pic: Team Rush 27 - Up and out!

[Stu Bloom]

Nice ball handling/feeding mechanism, and fantastic looking turret! I can't wait to see this finished machine in action!

[Eldarion]

Just out of curiosity, how are you guys with top-heavyness? I assume the turret and shooter are going to be up in the air.

[ajlapp]

Just out of curiosity, how are you guys with top-heavyness? I assume the turret and shooter are going to be up in the air.

It is always a concern...but it obviously hasn't stopped us from continuing with this design.

The shooter itself has been optimized for weight. Everything else is stuck in the base, low to the ground......and if you avoid certain on field elements, CG isn't quite as big of a concern!

If you look close at the ball elevator you'll see that there really isn't anything there. A few aluminum tubes and a couple of plates! The turret pictured on top weights 3.75 lbs. with a globe.

[Eldarion]

Originally Posted by ajlapp

and if you avoid certain on field elements, CG isn't quite as big of a concern!

Hmm, this reinforces a long-standing suspicion of mine, that a lot of teams may not be interested in the ramp, thus making it not worthwhile for other teams to pursue it either. I guess I'll have to start a poll...

Originally Posted by ajlapp

The turret pictured on top weights 3.75 lbs. with a globe.

That's awesome!

[henryBsick]

I hope your team's coders have fun writing algorithm after algorithm to keep that constantly turret/shooter constantly aimed at the goal

That would be pretty impressive if you indeed got it working to the point of being able to drive around while sucking up balls and have them shoot as soon as they got to the firing mechanism.

Good luck

[phrontist]

We contemplated a similar design, but fabrication difficulty led us to discard it for a similar, but much more robust scheme than loading throught the bottem of a rotating turret. I take it's that large toothed section has been waterjetted?

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Eldarion

Hmm, this reinforces a long-standing suspicion of mine, that a lot of teams may not be interested in the ramp, thus making it not worthwhile for other teams to pursue it either. I guess I'll have to start a poll...!

Or making it all the more worthwhile....

Looks sweet so far. After seeing that and the other pictures/CADs from 27 so far, I can't wait to see the finished product.

[pyroslev]

Nice job guys. Any chance of a video of it in action before the ship date?

I showed the image to a guy on fabrication and his first question: "Is that a Michigan team?"

[Eric Scheuing]

Are you shooting straight up, or can it be tilted?