19-02-2007 14:31

s_forbes

Re: pic: Our spine

So that's what you guys were up to! Very clever! What are you using to drive your spine and how easy is it to contol? I would expect it to bounce around quite a bit, especially with a tube on the end.

19-02-2007 14:41

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: Our spine

What is that, and what the heck is it's purpose?

19-02-2007 14:44

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

To control it were using two motors and a pully system, to keep it from bouncing around we have tensioners at the end, ill be posting the finished product soon.

19-02-2007 14:45

Greg Perkins

Re: pic: Our spine

It's their manipulator...

If I'm guessing right, you have 4 cables attached to the end, and by applying/releasing tension in the opposing cables you can theoretically move the "spine" anywhere like a turret and bend like a joing with simplicity. Amazing, this should win an award if it's functionality is good.

Love the bot guys.

19-02-2007 19:32

Nate Laverdure

Re: pic: Our spine

Impressive-- will it have some sort of manipulator on the end?

19-02-2007 20:30

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Yes there will be an active manipulator on the end.

19-02-2007 21:24

JoeXIII'007

Re: pic: Our spine

I'm scared, it looks like a scorpion... does it bite???

19-02-2007 21:43

Kim Masi

Re: pic: Our spine

Very neat, but does that exceed the 72" limit?

19-02-2007 22:10

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Its close but still within the 72'' limit

19-02-2007 23:29

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: Our spine

I honestly can say uh.. I don't get it. lol
Sorry.
I'll have to see this bad boy in person.
What regionals are you headed to?
Atlanta as well?

20-02-2007 07:22

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Were going to the Florida regional and Atlanta. Ill have video of it posted soon though.

20-02-2007 08:44

Gabe Salas Jr.

Re: pic: Our spine

So you guys are going for the gusto by adding the manipulator to the arm since I talked to you on Friday. That is awesome.

I cannot wait to see the video.

20-02-2007 09:09

Swampdude

Re: pic: Our spine

That is one of the coolest ideas I've seen so far in first. APPLAUSE for this inventor!
I have got to make one of these, it looks like a blast!
If I were you I'd wrap that thing with a cylinder of thin plastic sheet, to keep the cables from getting caught on stuff and pulled around. Now I'm excited to see this at UCF. Good job guys!

20-02-2007 09:42

Brandon Holley

Re: pic: Our spine

wow, what an awesome idea...post video soon!

20-02-2007 10:05

Qbranch

Re: pic: Our spine

Very Innovative... It will be interesting to see how it functions!

Can you tell what that material is you used for the spine's core?

What regionals are you guys going to?

I usually don't ask two questions in a row?

-q

20-02-2007 10:22

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

We do cover it so the cables dont get tangle up with anything, its made out of a fiberglass antenna for a boat, its very strong and flexable, and were going to the florida regional.

20-02-2007 18:37

bear24rw

Re: pic: Our spine

Thats awsome

Do you have a video of it yet?

20-02-2007 18:44

Cody Carey

Re: pic: Our spine

Think of it like when you reel a fishing pole in too far, and it bends over because of the pressure.

20-02-2007 19:07

JamesBrown

Re: pic: Our spine

except you can control the direction it bends, so you can pick up in the front, the back, or any where in between just by changing the tension on the 4 cables.

Is it safe to assume that you guys have some clever control, or are you manually controlling the tension on the cables?

20-02-2007 19:25

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Unfortunatly the motors for the arm dont have encoders, however we dont really need them. I will say we do have "somthing special'' that helps with control.

20-02-2007 19:27

Cody Carey

Re: pic: Our spine

A miniature model of the robot?

20-02-2007 19:31

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Nope its part of our actual robot.

20-02-2007 19:44

Nate Laverdure

Re: pic: Our spine

I think he was talking about how to control the spine. You could control it with a model, if it was designed cleverly.

20-02-2007 20:08

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Im sorry im not following could you please explain?

20-02-2007 20:15

Cowmankoza

Re: pic: Our spine

What he is stating is that you could make a miniature version of your arm in order to control your robot, you have a feedback sensor on the model on the points of movement, and you have the same on the larger version and you just work it in the code to say when this is he (on the mini) this goes here (on the real one), im not sure of how its exactly done, but i have seen it done before

20-02-2007 20:18

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

Oh i get it know, crap now why didn't we think of that. Its a good idea unfortunately we didn't think of it and probably wouldn't of had time to do it.

20-02-2007 20:52

silicon_ghoti

Re: pic: Our spine

Guess' for control:
1. A resisting flex seonsor allowing for the approximate bend of the antenna to be read.
2. A camera that looks for a "green blob" on the end.

and coolest (but least likely)...

3. Your using a fiber-optics cable and analyzing the light distortion to find how your bent!!!!

20-02-2007 21:23

Nuttyman54

Re: pic: Our spine

The most direct (and probably easiest) method would just be to build a miniature version of the arm and put potentiometers where the motors would interface. Then you just read the pot values and map them.

If you design it, you can build it into a project box the size of a joystick base during your fix-it windows, and just plug it in at competition

04-03-2007 16:41

goingdeafsoon5

Re: pic: Our spine

that is crazy i cant wait to see it in action at the FL regional

I think we are using the same mecanum wheels as you guys

07-03-2007 01:46

teenmisfit

Re: pic: Our spine

This is def. gunna b the bot i want to go check out at atlanta! way cool and u need to release a video

07-03-2007 02:29

viking1902

Re: pic: Our spine

I have been fortunate enough to see the prototype of this arm in action and I can vouch for its extreme awesomeness. Its probably one of the coolest arms that I have ever seen attached to a FIRST robot.

07-03-2007 09:23

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

I know i promised video but there have been some technical problems but thursday i will post video from the florida regional for those who want to see it and wont be there.

07-03-2007 13:17

Rick-906

Re: pic: Our spine

my mind, is blown

if that monster works, you guys deserve an award
please please please get a video up soon! i cant wait to see this!

23-08-2007 21:15

AdamHeard

Re: pic: Our spine

Did this ever end up working?

23-08-2007 22:06

Brandon Holley

Re: pic: Our spine

i saw it in action on the FL regional webcast and it appeared that they took the arm off for most of their matches....


anybody have video/info ?

23-08-2007 22:21

Billfred

Re: pic: Our spine

They competed at Palmetto this year; I recall them scoring ringers, but I don't think their arm was ever used on the field to its full potential.

25-08-2007 22:00

bear24rw

Re: pic: Our spine

Someone defientely needs to find some videos of this thing working..

27-08-2007 14:33

Darkforces

Re: pic: Our spine

at florida we ran into a mess of programming problems that ended up breaking our arm. For palmeto we shorten it giving us more control and we could score about 3 or 4 per match when we didnt have somebody on us. It never worked as well as we wanted it to but we learned alot and its cool to just mess around with it.