake, arm attachment, additional sensors, who knows.

3a: Currently our auto mode is still a wait and see affair. Exactly what we do will depend a lot on how the first few matches play out.

To clear up a question on the rollers: There are two sets of rollers, one front and one back. Each set is powered by its own FP motor mounted near the top of the assembly. Timing belts transmit power to each roller. So far, the system has been pretty succesful, needing only some minor tweaks to the roller spacing.

-Andy A.