Posted by Anton Abaya.
Coach on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 9/4/2000 12:02 AM MST
The Rambots have always wanted to bring FIRST – new stuff. We like to boldly go where no team has gone before.
So here’s the idea. We were going to try to keep it a secret, but we wanted the advice of the great engineers out there and imaginative students to give us their insights. So here goes.
WE WANT TO BUILD A ROBOT CRATE THAT UNFOLDS ITSELF.
Complicated as it may seem, it need not be. But we’re looking to build one anyhow. We dont have much money either and we want to build one from scratch (like u can buy any of these at home depot… ).
We’ll build it for you and we’ll throw the idea in the forums for everyone to see…in case they choose to build their own.
What do we need? Suggestions? Raves? Rants? Good Luck messages? Imaginative Ideas? Ways to save money? Things to use? etc…etc…
Can u help? Can this even be done? Should we bother due to weight constraints? Can we build one under the weight limit? c’mon bright FIRST minds…we need ur input.
thanks again.
-anton abaya
rambots, #419
Posted by Matt Leese.
Student on team #7 from Parkville High School and NASA, Black & Decker, AAI, Raytheon.
Posted on 9/4/2000 9:06 PM MST
In Reply to: Boldly going where no team has gone before… posted by Anton Abaya on 9/4/2000 12:02 AM MST:
Well, if you want it to unfold itself I would recommend gas compression springs. Then again, I’m not really an ME. Guess that’s why they make me play with electricity.
Matt
Posted by Anton Abaya.
Coach on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks.
Posted on 9/5/2000 2:27 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Boldly going where no team has gone before… posted by Matt Leese on 9/4/2000 9:06 PM MST:
: Well, if you want it to unfold itself I would recommend gas compression springs. Then again, I’m not really an ME. Guess that’s why they make me play with electricity.
: Matt
let’s put it this way my electrically charged friend, i’m a computer nut. 
those ME fools who think they’re so good with their nuts and bolts, electrify them and have some fun :P.
ok, what the hell are gas compression strings? i cant seem to put a picture to it.
i can however write strings of code for you. or maybe compress some files? gas…hmm… let’s not get into that. 
thanks for the idea.
-anton
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 9/5/2000 2:43 PM MST
In Reply to: read the motto matt posted by Anton Abaya on 9/5/2000 2:27 PM MST:
Gas Springs are everywhere.
Look around.
Joe J.
Posted by Dan.
Other on team - from Carnegie Mellon sponsored by -.
Posted on 9/5/2000 4:01 PM MST
In Reply to: Gas Springs: Mystery Solved posted by Joe Johnson on 9/5/2000 2:43 PM MST:
Hey Joe, has anyone ever manufactured a gas spring that had a cylinder attached to the piston tip and ran down the length of the gas spring to create a gas extension spring?
Since I may have your attention, although this is not at all within the subject ; wouldn’t it be really cool if all of the GM cars had a single ‘Seal Up’ button that automatically rolled up all the windows and the sunroof? I don’t own a GM car, but I got really sick of doing the 4-fingered ‘roll-up-all-the-windows-simultaneously’ move on my Honda last summer.
OK, I feel weird, but I figure it’s worth mentioning.
Dan
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 9/5/2000 4:55 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Extension Springs and Misc. posted by Dan on 9/5/2000 4:01 PM MST:
This is a very popular feature in non-USA vehicles. The issue is one of liability in the States.
Auto-closing windows have the OEM’s in the US scared to death.
Joe J.
Posted by Jason Iannuzzi.
Engineer on team #11, Marauders, from Mt. Olive HS. and BASF, Rame Hart, CCM.
Posted on 9/6/2000 7:03 AM MST
In Reply to: Re: Extension Springs and Misc. posted by Dan on 9/5/2000 4:01 PM MST:
My Jetta (sorry Joe and Co.) has auto-up on the driver and passenger side windows. Also, from the outside, I can put the key in the door and close all the windows at once. If I put a slight resistance to the closing window, it stops.
So, it has been done, it’s just not very popular.