pic: The Robonaut's Robot

[MasonMM]

loading photo ...

[phrontist]

Mind-Boggling. I'm quaking in my boots. Can that thing block A WHOLE ROW?!?!

[Mark Pettit]

That's a nice looking robot! It sure came together quickly for you. Congratulations! What a great shop, too!
And since it's customary to chastise teams for not wearing safety specs, let me be the first to compliment you on your 100% compliance.

[Max Lobovsky]

Originally Posted by phrontist

Can that thing block A WHOLE ROW?!?!

Doesn't seem like its possible to block a whole row. Its illegal to latch onto a goal or to use it for support, and it doesnt seem like you'd be able to do any blocking without latching on to something at the end of your arms. It's going to be something very clever, I'm sure...

[Tytus Gerrish]

WOW! that thing is nuts. a crab drive with 2 manipulators on am elevator. Truly amazing

[jgannon]

What is the orange thing at the base of the arm that looks like a soda can?

[Bill Gold]

Nice coaxially powered swerve drive.

[Andy Baker]

I am at a loss for words. Here are some random thoughts:

1. It is 26 days since kickoff... their robot just needs tweaked... omg
2. Just how high does this thing go? Are there 3 stages in there, with about 3 feet of travel each?
3. Hmmm... 2 arms... good for balance, but why else?
4. Sweeeet swerve drive
5. Nice low Cg, considering what this beast is doing... especially like the battery placement.

Fear the Robonauts.

Andy B.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Max Lobovsky

Doesn't seem like its possible to block a whole row. Its illegal to latch onto a goal or to use it for support, and it doesnt seem like you'd be able to do any blocking without latching on to something at the end of your arms. It's going to be something very clever, I'm sure...

<G20> ROBOTS may push or react against any elements of the field, provided there is no damage or disruption of the field elements. ROBOTS may not grab, grasp, grapple or attach to the GOALS or any other field structure. Robots may not extend under the portion of the goal contacting the carpet, lift up or tip over a GOAL. If a ROBOT violates this rule, the referee will give one warning. If the referee determines that the team is disregarding the warning, or the actions affect the outcome of the match, the team’s ROBOT will be disabled for the remainder of the match. If a GOAL is tipped over, it is
automatically OWNED by the opposing alliance for the remainder of the match.


You can react and/or push against a goal or two. I don't see any latches on there to 'grab, grasp, grapple or attach to the GOALS', so I'd say it is perfectly legal.

Very nice job 118. Can you explain how the arm in the middle works? Can it cap?

[Mike Ciance]

Originally Posted by Max Lobovsky

Doesn't seem like its possible to block a whole row. Its illegal to latch onto a goal or to use it for support, and it doesnt seem like you'd be able to do any blocking without latching on to something at the end of your arms. It's going to be something very clever, I'm sure...

it's very possible to block robots without latching onto anything. my team does it all the time. i could be wrong, but that base looks like omni-drive to me. if that thing can drive sideways it will be very effective at blocking. i can see this blocker-bot being a useful alliance partner for nearly any team. especially since it looks like there are very few blocker-bots this year.

[Max Lobovsky]

Originally Posted by Mike Ciance

it's very possible to block robots without latching onto anything. my team does it all the time. i could be wrong, but that base looks like omni-drive to me. if that thing can drive sideways it will be very effective at blocking. i can see this blocker-bot being a useful alliance partner for nearly any team. especially since it looks like there are very few blocker-bots this year.

Sure you can block without latching onto anything. What you can't do is block with arms that extend 3 or 4 feet past your wheels without latching onto something.

It doesn't really matter though, I think Ogre cleared it up. The wording of the rule looks like it makes it legal to block with those arms resting against goals.

[ngreen]

Very nice guys. I've thought about this robot and you are one of the teams I know could do it. I still have nightmares about Immobilius from 2003.

Luckily my team won't be back in Houston to battle this beast. Good luck to a great team who builds amazing robots..

BTW --I love the swerve. It looks very similiar to 2004. And will the clamps stay where they are? ... I guess just really close to finished..

[MasonMM]

Just how high does this thing go? Are there 3 stages in there, with about 3 feet of travel each?

Our arms are mounted off the bottom of the third section of the lift and that gets up to about 7ft. But the total hieght i ssomething like 9ft, and thats with a generous over lap to prevent any wiggling or getting caught in the extended position.

3. Hmmm... 2 arms... good for balance, but why else?

Each arm will carry one tetra, so having two arms allows us to grab and hold two tetras at a time. It also enables us always to be closer to any tetra we want, so we will always have to rotate less to get an arm pointing towards a tetra.

[MasonMM]

Originally Posted by jgannon

What is the orange thing at the base of the arm that looks like a soda can?

not sure exactly what you are talking about, the orange peices are just spacers so the pnuematics dont slide around.

[MasonMM]

Originally Posted by Ogre

Very nice job 118. Can you explain how the arm in the middle works? Can it cap?

The whole upper body is mounted on a turret powered by a chip motor. On top of the turret is a telescoping lift system that goes up and down. The Arms coming off the lift go up to about a 45 degree angle and back down to horizontal. Out of the tips of the arm, are pnumetically powered spears that we will use to catch the tetras, off the ground and off the loading stations. We will use the lift to get higher, and then raise the arms, and while hovering the tetras over the goals we will retract the spears(they are shown retracted in the picture) and the tetra will fall on the goal.

so in short, yes we can cap.