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2012
Name: Sureshot
Dimensions: 27"W x 36"L x 59"H
Weight: 118 lbs
Concept:
Our team recognized early on in the season that with the limited number of balls
on the field, acquiring balls quickly and making every shot count would be very
important. These shots also need to be taken quickly without needing much time to
line up, even if the robot is under heavy defense. Furthermore, a low center of
gravity was desired for easier bump traversal and bridge balancing. With a full-width
pickup, high speed elevator, and a software-automated turret, our robot achieves all
these criteria and is able to make close range shots quickly with near 100% accuracy,
even under heavy defense.
Features:
-Custom two-speed shift-on-the-fly transmission: 6 and 17 feet per second
-8wd “West Coast Drive” base: Light, robust, and easy to maintain
-Full-width pickup: Easy ball acquisition, doubles as a bridge manipulator
-Elevator/hopper: ~0.5 second lift to 84″ high, counterbalanced via constant force spring, holds 3 balls, very low center-of-gravity when retracted
-Turreted shooter: ~0.5 second 360 degree rotation, 2 position hood
-Software-assisted operation: Automatic pickup and shoot sequences, automated turret aiming, off-board image processing for maximum performance
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2011
Name: Barracuda
Dimensions: 28"W x 38"L x 60"H
Weight: 120 lbs
Concept:
Deciding that scoring on all three levels of the rack would be crucial, our team
also noted that the minibot race would change the outcome of many matches. We
decided to build a robot which would have the ability to do both using a
telescoping arm and a spring powered minibot deployment. By keeping the pivot
point for the arm low, we are able to pick up and score on both sides. A roller
gripper allows manipulation of the tube while being possessed, preparing for
scoring on the rack.
Features:
-Custom two-speed shift on the fly transmission (5 and 13 feet per second)
-Extremely robust
-Arm capable of scoring on all three levels
-Roller gripper can manipulate tubes while in possession
-Quick deployment of minibot (1 second)
-Rapid minibot ascension (1 second)
Code: Github Repository
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2010
Name: OverKill
Dimensions: 27"W x 37"L x 16"H
Weight: 120 lbs
Concept:
Our team decided that the ability to go over the bump
would be important in the game. Although going under the
tunnel would be difficult (due to the careful alignment
involved), we decided to build the robot so that it
could drive under the tunnel if we needed to, both as a
way to force us to keep the center of gravity low as
well as to give us the option of going under the tunnel
the one time it may be useful. To maintain
maneuverability as well as go over the bump easily, we
chose an eight-wheel-drive design.
A surgical tubing powered kicker, reloaded by a
pneumatic cylinder, was simple to design and implement,
and has less points for failure. It allows us to kick
the ball into the goals from almost anywhere on the
field.
Finally, because the robot would be very short relative
to its weight, we were able to strengthen parts of the
robot where, in previous years, we would not have the
weight to do so. The result is an extremely robust
design.
Features:
-Custom two-speed shift on the fly transmission (8 and 16 feet per second)
-Extremely robust
-Very low center of gravity; virtually impossible to tip
by itself
-Ball retention device to possess balls when the robot
lines up for a shot
-Kicker capable of scoring from all three zones
-Goes over the bump and under the tunnel
Code: Github Repository
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2009
Name: Unnamed
Dimensions: 27"W x 36"L x 58"H
Weight: 110 lbs
Concept:
Early on in the design process, our team recognized two general design
approaches to the 2009 Challenge: A "dumper" that could unload a large number
of balls quickly, but only in one direction, or a "turreted shooter" capable
of scoring at various angles, but would be slower and
potentially less accurate.
Our final design was a hybrid of the two; we combined the throughput of
the dumper with the flexibility of the turret. The end result was a robot that
could score within a 180-degree arc from the front of the robot, and do
this at 7 balls/second.
Features:
-Custom single-speed transmission
-Four-wheel tank drive
-Modular design
-Large hopper
-Pickup balls from the ground
-Shoots up to 7 balls/sec.
-Automatic camera tracking enabled
-Able to score autonomously
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