I’m very curious to see that, they would have to figure out how to keep another robot on top while lifting.
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Clamp their bumpers, have a tailgate, barbed platform that prevents the wheels from slipping back. There’s a few ways I think a team could do it.
The “rampbot” really impacts you’re ability to perform any other game objectives though.(As is usually the case in most years.)
I really hope someone tries the other option. I’d love to see what that would look like brought to life. (Providing the dimensions work out and the integration on a robot is feasible.)
Oh okay, I was misinformed. Thank you for that clarification!
While it is not forbidden, it may be much more difficult than in previous years. This year, a robot can only extend 12 inches outside of the frame (G18).
ROBOTS may not extend more than 12 inches (~30 cm) beyond
their FRAME PERIMETER.
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For discussion purposes: the robot wrangler stuck about 15.5" outside of 148’s frame perimeter.
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The bar is 9.5’ long from end to end. Why do I want to dedicate the very intense technical efforts required to create a buddy climb system?
Because you don’t trust that others will be able to do it themselves and you want to guarantee the rank point. Buddy climb also means you can probably climb towards the middle which lessens balancing concerns.
If as the poll earlier shows 25-50% of teams will be able to climb, the climb rank points will not be common and a buddy climb would be a huge RP advantage.
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Is a component or mechanism which doesn’t solve game challenges itself, but interfaces with a component or mechanism on another robot to solve a game challenges considered a major mechanism?
My interpretation is no. As long as the mechanism is incapable of solving game challenges by itself it cannot be a major mechanism, even if its addition allows the robot to complete a task it previously couldn’t in the context of a particular match. I think it may be a good idea to ask this question in the Q&A, so we could get a definitive answer, though.
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12 Hour Robotics is working on a ratchet strap idea for a buddy clime in there RI3D build. It will be interesting to see how that comes out.
My team is toying around with a triple climb. We are trying to figure out if it’s a good idea to integrate, or if we will be shooting ourselves in the foot. The biggest issues are that we can’t pick up 45 inch robots at the current design, and it eats up A LOT of real estate. So it could turn out the be useless providing robots are too tall.
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The only reason I can see for a triple buddy climb is if you can’t do a double buddy climb that remain balanced (at least for the ranking point). There is a reason for it if you’re trying to guarantee the extra 25 points of another robot climbing though.
The way we have it drawn up, we could do either.
And you’re doing this triple climb without extending more than 12 inches out of your bumper zone in either direction?
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That’s good. My question is, “Is the additional complications, expenses, weight, etc. of doing the triple buddy climb over the double buddy climb worth it?” If yes, go for it!
That’s what we are working on haha. It should be interesting.
There’s an easy way to extend way beyond 12" outside your robot without violating the extension rule–tip your robot 90 degrees (bumpers and all) before deploying the buddy lift.
Grab the generator switch in the center, tip up, drop lift thing out of the bottom of the robot, grab buddy, scream “To Infinity, and Beyond!”, pick up self and buddy, get 65 points.
The extension to the generator switch and/or floor becomes subject to the 12" out of frame perimeter rule if you tip 90 degrees.
I guess there is a hypothetical bar - 12" extension - robot at 90 degrees - 12" extension - platform vertical configuration that could work…
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Yes, it does. So to barely reach the bar and floor at the same time your robot would have to be 39" long (and thus a maximum of 21" wide), which would probably be pretty awkward to drive…but if you’re determined to do a double-buddy climb for 90 points, I’m pretty sure it’s both legal and doable.
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Note that you could probably make it less awkward to drive with an isosceles triangle for a base, so your front or rear wheel base is a bit wider.
Edit: 27" wide in the back, with 5" straight parts (enough to put some 4" drive wheels out wide), and 41" triangle sides… 27+5+5+41+41 = 119" perimeter with an overall length of 44". Extending 12" out from either side gives you 68", which is a very comfortable 5" margin of error for grabbing the bar.
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Yeah, this decision would drive most of the robot design.
There are (of course) ways around this with robot dimensions.
i.e. 24x36" robot, tank drive on short side, with c shaped frame and bumper cutout along the long edge. now you have space for a 24" or longer ramp. 4:1 slope should be manageable for most drive-trains to climb. Beats me where additional mechanisms will go, but still.
TOP VIEW:
(not to scale, obviously)