Did anybody have a use for the vacuum tube in the kit of parts? Maybe they expect us to suck other robots closer to us to aid in defense?
Its to grasp the inner tubes.
I agree with Matt. I think that the vaccum tube should maybe be hooked up to a lightweight low power using vaccum to create suction between the grasper of the ringer and the ringer.
I don’t know about that. Personally, I couldn’t wait to try it out on a tube but I don’t think that it would hold it very effectively now that I have seen them together. Hey, I’m no expert though.
I dont think they expect us to try to suck other robots to ourselves…
It seems as if it could be used to assist in the picking up of the inner tubes. I don’t see how it can be applied in any other way.
They give you something to create a vaccuum…try that!
I agree with Matt. I also think that they’re going to try to reinforce the idea of using a vaccuum instead of maybe a hook, so there’s not such a thret of popping the innertubes
Or they want to cut back on time spent cleaning up after the competition. 
Robo-slaves.
our team hooked up the vacuum the first day to try it out. it had an Ok grip on the tube, enough that the vacuum on the end of a manipulator could manuveur the tube effectively. there were two drawback to it that we noticed. one, the angle of the suction cup provided made it so that the cup has to be pressed against the tube hard to get it to seal. also, one the suction is cut off to drop the tube, it tends to stick, and needs some forcefull shaking to come off. i dont think we will be going with a vacuum this year…
on this note though, i remmeber the first time i experianced FRC. i was in 8th grade, and was shadowing at the specialty high school for engineering in my county (i eneded up not goin there). i stayed after for the robotics meeting (2004 challenge) and saw them working with suction. the team was trying to get a vacuum going strong enough to lift the big exercise balls. they couldnt get it to work. anyway just thought i would share that.
dont take my word for it though, try out the vacuum yourself and see if you can get it to work nicely. we are all creative people and there is more than one way to skin a cat
lmao… who noes… maybe you’ll get extra points for cleaning the field this year:P:)
How did you hook up the vacuum?
OMG!
Awesome strategy!
Imagine these scenarios:
You lift a robot with the power of air for the points.
Latch onto one’s side panel and trail it the whole match playing defense and just getting all over them so they can’t score if they are really good…
How funny would that be? 