09-02-2003 20:32

BionicAlumni

Where is the blue?

09-02-2003 20:32

Jeremy_Mc

what is your main function? stack? or maybe push?

*jeremy

09-02-2003 20:56

Gope

Ah. I'm not sure exactly what ur bot does, but im sure that it does it well. Maybe some explination plz?

09-02-2003 21:04

Shawn60

There are still some parts to add to the robot. I will post them in the next few days. We are working on the well... but we are doing it fast.

09-02-2003 21:42

AJ Quick

Bridge blocker?

What do those red things do?

09-02-2003 23:42

Ken Leung

As far as I can tell, the pneumatic actuator facing us is used to knock bins over, or its used to lift bins up 2 bins high and stack them.

Since the red bars aren't for the HDPE, I have to say it's used to climb over the bar, since the tall structure will never fit under. Or it can simply act as wedges. They would also protect a stack of bins from the side.


The big structure on top is probably used to push the wall of bins in the middle.

I think there will be some sort of wings on the side two, looking at the mounting holes.

10-02-2003 00:15

abeD

are those eye in those 4 red poles? and i cant tell what your robot is gonna do

10-02-2003 00:29

Cory

perhaps the red poles connect to the "wings" or whatever may be missing and lowers/raises them.

10-02-2003 00:36

sanddrag

I blew up the pic in Photoshop and I've come to some conclusions and I've come across some more questions.

CONCLUSIONS:

In the center of the side of the robot closest to us in the pic, there is a large worm gear driven by a worm on a globe motor just behind the worm gear. The worm gear is affixed to the shaft which rotates the red bars downward. The same is true for the opposite side since another globe motor in the same orientation is clearly visible behind the battery.

The red bars rotate down to lift the robot off the ground making it immovable.

The biggest pneumatic cylinder is not attatched to the white A-frame structure.

A pneumatic cylinder is attatched to the white A-frame on one end and on the other end attatched to a fifth wheel similar to the 4 drive wheels but set up to be like a caster.

If the white A-frame rotates downward, it could be used to knock over a stack and keep all the bins in line to push into scoring.

QUESTIONS:

I cannot tell if the giant white A-frame structure is rigid or if it rotates downward or something. I cannot see the far side mounting points (if any)

I have no idea what the two identical pneumatic cylinders are used for.

I have no idea what that large pneumatic cylinder is used for.

What is the yellow thing on the right side behind the Chiaphua?

It looks like there are 4 cylinders but none of them is the Parker one in the kit.

And what are the four mounting brackets on each corner for?

10-02-2003 00:41

Cory

1: two accumulators. the tubing is coming out of either end, therefore it is not a actuator.

2: there are four cylinders, two custom to shift the gearbox, two of the supplied to do whatever task they are doing. the two that you were looking at were accumulators, not actuators.

Cory

10-02-2003 00:53

sanddrag

Oh yeah, I forgot about those.

So, 2 tanks (accumulators), 2 like cylinders to shift. One cylinder to raise and lower the fifth wheel, and one large cylinder for something else.

Now from there gearbox picture posted elsewhere, how do they drive both sides independently with that one 4 motor gearbox? Is it one box with independent drivetrains or is it all together with a differential and use steering brakes?

<edit> And I figured out that the yellow thing behind the right side Chiaphua is just a tube for wires and pneumatic lines to pass through </edit>

10-02-2003 00:55

Cory

It sure looks like its all connected together to me, im thinking the latter is right

Cory

10-02-2003 00:59

sanddrag

Once enlarged, I see that the gearbox photo was taken at just the right angle to make this design feature not able to be seen.

We need some more info or pics.

10-02-2003 11:43

Madison

Clearly, the red poles are outriggers. My guess would be that the black nubs at their end are similar to those rubber feet that they sell for furniture and things, or they're suction cups. They're too to move the robot over the bar, and couldn't do so without relying on reacting with the midfield barrier.

The large piston, center, is, quite possibly used to stack bins. The half round piece is used for alignment and support, I'd imagine. Since piston rods are free to rotate inside their cylinder, the halfpipe would hit a bin and rotate to lie flat against its side. The extension above the halfpipe shape is inserted inside the bins handles, or below the lip on the long side. Its stroke is of sufficient length, it seems, to lift a bin (or stack of bins) high enough sit them atop another bin. 1.5" bore, ~12" stroke? By grabbing a bin from its underside lip, it makes it very easy to release them, as well. Just retract the piston. At 60 PSI, that piston could lift a stack plenty high, too. Very elegant.

The four motor, single output gearbox doesn't have a differential, nor steering. Instead, I'd venture to guess that it has more in common with a clutch. To turn, they disengage one side of the drivetrain from that gearbox, effectively making it freewheel. If there were a differential, it'd have to be a limited slip differential, otherwise they risk wasting all of that power on spinning their wheels. So, clutch-like thing it is, I'd say. The other option is that the fifth wheel is used for steering. But, there's only one, and it's off center, and that doesn't seem to make much sense right now. Though, currently, I can't see what advantage having four power the same gearbox has over having two per side (effectively, a limited slip differential on its own).

10-02-2003 17:18

Shawn60

I will post a more updated picture in a day or two. The white structure is rigid. The ends of the red arms is a very cool, rigid, impact resistant plastic. The motors shift in gear and than into neutral. It was taken at that angle due to the glare of the flash not to be sneaky. Yes the worm gear is on both sides. We power each side independently and it is 4WD.