With a spring? As long as the spring is connected to the ROBOT/HOSTBOT, and not the MINIBOT, the spring is part of the ROBOT and would be legal.
Can you provide a reference point from the manual? I mean, there are methods we’ve thought about, and considering that we’re working with a steel pole, that means that there’s potential for magnets as well.
Just my two cents.
If your looking for more of a compression type spring I would suggest using bent polycarbonate. Although too much compression could cause permanent defermation of the polycarbonate, so be careful (also it would be a weak spring). In addition with the mention of using rope to create a spring you could do this by utilizing the rope as torsion catapaults do.
Hahaha, don’t worry, my team already kind of considers my a bit loony.
But why not? It’ll have to be sturdy and have a latching mechanism but that’s all. Even with a cubic foot of space, we can still make it possible. Plus, we only have 10 seconds to climb 11 feet, and this is the quickest way possible.
I was thinking of using surgical tubing since that would light weight and easily stretched. With no height limit this year, it should be too difficult to make a catapult that could possible also double as an arm.
Excellent idea. But won’t the magnets disrupt both the sensors and the electronics on the minibot?
From thread http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=993370:
Does this mean it can’t be thrown above the line area?
I feel like using magnets would only slow you down.
Who says the mini-bot needs electronics?
What if your mini-bot was a passive cylinder that wraps around the pole and is then launched from a HOST-mounted “crossbow” (or other stored-energy launcher). I get the feeling this isn’t in the spirit of the mini-bot, but I don’t see anything in the rules specifically forbidding it.
Size =/= power. A small and light magnet can easily be very powerful. However, a magnet powerful enough to latch a 15 lb bot onto a pole would probably disrupt the sensors on the pole and also the electronics on the minibot as well.
Interesting. However, I see a few problems. If the magnet is powerful enough to attach a minibot onto the pole, won’t the electronics be disrupted on the hostbot and the sensors on the pole?
<G46> MINIBOTS may only be used to climb the TOWER.
I don’t know if launching would be allowed.
The magnets will not affect the electronics or sensors in any way unless you are using magnetic reed switches or hall effect sensors.
I’ve build a few VEX bots that use magnets to climb steel walls and I-Beams and never had a problem with the sensors, electronics, or radios.
what if you were to us some sort of rounded magnet attached to a drive motor with another two round magnets, all on seperate axles, so that they are in a triangle shape, would the magnet on the drive motor be able to push that up? or would u need too powerful a motor to be able to go up the pole fast enough?
Depends on how we interpret “climb”.
Here’s another thread on the same topic: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=88428
On the magnet note, that is a good point about affecting the surrounding electronics XD… forgot about that ~.~
Well, FTC and FRC parts are different, right? Just because the electronics in FTC aren’t affected won’t mean the electronics from FRC will also hold up.
That limits what the MINIBOT can do - it’s only function is to climb the tower. It doesn’t say anything about how that climbing is accomplished.
Folks - Unlees you want to name specific piece of eqmt that is sensitive to magnetic fields, don’t worry about their effect on 99.9% of “electronics”. There won’t be any effect.
Really? Where in the rules does it say this?
There has also been discussion about launching MINIBOTS here:
A note to consider if using springs:
“Teams must be very careful when incorporating springs or other items to store energy on their ROBOT by means of part of material deformation. A ROBOT may be rejected at inspection if, in the judgment of the inspector, such items are unsafe.” <R01> under 4.3.1