24-02-2006 21:57

b-rant

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

BIG WHEEL KEEP ON TURNIN', PROUD MARY KEEP ON BURNIN'

24-02-2006 22:05

Nuttyman54

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Holy cow, it's NOT a box!!!! looks awsome. by far one of the coolest looking robots this year!

24-02-2006 22:06

Alekat

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

looks sharp, but the name might reflect your drive all too well from the looks of it.

24-02-2006 22:09

ajlapp

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

sweet looking bot.............

way to think outside "the box!"

24-02-2006 22:10

Bharat Nain

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

For some reason, I really like the design. It's just different from most of the typical bots you will see at regionals. Nice job 1447.

24-02-2006 22:16

Ianworld

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Definitely one of my favorite robots so far. Its just awesome. The wheel, the ball collector, the perch of the shooter. It has a real industrial design mistique about it that most robots lack.

24-02-2006 22:18

Arefin Bari

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Very unique... good luck at the competition.

24-02-2006 22:19

pakrat

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

I like the overall design, but i would recommend putting the battery to a place where the wires dont hang out the back (I'm going to assume thats a temporary location). Hows battery life with both minibikes on there?

24-02-2006 22:24

KenWittlief

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

wow, it looks like a time machine from 1930!

very nice industrial design

24-02-2006 22:41

lil_longo

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

that looks really cool. looks much cooler then my team. how fast does it go and how many balls can it hold

24-02-2006 23:04

Scott Morgan

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

very similar to the loader mechanism we were going to use prior to running out of weight
we had a 27" bike wheel that we used to move balls aroung a circular track up to our loader
yours looks much better though

24-02-2006 23:26

trashcat05

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Wow. I have to say you guys did an awesome job with this 'bot. I absolutely love the design! Is that holonomic drive?! If not youre just gonna have to ignore that...my eyes are really bad. lol. Very nice! Wish you all luck! Great robot!

24-02-2006 23:54

Dan Petrovic

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

I want you guys to win

25-02-2006 00:25

Jonathan Norris

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

It looks amazing, but I don't see the practical point of the HUGE wheel that takes up like your whole robot. There must be simpler and smaller solutions.

25-02-2006 00:37

Michael Corsetto

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Very cool robot you guys, well done.

I just have one question. How do ensure that when you collect balls you ensure that you make the most of your storage space on the big wheel? If you constantly run the wheel, you are bound to get gaps in the balls, thus reducing your storage capabilities. It seems that it would be too dificult to run the wheel only when a ball was about to be gathered, unless you had some sort of sensor to realize when a ball is ready to be grabed.

Anyways, i still really like the unique design, and it will definietly be turning a lot of heads this year. Good luck 1447!

25-02-2006 00:40

Rick TYler

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Drivetrain, battery cable, big wheel, ... blah blah blah.

This robot rocks. I really admire a team that follows a different vision. Good on you!

25-02-2006 00:45

Salik Syed

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Very cool !
I see you practice in the library like we did... (until a few years ago because our robots arm was taller than the ceiling)

25-02-2006 00:47

Billfred

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

It seems, judging from all I've seen and read about in FIRST, that the oddball designs are always the wild cards that can win it all. (Beatty in 2002, anyone?)

Best of luck this season--I like the look!

25-02-2006 02:37

Rombus

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Well you got my award for best name!

It was going to the team with "mega maid" but yours defently fits!

25-02-2006 09:33

MarsBOtkid

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Great design that is one of the coolest wheel cannons ive seen so far!

25-02-2006 13:12

KenWittlief

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

It looks like an off-the-shelf BMX or motorcycle wheel. Anytime you can use an existing OTS component you save a huge amount of engineering resources.

The way the balls are queued it looks like it can fire them in a very rapid succession - like 10 balls in < 3 S?

25-02-2006 13:49

Rick TYler

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

I dunno. Scaling from the Poof balls, it looks bigger than that. Maybe a wheelchair wheel? What it looks like is a Victorian cast iron flywheel from a steam engine, but that might be a little too heavy, right?

25-02-2006 15:09

KenWittlief

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

"MARTY! IT RUNS ON STEAM!" -Emmet Brown

I would pay money to see a steam powered FIRST robot!

25-02-2006 21:00

Sgraff_SRHS06

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Lol. It would take much more space to do that.

I'm very impressed. I hope you guys do well. I was hoping to see the snail in action, but I guess I have to wait until nationals, if my team and yours both go.

26-02-2006 01:46

Rickertsen2

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Not only does it look awesome, it appears very functional as well. Great design.

28-02-2006 16:14

lil_longo

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

love it ok name how fast does it go

28-02-2006 16:23

Rohan_DHS

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

WOW. just wow looking awesome, good job

28-02-2006 16:33

Ben Piecuch

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Ken, how much would you pay to see a hydrogen powered FIRST robot?

01-03-2006 00:56

Spiffizzle

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

I do like the unique shape this robot has to it. The name totally reflects that! Awesome job! Good luck at regionals!

01-03-2006 01:00

SizzelChest330

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

This is a tottallyyyy awesome bot!

Love the design

I think the fold out ball intake is pretty clever

01-03-2006 20:13

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

But not a cooler lookin' one that's for sure..

Gary The Snail-bot is a must see on my list this year.
Are you going to Nationals?

How about a Fuel Cell powered one? We got a couple of those companies up in this part of CT. what do you say Ben? lol We'll make one, impress Ken, and share the money.. w00t w00t!

01-03-2006 22:23

Rickertsen2

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

I think this is the first use of wood on a FIRST robot that gets my seal of coolness.

01-03-2006 22:50

phrontist

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

Don't listen to the haters. That's classy man.

03-03-2006 08:12

Absolute0

Re: pic: TEAM 1447 "GARY THE SNAIL"

A few comments to what some of you had posted:

No, we do not move like a snail as our name refers. The name came up because the case that teh wheel is in resembles a snail shell. Gary was just sorta picked up along the way.

The robot can go a pretty decent speed, we're not sure exactly how fast. Kit transmission, gears and two SIM motors were used for the wheels. We're able to hold up to 9 balls.

We have set up our paddle wheel with spring loaded retractable paddles. The wheel is on constant rotation and there is never any gaps. There is a stopper at the top of the wheel to keep from premature fire.

Yes, we did practice in the library.. other than the gym it was the only place with a high enough roof for us to not break anything =)

We would love to go to nationals but we don't have that kind of money. So far our only plans are the regionals competition at Great Lakes, Michigan. Hopefully we get some more money through our fundraisers.

Yes, our giant wheel is that of a wheel chair. Thank you for all your positive comments, it's great to hear that our design is loved by the masses =)