179 Swamp Teasers

[ThirteenOfTwo]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

And that's my point! Maybe we'll start to see more successful robots that don't cross over the halfway point at all!

I'm glad to know that I have a "you-don't-need-to-cross-halfcourt" buddy.

179, I absolutely adore this robot. Depending on its scoring prowess, I can see this being a real dominating force at your regionals, but I'm sure that you'll be a great alliance partner no matter what happens. Thanks for sharing your great idea and good luck during the rest of build season!

[FenixPheonix]

They should be able to lower the bridge, I think. They can use the whole ramp as a lever arm to push it down and drive on top of it. It's clearly strong, since they lift their robot with it. Should be able to handle it, I'd guess.

[Mr B]

Wow! Once again you have shown that you are one of the most creative teams in the world. Your concept has completely shifted the paradigm of a difficult three-robot balance. I look forward to seeing you in action in Orlando - expect many suitors.

[Swampdude]

Thank you Andy, Glenn, Roger, Eric, Gary, Mike, Brandon, Sean, Jared, Drew and everyone for all the compliments and interest, we appreciate it. I think the rules vetting is very informative as to how it will be perceived by the refs etc.

To try and answer a few of the questions:

• When hanging it doesn't touch the lexan ball guard
• There will be rubber strips under the top channel plate
• The tip of the ramp retracts 3.5 inches to keep under the 14" perimiter when the ramp is horizontal then pops out when down.
• Hadn't thought about the perimiter violation rule but I heard a Q&A allows it on the coopertition ramp without penalty

Another neat feature is the strain guages under the upper channel plate will measure upward force of the bridge so we can determine when opposing bot(s) weight is equal to our bots weight. Very colorful programmable LED strips will run up the sides of the ramp that can be seen from both sides of the ramp. The lights will rise as the weight rises, when they reach the top (equalized) they will blink red indicating whoever is driving out to the other end of the bridge to stop moving, then we lift. Plus we will use them like runway lights while the ramp is ready to be climbed. This bot should come in around 110lbs with bumpers, it's very light. I can't wait to see all this stuff do what it supposedly does.

[coldfusion1279]

Originally Posted by Swampdude

Another neat feature is the strain guages under the upper channel plate will measure upward force of the bridge so we can determine when opposing bot(s) weight is equal to our bots weight.

Nice idea. From my experience with strain gauges, I recommend you use a couple of them in different spots along the contact area and average the values. Then you can compare to one single gauge if you so choose. Last thing you want is momentum or non-equilibrium giving false readings.

But you've thought of all this already, haven't you?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Cory

Nothing is guaranteed. The average regional match would probably feature teams that have trouble climbing the ramp.

Not to take anything away from 179, but everyone on Chief always freaks out and starts exclaiming "EINSTEIN!!!!" as soon as they see the first out of the box/good robot posted. It's never that simple.

It'll happen again when we get our first great looking robot reveal video (usually reserved for 118). Ever notice you never see one from 1114, 71 or 67 (Wildstang did it in 2004)?

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

It'll happen again when we get our first great looking robot reveal video (usually reserved for 118). Ever notice you never see one from 1114, 71 or 67 (Wildstang did it in 2004)?

Yup! Best one to date, IMO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgdG...&lf=plpp_video

[pfreivald]

Neat robot! Very aggressive in terms of rules interpretation -- I don't think I'm that brave... I'm not sure if that's a caution or a compliment!

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Swampdude

Hadn't thought about the perimiter violation rule but I heard a Q&A allows it on the coopertition ramp without penalty

The Q&A actually said the opposite:
Q:If a robot is designed to be contacted inside its own frame perimeter to aid in balancing, could a team request a waiver of G27 for touching inside its own frame perimeter to aid in balancing the coopertition bridge with an opponent?
A: No.

So any opponent robot that tries to climb you will earn themselves a G27 violation, complete with technical foul. Of course, you may well find times where this an entirely worthwhile tradeoff. Being qualifications though, I wish your coach luck in negotiating these and determining in-match whether they'll actually happen, if you decide to go that route.

Note that G27 can also earn the opposing robot a yellow card for repeated or egregious violations. You may want a Q&A, but I'd suspect there's nothing much repeated (at least not in a single match, and I doubt you'll coopertition balance with the same robot twice) and certainly not egregious.

[Swampdude]

Video: It's alive!

[Grim Tuesday]

Very Very nice. I'm liking the wheelies that you're doing, it's a new method of getting over the barrier!

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

It'll happen again when we get our first great looking robot reveal video (usually reserved for 118). Ever notice you never see one from 1114, 71 or 67 (Wildstang did it in 2004)?

Never?
http://vimeo.com/3277978

[Grim Tuesday]

I always look forward for 148.

[caseydech]

Three things
1: I love the idea of the arm, my team thought about and still might make one of those
2: A concern about a possible issue, when it is latched onto the ramp, the robot's ramp and its latcher ( not sure what to call it) might be both considered outside of the robots perimeter, maybe there would be a way to fix that
3: One of the reasons my team didn't build this right away was because we think there will be a rule update prohibiting this kind of latching on to something
Hopefully it will be allowed, because I love this idea and I'd love to see it in competition, major wowfactor

[c.shu]

I dont see the pictures of this robot everyone is talking about?