08-08-2003 00:19

JVN

Pretty cool Tytus.

I just wanted to comment:
I think it's GREAT that you are playing around with these hoverbots. Keep up the good work! Always strive to make it better! This is what engineering is all about.

08-08-2003 00:25

Tytus Gerrish

WOWH!
A complement From a legend

Thanks, i built it during a tornado
nice brease actualy

08-08-2003 09:28

Josh Hambright

That is pretty cool tytus.

08-08-2003 16:14

miketwalker

It's looking good Awesome job man.

17-09-2003 21:27

Sachiel7

Looks really cool!
Yeah, we've got a design for a flying drive system hiding in our "design vault", if you will.
We might use it this coming year, or we might use my multi-drive system.
You'll just have to look for the Claw v2 at the 2004 VCU regional!

18-09-2003 16:08

Gadget470

Sachiel: Please don't consider this as totally saying your team's idea will not work.

I too, had thought of making a design for a floating robot, or at least a floating cart. As I looked into it, I found it to be nearer and nearer to impossible with the weight and motors provided. Also, a Hover-Bot would have as close to 0 friction as possible. Think of it like Air Hockey.. Just a little nudge and that puck goes flying pretty good. Now make that similar to this by your 130lb hover robot vs a beast of a robot smacking into it. You wouldnt stand a chance in a pushing match.

Unless.. you dropped down onto driven wheels.. but therein lies another problem...

The amount of hp the FIRST motors have is barely, if at all, going to be able to lift 130lbs with just air displacement. If you look at Tytus's hoverbot, it's made entirely of light materials, and probably weighs well under 10 lbs. There is also a limit to how much pressure the "skirt" can keep in before either a) leaking, or b) momentarily fully lifting the robot thus leaving air an open path to escape.

My personal feeling is that, yes, a 130lb hover-bot can be designed, but not with the FIRST provided motors. Hopefully, someone can prove me wrong though, I'd love to see it accomplished.

18-09-2003 17:39

Tytus Gerrish

MK-IV weighd 6.65 pounds with the batery
wich is less than the preivous versons

18-09-2003 21:57

ZACH P.

I agree that the motors provided are most likely insufficient to create a hovercraft. But also consider that the robot might not be designed to win. I mean look at some of the other unqiue drive systems that were developed. I wont name them, but many of them were designed not to win, but rather to show their engineering prowess. you could make the bot extremely light and streamlined.

20-09-2003 02:59

Gadget470

Engineering prowess.. personally I feel that creating something that can not do it's assigned task effectively (in this case, the FIRST game), it is not really an amazing feat. Especially if it has been done before (i.e. Hovercraft).

A good example of a unique design, not intended on winning, but still a wonderful piece would be the Technokat's "Ball Drive" robot.

Unique, stunning, stellar, and.. when used by team 909, a winning design. 45 didn't intend to win matches, but to show something new and exciting that could be effective.

Another example is 217's CCT. A new idea, that made it's mark by great engineering and effectiveness.

At best, a "hoverbot" team will be remembered as "First off the field" but probably not much more, regardless of what else they can do. By the by, I never said that "winning" should be the only factor of a design. Everyone but 3 teams won this year.. many had incredible machines.

30-09-2003 10:58

Sachiel7

Yeah, I agree that if it doesn't do it's task, thats not useful.
Actually, we were just thinging about the hoverbot for a fun project, or modding up our 2003 bot with some wings...
It's just like programming, as complex as a device may be, it has to do what it does, and well.

30-09-2003 11:09

Tytus Gerrish

Hay!

It does exactly what its supposed to, it Amazes the chillen and Lures them into robotics, My lego league kids were Running it around their cafeteria and its attracted lots of attention to the team, That was its pourpose

And it shows how you can build realy kool stuff out of Trash

30-09-2003 11:25

Joe Matt

Well, the big problem is that the games are usually designed to not allow hover-bots. Remember this years game? We had mesh to prevent hover-bots form going to the top and just setting down. Plus, most years the main goal is pushing rather than manuverablility.

But defenatly re-build your 2002 bot and mess with it, that's how you discover your mistakes and fix them.

30-09-2003 21:13

Frank(Aflak)

Hoverbots won't be maneuverable, either, to accelerate quickly they would need to be good in a shoving match. However, they are FAST!! How fast have you made that thing go, tytus? I must say, as soon as college apps go out I may need to try one of my own . . . I've got all those computer fans I rejected because they were too loud . . i bet I can lighted them up enough to sit on their own air-cushion.

30-09-2003 21:49

Tytus Gerrish

i havent figured it out yet, it axscelrated from zero down my street, witch is about 100 yards , it made it to the end in 17.5 seconds (aprox)

01-10-2003 00:35

RogerR

i wonder what kinda speed you could get if you mounted a RC gas motor, and used a servo to control the throttle....

20-10-2003 16:37

robo-gordo

I've been looking at all of these mini-hover-bots in the galleries. They are awesome!! I thinking of building one with my team as a small project to train new members.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to designing/building these hoverbots.

I've considered physically mounting the drive motor on a servo, so that the motor itself pivots and provides direct thrust in certain directions, as opposed to the servo-actuated flaps. Will this work?

I would love some feedback.

Thanks