About Our Robot
The Lift
Our mechanism to dispatch balls into goals is a double forearm lift. It allows us to reach the necessary height to score in the center goal and still be able to fold up into the size limitations. We added springs to it to fight gravity and help the arm stay at its maximum height for as long as we need it to and so it does not crass down rapidly when compacting.
Our mechanism to dispatch balls into goals is a double forearm lift. It allows us to reach the necessary height to score in the center goal and still be able to fold up into the size limitations. We added springs to it to fight gravity and help the arm stay at its maximum height for as long as we need it to and so it does not crass down rapidly when compacting.
The Basket
The basket is the mechanism used to contain the balls from the field once we ensnare them. Our basket has been through quite a few designs modifications despite the simple nature of a basket. We first had a model that had a steady incline on either side of the opening, but two balls would get trapped and they would get stuck in that opening and not allow them to be placed in the tubes to be scored. So we added an extra incline on the side to prevent that from happening. Another problem we had with the basket was that they would then fall out before we got to score them. To fix this problem we needed something we would be able to place and remove at our discretion during the match. We found a servo was the best way to accomplish the task. A small bar was all that was required to hold the balls in the basket, so that is what we used on our finished robot.
The basket is the mechanism used to contain the balls from the field once we ensnare them. Our basket has been through quite a few designs modifications despite the simple nature of a basket. We first had a model that had a steady incline on either side of the opening, but two balls would get trapped and they would get stuck in that opening and not allow them to be placed in the tubes to be scored. So we added an extra incline on the side to prevent that from happening. Another problem we had with the basket was that they would then fall out before we got to score them. To fix this problem we needed something we would be able to place and remove at our discretion during the match. We found a servo was the best way to accomplish the task. A small bar was all that was required to hold the balls in the basket, so that is what we used on our finished robot.
The Ball Harvester
Our harvester is one of the most unique thing about our robot. The ball harvester was inspired by a real life machine that two of our members saw while doing parking lot clean up with our City High Band. They saw a golf ball collector at a golf course they were picking up at. Much like our finished harvester, it consisted of wheels with grips to pick up the balls and a device to scrape them off into a basket. On our own robot, we have three metal disks spaced so that with the foam they pick up and retain the balls. We went through several different prototypes for the lining of the disks. We started with a rubber, but that didn't allow enough give to be able to peel them off. We also used a more porous, thinner foam which worked in concept, but we found a slightly thicker foam with a less porous finish worked best. Prototyping the metal pieces that removed the balls was more difficult than imagined, so we made the approximate out of plastic, one of the members then melted the material until the plastic became pliable and reshaped the piece. We then had them made out of metal for the final product as the plastic wasn't nearly strong enough to pull the balls off of the disks with ease. We then attached the plates with screws after we tested out a myriad of angles to find the one that works the best on our machine.
Our harvester is one of the most unique thing about our robot. The ball harvester was inspired by a real life machine that two of our members saw while doing parking lot clean up with our City High Band. They saw a golf ball collector at a golf course they were picking up at. Much like our finished harvester, it consisted of wheels with grips to pick up the balls and a device to scrape them off into a basket. On our own robot, we have three metal disks spaced so that with the foam they pick up and retain the balls. We went through several different prototypes for the lining of the disks. We started with a rubber, but that didn't allow enough give to be able to peel them off. We also used a more porous, thinner foam which worked in concept, but we found a slightly thicker foam with a less porous finish worked best. Prototyping the metal pieces that removed the balls was more difficult than imagined, so we made the approximate out of plastic, one of the members then melted the material until the plastic became pliable and reshaped the piece. We then had them made out of metal for the final product as the plastic wasn't nearly strong enough to pull the balls off of the disks with ease. We then attached the plates with screws after we tested out a myriad of angles to find the one that works the best on our machine.