So I checked the exact dimensions needed, and here they are.
The 2 PVC pipes we have as mounting have an Inside Diameter of .45".
The rods we use as the mount for the minibot are actually 3/8-16 shoulder bolts with the heads cut off. The part of the bolt without threads is 3 inches tall.
Center to center, the PVC pipes are approximately 2.55" apart.
For the purposes of deployment, the minibot is 6" tall. This will help you so that you’re under the 18" line.
Sorry for the triple post! Many people asked about the deployment system and so we decided to create a video showing the deployment system we use for our minibot.
I didn’t explain how our deployment arm was deployed very well. There’s a sort of stick coming out of our robot that goes through the hole in the deployment arm. This stick also has a tiny little hole in it that a long rod can go into and this rod is sorta flexible and goes through that “vein” and out to the servo. This drops the arm, and then a servo just pulls a piece of music wire out of a hole keeping the minibot back. That smashes the minibot against the pole and releases it!
Sweet Deployment! Seems like something I’ve seen before… =) can wait to see it at Champs!
It’s amazing!