Posted by Tony K.
Student on team #292, PantherTech, from Western High School and DaimlerChrysler.
Posted on 2/1/2000 6:04 PM MST
Anyone figure out a good use for the gyros?
Posted by Daniel.
Coach on team #483, BORG, from Berkeley High School and NASA Ames & UC Berkeley.
Posted on 2/1/2000 7:45 PM MST
In Reply to: Gyros posted by Tony K on 2/1/2000 6:04 PM MST:
My team uses a cable system and two motors to lift off the ground. We are thinking of mounting the gyro on an axis parallel to the bar such that our two motors could keep us level. Mostly this would just be a novelty as we don’t expect to tilt a huge amount when the motors run equally.
Our other thought is that it would make a wonderful joystick 
-DL
Posted by Quentin Lewis.
Engineer on team #42, P.A.R.T.S - Prececision Alvirne Robotics Technology Systems, from Alvirne, Hudson NH.
Posted on 2/4/2000 11:07 AM MST
In Reply to: Gyros posted by Tony K on 2/1/2000 6:04 PM MST:
> Anyone figure out a good use for the gyros?
We were thinking of making a piece of headgear for our driver and using the gyro to detect their falling asleep and slumping forward on to the control panel.
At that point we would transfer control to the co-pilot, and our computer dashboard program would provide an electro-shock to the sleeping pilot in order to revive them.
We scrapped the gyro for a simple drool sensor.
Posted by Rick Berube.
Engineer on team #121, Rhode Warriors, from Middletown H.S…
Posted on 2/8/2000 10:48 PM MST
In Reply to: Gyros posted by Tony K on 2/1/2000 6:04 PM MST:
: Anyone figure out a good use for the gyros?
How about as a crash dummy?
- Attaching your gyro to your madatory spinning light. The light obvisously has a high center of gravity, since it must be seen from the 4 orthogonal corners of the universe at all times
2)Use the dashboard program to observe its measurements as it is thrusted from your chassis on impact with the far wall.
3)Make the gyro cable lengthy, and it may even survive long enough to for you to observe a very slight deceleration as it hits the wall
4)Reduce your gear ratio to decrease your top speed from 20 MPH to 10 MPH.
Seriously, we are planning on using one, as soon as we can find one which survives our creash test!