30-01-2009 21:41

Tristan Lall

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

What's the plan for the front end? Specifically, the bumpers.

Those bevels may become an issue, when you try to put bumpers on them.

30-01-2009 21:46

xc4life

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

A word of advice:

From what I am hearing, a firing mechanism will be much more profitable than a dump-style mechanism in this competition, due to the playing surface and game type. Unfortunately, it is fairly late in the time allotment, but I would recommend some adjustments.

30-01-2009 21:47

xc4life

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

....And are you sure it satisfies height limitations? It seems rather tall.. And could potentially be top-heavy.

30-01-2009 21:58

GaryVoshol

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

I agree with Tristan - well not completely, change his word "may" to "will". Search for 842 Carmen and you'll find lots of postings about your front-angled frame.

Another question - how are you going to open the door of the hopper to dump?

30-01-2009 22:00

Joe G.

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

I respectfully disagree about dumpers being ineffective.

I have not yet seen anything to suggest that shooters will be able to track moving goals accurately enough to score signifigantly better than dumpers. And while dumpers may get very few chances to score per match, when they score, THEY SCORE

I do agree that such designs have the potential to be topheavy. However, we have found that the hopper can be built very lightly. Well engineered, such a design should not have problems with this.


Aside from the bumper issue mentioned by Tristian (see discussion of 842's robot for more on this angled front issue), looks great, and rather similar to what we are doing. The only differance is a couple of small things in the lift mechanism, a slightly different ejection system, and it being in wide orientation.

May I ask what advantages you are gaining by using a side wheel pickup, rather than an overhead design? We have found that an overhead design is much more forgiving in terms of aiming at the ball, which will be rather useful with the floor. Also, could you give more details on your release mechanism? It looks to be some kind of belt, but it is a bit unclear how it works.

Looks great, keep up the good work.

30-01-2009 22:13

Jetweb

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

<off topic> not to go off topic but i have to respectfully disagree. its only gonna take this team (and most teams with a good dumper) one moment of luck to do what is gonna take a shooter and entire match to accomplish.</off topic>

Is that a trap door or is there gonna be some kind of accelerated dumping going on?

30-01-2009 22:16

IndySam

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

We are doing a shooter but I believe a well designed dumper that is maneuverable could be a scoring beast. Get close and wham!

Looks like the bumpers are going to be an issue with this design. That opening is much wider than the 16" max opening of a long driving bot.

31-01-2009 18:24

SuperJake

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

That front door looks like you are planning on swinging it out and down (like a trap door or something). You need to make sure that it does not extend outside of the robot volume. I.E. - that door can't swing out of the way... it needs to slide up (as long as it doesn't go higher than 60") or down.

31-01-2009 19:18

Sean Raia

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

looks pretty unique. hope it works...

31-01-2009 20:13

XXShadowXX

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

From what i can tell it looks like the frame is much thinner in the back then in the front, but bumpers in the front will be a must (if you place bumpers on the vertex of the front corners[you need to] that should remove most problems)
But if your not long enough you would have a problem seeing as your front is angled in bumpers there would not count to your 2/3 rules, and if they were made straight out from the angled section they wouldn't be supported...

so in that respect i agree, you may have some trouble with bumper rules

31-01-2009 23:24

hipsterjr

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

IMHO you will see more successful dumpers than shooters. In our testing, it took about 5-15, 20 at worst, to drive into a descent position and dump 12 balls (we only have 12 balls in the shop and can easily hold 20) in 1 second!!!!

01-02-2009 00:08

Akash Rastogi

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

True man.

Yea guys, stop hatin on the dumpers!

Haha.

As for 617's bot, like it was said, work out front end issues.

01-02-2009 14:17

Dowjonesbotics

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

I completly agree with Akash

01-02-2009 14:23

MrForbes

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

It looks like a wide, gravity fed dumper. I hope you've tried dumping balls this way, because they like to hang up on each other. If you don't have a lot of Orbit balls to test with, you won't be able to see the problem.

08-02-2009 20:31

Stepol

Re: pic: Team 617 Robot

I'm a 617 mom and wanted to comment on the design with some help from my son. The dumper door works like a roller shade using a window motor to lift and lower a bottom weighted tarp. A vibrating system helps to release the balls from the hopper. It's not top heavy because the sides are made from aluminum screen. They are using the side wheel conveyor because it can extend farther inside the hopper. They are going to fix the bumper issue.