FRC971 Spartan Robotics 2016 Release Video

[ComranM]

Team 971 proudly presents our 2016 robot, which will be competing at the Sacramento and Silicon Valley regionals in California. Special thanks to everyone who made this robot possible!

And without further ado, here is a link to our release video: https://youtu.be/CMX4ynSQsyI

See you at the competition!

[jajabinx124]

I like the steering wheel! Did your driver just prefer to control the robot that way? Quite interesting.

Looks impressive as always 971. Good luck at your regional's and I hope to see you guys at champs.

[kevincrispie]

Originally Posted by jajabinx124

I like the steering wheel! Did your driver just prefer to control the robot that way? Quite interesting.

Looks impressive as always 971. Good luck at your regional's and I hope to see you guys at champs.

Many of the team members are likely busy practicing for Davis, so I'll try and answer a couple other questions and some students or Austin and Travis can correct me where appropriate.

The team has been using the steering wheel setup since at least 2009. The team has found that our drivers like this setup and it provides excellent maneuverability and is very intuitive. Having a steering wheel with good software allows a driver to very easily make constant radius arced turns. Many drivers who use two joystick tank drive, especially beginners, tend to have a jerky and less efficient path to certain points around the field. It can be pretty easy to tell what system people use just by watching people drive. With practice, we think that the driver station setup gives us great handling on the robot and many advantages.

Great job Comran making a fantastic reveal/promo video!

[Caishin]

Originally Posted by kevincrispie

The team has found that our drivers like this setup and it provides excellent maneuverability and is very intuitive.

I was operator last year for the team and I believe one of the biggest advantages was that it's very similar to driving a car so people who have experience with that should be able to pick up easily on the controls. Sort of ironic because the driver for the past few years ran everywhere instead of driving but was a great robot driver.

[AustinSchuh]

Originally Posted by kevincrispie

The team has been using the steering wheel setup since at least 2009.!

If I remember right, we started using a wheel in 2006, and haven't looked back since.

Our tentative name for the robot is Geoffrey. That may change, but it seems to be the consensus.

The board is a Jetson TK1.

The shooter wrist and shoulder joints are mechanically independent, but the software ends up more complicated that way. Motions in one now affect the other, which causes no end of headaches... It wouldn't be a proper 971 robot if we didn't fix it in software

We are looking forwards to getting to see everyone at the Sacramento Regional, Silicon Valley Regional, and hopefully champs!

[Cory Walters]

Wow! That shooter arm springing out is amazing!

[BrendanB]

I love this robot!

Those linkages did not disappoint you guys always have some of the coolest machines on the field!

[CalTran]

For some reason, when this unfolds, I get somewhat of a "King Cobra" vibe from it.

[Chak]

Originally Posted by CalTran

For some reason, when this unfolds, I get somewhat of a "King Cobra" vibe from it.

That reminds me: what's this robot's name?
"King Cobra" would be great.

[JohnFogarty]

Is that ITX motherboard a camera processing computer? What's it running?

[thatprogrammer]

WOW... I am simply speechless!
Congrats to all of 971 for making such an AMAZING robot.

I like the steering wheel! Did your driver just prefer to control the robot that way? Quite interesting.

They have used a steering wheel since at least 2014.

[AWoL]

Wow, watching that robot move is mesmerizing.

[jajabinx124]

Originally Posted by thatprogrammer

They have used a steering wheel since at least 2014.

Ohh okay. I didn't know that. Thanks for answering.

[Brandon Holley]

Absolutely one of the most absurd robots I've ever seen - and I mean that in the absolute BEST way possible.

Way to go 971 - this thing is a work of art.

-Brando

[pmangels17]

971 is nothing if not elegant, and this year is no exception. Y'all make it look easy with designs this good.

If I may ask, does the shooter "wrist" rotate independently of the arm or are the mechanically linked?