Team 696’s robot named “Ratchet”, designed and built for the 2013 Ultimate Ascent FIRST Robotics Competition.
She is beautiful!
Great picture ! This is going to the best robot desktops folder on my computer.
Lookin good! We had a great time with you guys in the finals at Inland Empire. 
696 always has that attention to design. Particularly love the wheels, and as always, that white powdercoat. A great machine this year.
Very beautiful!
Loving the white frame!
We might just go with white pearl frame and red details next year.
More information on Ratchet.
By far my favorite robot, not because of what it accomplished, but by how much I learned helping produce it.
ITS SO GORGEOUS!
I am so proud!
Put on dat 3 level climber and make it to IRI!
Looks awesome, Is the arm actuated?
What a great design, love it!
I’m not sure if I understand the question, but I’m imagining you’re referring to the floor pickup. The floor pickup is not actuated. It drops down at the beginning of the match by gravity and stays down for the duration of the match. We do have an available solenoid and extra weight if we did want to actuate it, but we didn’t find the need.
I’m curious about the riveted gussets on your floor pick-up appendage…were those added as a response to some “failure” or were they included as “sacrificial” parts as part of the original design?
The gusset plates were manufactured between regionals and indeed added in response to failure of the welds on the floor pickup frame, due to impact. We have a new TIG welder this year that we’re still learning the settings on it. Clearly, we didn’t punch enough Amps into it. I really ought to fire the guy who welded those (me :D). It probably didn’t help that we were welding in the freezing cold when the frame was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Us smashing you into the wall didn’t help either. Sorry about that and glad to see you found a good solution.
Is your welder on the top of Mt Baldy? 
What is that turn buckle looking thing on the top connecting the riser on the back of the frame and the slanted piece at the front? Is it just a tensile support piece for the slanted riser?
The red/pink piece you are referring to is an aluminum rod end from McMaster.The white round tube joining the two ends has bungs welded in the two ends that are tapped 3/8-24 left and right threads respectively, so we have essentially have made our own turnbuckle that can easily be lengthened or shortened. The adjustability in this structural member allowed for sawing and welding tolerance when assembling the structure, and the spherical rod-end allowed for some degree of imperfection in the angles.
This year we used TONS of shoulder bolts all over the place. They really are great for this sort of a thing, where you have something that needs to ride on a bolt.
Bottom of Mt. Lukens actually, at midnight on a frigid February night, welding out in the rain. Hoping to move it indoors for next year. We put 8 days of welding into our identical competition and practice robots.