21-02-2011 23:27

MattC9

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

The claw!?!? it doesn't move!!?!?! I LIKE IT!!!!

22-02-2011 00:11

coldfusion1279

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Wow, I am quite impressed with how effective a static gripper is. Nice job. Have you run your robot into walls, etc. to simulate active defense? Is your grip on the tube firm enough to withstand basal blows?

22-02-2011 09:28

Jetweb

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

The claw isent completely static, there are servos mounted into the pvc with fingers that hold the tube in place. there programed to open and close on there own at certain arm positions to keep them from getting destroyed. When there closed you cant get the tube out for anything.

22-02-2011 09:42

Bjenks548

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

I hope your mini bot deployment is ok with G<22>

HOSTBOTS may not contact their ALLIANCE‟S MINIBOT while any part of it is above the DEPLOYMENT LINE.

22-02-2011 09:54

Jetweb

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

It is by about an inch, if they think were cutting it to close it can be lowered but it shouldn't have to be.

22-02-2011 09:56

Swampdude

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Has that rule been clarified? I haven't had time to look, but I could read that different ways. Seems they should put a time frame on that rule. It's stowed right at the height limit anyway.

22-02-2011 10:56

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Also, this green is slightly darker than previous robots

22-02-2011 13:22

EricH

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

With respect to the deployment height, it's during deployment. Deployment starts as soon as the Minibot crosses the cylinder formed by the vertical projection of the base of the tower.

If you're stowed right at the height limit, something you should check is that the Minibot doesn't go over the line while being deployed. The line is to be treated as a plane, according to the GDC via Q&A. It doesn't look like you'll have much of a problem there, but it never hurts to check.

22-02-2011 13:32

Swampdude

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Thanks, that makes more sense.

22-02-2011 13:37

Bjenks548

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Reread G<22>
<G22> HOSTBOTS may not contact their ALLIANCE‟S MINIBOT while any part of it is above the DEPLOYMENT LINE. Violation: TOWER is disabled

I don't see anything their about this being only during deployment. It is just in the End Game section of the manual.
END GAME – the final 10 seconds of a MATCH.
If I am wrong please can you link me to the Q&A that disproves me

22-02-2011 13:55

EricH

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

It's in the end game section; you can only deploy during the end game. Think about it. Admittedly, you could apply it anywhere else on the field; it's just much harder to enforce away from the towers.

There are a couple of related Q&As, though they're on <G21>.
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=16251
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=16981

The second one does say that <G21> and <G22> work in combination.

22-02-2011 14:05

Bjenks548

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

That really stinks for the teams without a mini bot that are in the scoring zone with a tube when the end game starts... The best example I can think of with regards to not having the minibot above that line at any point is 148. If <G22> wasn't there, their minibot could have been at the end of the drop down bridge. As long as they dropped it before they crossed over the tower base. Instead of them running the minibot forward off the bridge once its droped. (sorry swampthing this probably isn't the place for this discussion and anyway your deployment is perfectly legal)

22-02-2011 14:09

EricH

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

What do you mean? If you don't have a minibot aboard, you can't contact one above the deployment line. At least, it's much, much harder.

Edit: I think I see what you mean now. You're thinking, based on my post, that the only thing you can do during the end game is deploy. This was thought before TU#5 came out, too; my apologies for using the older type of wording. I should have said that the only time deployment was legal was during the end game.

22-02-2011 15:32

Brandon Holley

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

I like the simplicity of this year's bot 179.

It reminds me greatly of your 2005 beast not necessarily on the physical design, but on the design strategy. The minibot looks great too.

-Brando

22-02-2011 17:25

BIGWILLI2081

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Great bot! do you guys only have one driver?

22-02-2011 18:34

AlexD744

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Nice bot, as always, but can you floor load, or are you planning on traversing the whole time? Although from what I've seen your traversing is probably faster than most floor loaders.

22-02-2011 18:46

techtiger1

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

As always another efficient, elegant design from The Swampthing crew can't wait to see it in action at Florida in person. Alex 744 be careful about your floor loader comments is all I am going to say =).

22-02-2011 20:19

Swampdude

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Thanks!
Yep, Evan is our senior driver from last year. He's awesome. We set the controls up to try and make it easy for him. He's put in double the practice time than any of our former drivers.

As far as the floor loading, I think if we had to play defense, the main thing we would do is chase/block any tube the floor loaders are after. We did quite well at that in 2007. We shut teams down consistently doing that. However trying to block a bot with a good drive train from traversing the field is near impossible. You can slow them down a bit but not stop them, especially with multiple access points. Plus I was worried about getting the floor loader broken in rough defense. There will be solid great floor loaders, but there will also likely be a defender every match looking for them. And playing keep away with the tubes will be the most effective defense.

26-02-2011 16:08

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

here is a video from the practice we did just before crating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMecFmFrDS4

26-02-2011 16:11

Chris is me

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

I love your robot so much. So simple.

Why are you taking CIMs out of the drivetrain for the arm when you could use the FP + AM Planetary for your arm?

26-02-2011 16:13

dodar

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Did they change the rules to allow 5 CIMs???

26-02-2011 16:13

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

because you can stall the cim for a century with no Ill effects
stall the FP and the impeller melts

look at Swampdude's caption on the picture. we have been over that already

26-02-2011 16:20

Chris is me

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

It's hard to stall the FP in that configuration. In an arm, it exerts enough torque to right the robot!

26-02-2011 16:24

Tytus Gerrish

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Mabye it can, but it's a liability we want to avoid completely

26-02-2011 16:42

Swampdude

Re: pic: 179 Swampthing 2011

Those are cool camera angles... love it.