20-02-2003 13:43

inwoodraider

wow, thats pretty cool. im sure ur robot is going to do really good!
yea!

20-02-2003 15:13

dwolf

how high can you stack?

20-02-2003 15:39

Gadget470

Biased opinion considering that's your team.. Looks nice, but I think there will be many problems when you get to competition.

1) Wiring.. Wow, messy
2) Speed/Power 6" wheelchair wheels don't give a high linear velocity nor do they provide good traction.
3) Structural Integrity.. Looks like it would work well on it's own, but when something else smashes into it I think you may have a major functional piece breaking off. I hope you have a shell for all of that wiring and mechanics.
If i'm not mistaken, it looks like you have a motor out front to raise/lower your stacking forklift. That will bust off from a semi-solid hit from a semi-powerful robot.

Good luck 1155, I hope you have thought through my statements above already so you don't fight an uphill battle.

20-02-2003 15:52

inwoodraider

jas;dkfl

20-02-2003 17:08

Matthew936

Isn't it very top heavy?

looks like it will flip real easy if hit going down the ramp

20-02-2003 17:09

arnob1

Yes InwoodRaider, pay heed to our warnings: our semi-powerful robot is going to hit your weakling robot and destroy it, even though thats against the rules

20-02-2003 21:07

MKashlev

One thought came to my mind: Won't stacks be too heavy that robot can flip over? maybe you can shift the most weight at the other end (not the one with vertical bars)

20-02-2003 21:13

Mimi Brown

Actually, i think they will be ok...they have the battery and compressor on the side w/o the bars...thats the bulk of the extra weight on their bot. We had a similar configuration last year, and as long as the driver doesnt go from full power one way to full power the other, the robot shouldn't flip

so, good luck at comps, it looks like you guys have a good stacker!

20-02-2003 22:09

Tempest

We made a stack of around 4 boxes, and lifted the boxes from the bottom all the way to the top without any problems. the robot only weighs 105lbs. and most of the heavy equipment is in the rear of the robot near the motors, plus it goes very fast, id say 8 seconds to get to the top of the ramp from starting position.

that piece in the front goes down also. so our robot can go under the bar. Our robots name is LowRider

20-02-2003 23:59

marlon_jbt

Uh...

How long will it last? Your 'bot looks about as flimsy as a single piece of paper. Your wiring is horrible. I know a rookie team can do better than THAT.

It looks like an SUV...liable to flip at any second. Those boxes weigh more than you think... Good luck going DOWN the ramp.

Is there a way to shift the weight to the BACK...is that what the pneumatics are used for?

I wish you good luck anyways...

21-02-2003 00:10

inwoodraider

the way that we assembled everything the arms turned out to be pretty light which is easily supported by 2 cylinders. The back of the robot is a lot heavier that the arm section. In the back we have all of the pneumatics including the compressor, the battery, 2 motors and the whole drive train.
The wiring looks messy but its pretty organized, the only thing we had to take into affect was that the tubing and the wiring are pretty intermingled.

Our robot looks small but packs a powerful punch. Just you wait

21-02-2003 13:32

Tempest

umm our robot does not flip over. even if it is carrying 4 boxes. going down the ramp?? please, i told you, that entire front part folds downwards so our robot becomes 13'. Our robot FLIES down the ramp, i have done it before and it is very fast.

Flimsy, ehh its quite strong...

21-02-2003 13:48

Katie Reynolds

Re: Uh...

Geez, settle down and cut them some slack.

1155: I think your bot looks great - quite impressive for a rookie team!! It seems like you have already taken into account that the bins will be heavy. The only thing that worries me about that robot is the lack of covering over the electronics. The thought of a bin hitting them, or a robot arm getting stuck ... ::shudder:: Do you have some sort of covering for them? In any case, good luck guys, and keep up the good work!

- Katie

21-02-2003 22:32

inwoodraider

the problem with putting a cover over the electronics is that there is hardly any clearance when our robot folds down to 13". with that taken into consideration, the arm covers the electronics pretty well when it is down.

Thanks for the encourgement instead of the negativity

21-02-2003 22:47

Charlie222

<sarcasm> hey -- way to go - tearing apart the rookie teams!! good job, that's the spirit of FIRST!! yeah!! </sarcasm>

Team 1155 - To the teams that just tore you apart - I sincerely hope you are up against them in competition and are forced to score points FOR them to gain some extra QP's for yourselves.

21-02-2003 23:05

marlon_jbt

Hey, I'm sorry!

I wish you luck this year!

That's just a picture. That robot may look flimsy (It really does) in a picture, but look much stronger in real life.

If you can accept my advice, I would protect the battery cable more (If you don't already have some type of cover for your 'bot). Any arm that gets entangled with that cord can snap it, and there you are, sitting on the playing field, with no power. Trust me, I've seen it before, and it's not a pretty sight.

Judging from the pictures, I see you are using pneumatics for your stacker/ lifter. This is a very good idea, and if FIRST took away pneumatics, I don't know what I would do.

Like I said before, good luck this year. That stacker/ lifter actually looks like a VERY GOOD design, and I believe it will work VERY WELL. I know some serious thinking went into it. I also see that you are capable to go under the bar. It's good that you learned this now, since it is very important to be able to navigate the ENTIRE playing field.

22-02-2003 10:27

157#1Driver

For a rookie team, it looks good. Everyone forgets your a rookie team and its your first year. Some people just forget when they were rookies.

22-02-2003 11:10

Rich Wong

-------------------------------------------------
Yeh, nice job veteran teams, beating up the rookie team.

Team 1155- do bring with you to the competition- wires,
connectors, spacers and pieces of Lexan. Some of the
veteran FIRST teams at the NYC Regional will help you guys improve on the robot's wiring and robustness.

22-02-2003 21:53

inwoodraider

i think all the confusion is all due to the picture. From the side it looks like the wiring is everywhere, and everything is a mess.
Its just that from this perspective you really can't see how it works.