I expect that a lot of bin will be knock down during the heat of the game.
The ability to right or grab a bin on it’s side will be a very important function.
We are prototyping a claw on an elevator but have no clue how to handle a bin that is on it’s side. Any suggestion?
Drive carefully? It’s going to be a challenge, since we have two partners who can also knock them down. We’re planning to first go after the 4 on the step, they seem to be a little safer, depending on which teams are on the other alliance, of course.
If the bin is upside down. Maybe you should just leave it be.
If the bin is on one of it’s angled sides, you knock it back to upright with something as simple as a stick and turning the drivetrain.
Thats why we need to remember that there are no BINs in this game. There are CONTAINERS and TOTES.
Wonder which one the OP is talking about? we both assumed something different.
Sorry, I mean the green container. We use the term totes and bin when we brain storm. But from now on we will use the term totes and container. Our biggest concern is our alliance knocking the container down or even worse knocking a stack with a container and now what do you do?
We thought of some designs to right a container that is placed on it’s side, but eventually chose to design the lift mechanism to handle only knocked bins, and to give up on uprighting them.
It seems as if in some ways it can be easier to handle, since knocked bins are pretty similar to the totes (they are about twice as higher, but they are only about 6 cm longer and 3 cm wider).
If the bin is upside down. Maybe you should just leave it be.
If the bin is upside down it can be knocked to it’s side.
… Unless you refer to a tote, do you?
We are planning on only handling tipped over containers
Care to share the idea?
Our claw is able to grasp a container on its side, but not adjust its angle. yet. We just grab the thing and lift, it stays as we grabbed it. Not yet optimized but that’s the general idea we’re pursuing.
Any “ratchet style” mechanism that can lift totes (such as team indiana’s design) can be implemented to lift tipped containers as well. We will be prototyping such mechanism in the next few days.
No doubt in my mind that “The Big ROTATING HAND & WRIST” will make its debut this year. (Stored nimbly inside that 78" tall big box robot), when on the field & in under 60 seconds, it will be attached to the rear of the robot, opposite the Super Fast Tote Stacker. (Righting those tipped over RC’s will be a huge key to actually using them safely).
The ones that solve it well, will be “some of the most sought after second & third Alliance partners” of the :3 Yellow Tote Auto Stacking Champs" & many others, as those 6 level RC multiplyer points are very valuable.
High Upright placed, and Litter stuffed, RC’s on 6 Grey Tote Stacks are much safer than those dangerous laying down very precarious and about to roll off ones, certainly are. (Simple Hook fishing with another manipulator seems like it would be the easiest to implement).
Think single centered balanced horizontal “Chinese Puzzle Type Bar” on a vertical line or cable, smaller than the lid hole, but larger than the 2 slots, drop into the center hole, set the hook toward 1 of the slots, and lift straight up continuously, once can is uprighted, lower just a bit, and lift out cable and bar through center hole. Bar & cable cannot hook up in the center hole. (Only in the 2 slots). Grab and go stuff w/ litter and cap a stack. (RC Fishing though is certainly Not recommended for attempting to cap a stack…You would be way out Robot height specs).
I feel like the arm lifter should be able to just prop the can up enough for it to be get upright.
We are doing only tipped over containers. I think most containers will be on their side after auto. We are doing the prototyping now. The key is getting a sideways container on top of a 6 stack tote, working on that also.
We came up with just two arms that grap the box near the lid, (no matter the orintation) and lift it up, and gravity will do the rest!