Has anyone determined how to have the minibot stop at the top of the pole (not to burn out motors) AFTER pushing the bottom plate up to make contact with the top plate that triggers the light (if you are one of the first three teams)?
Our team is concerned that the rocker style light switch may turn off the robot immediately upon contact with the bottom plate but before the bottom plate makes contact with the top plate. Our practice pole doesn’t have the two plates to test this on, but the switch seems like it would stop the minibot immediately upon contact (eg. before bottom plate makes contact with top plate). I’m not sure there is enough momentum to trigger this.
The deployment and climb without triggering the switch at the top would be like stopping on the one yard line. No points for finishing close.
Thanks.
There was some discussion in other threads about switching outthe fuse on the battery to a lower amperage, so that the fuse would blow before the motors smoked.
Our team did exactly what you were worrying about, and it works fine for our sensor. I’m not sure if our sensor is exactly the same as the one at competition though. However, the mass of your minibot should be enough to exert the force. It’s only 4N.
so the toggle switch as i call it is what i am using on my teams mini bot. i have a bolt/shaft going through a hole in the top of the MINIBOT which is cushioned by a rubber band to allow for the needed force to trigger the sensor before it is pushed down to turn off the bot.
i also have a question. i have designed my bot to go to the top, hit and come down (with no programming AT ALL). There has been a lot of talk about having to make the bot stay up there for x amount of time. can someone clarify this for me?
My MINIBOT with half charged battery with no off switch at the time…
here is a very quick and easy way that i am using on my bot… (i think simple and easy for less chance of failure)
see attachment pic
here is avid of mine without the switch at the time…
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10120&stc=1&d=1297751394
one of thouse should have the pic.
Thanks for the drawing. We were thinking of doing something similar but wanted to know if it was needed.
