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Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 12th, 2012, 7:58 pm
by bearasauras
Should be 44cm.....sqrt(20^2 + 40^2)

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 12th, 2012, 8:15 pm
by MISHftw
bearasauras wrote:You can use a laptop for the control system, however you must still submit a technical drawing of the control system, the voltage and frequency must be verifiable and satisfy the rules.
Thanks. This just saved me much needed time. :)

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 12th, 2012, 8:51 pm
by JBoyd-NY
bearasauras wrote:Should be 44cm.....sqrt(20^2 + 40^2)
Sorry, but the math is incorrect. The CENTER of the arm square is 35 cm from either the East or the West edge (70 cm / 2) and 55 cm from the North edge (70 - 15), so the distance is sqrt (1225 + 3025) = sqrt (4250) = 65.192. Actually, that is to the very corner of the playing field. Since the opening of the bonus goal is close to the middle of the milk jug, the distance from the middle of the Arm Square to the middle of the opening of the Bonus Goal is close to 58.5 cm.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 12th, 2012, 8:53 pm
by bearasauras
Thanks Jim. Sorry, misread his question as from the corner of the robot arm box.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 12th, 2012, 9:00 pm
by JohnHa
How many motors are you guys using? We used 5 and got like 10th.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 13th, 2012, 3:44 am
by NinjaChicken
JohnHa wrote:How many motors are you guys using? We used 5 and got like 10th.
Motors shouldn't matter for scoring that much, seeing as it's only a tiebreaker. We also are using 5.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 13th, 2012, 12:26 pm
by Balsa Man
I have a pretty basic question, that’s not so much a rules interpretation, as understanding of intent. It goes beyond the few words in the rules. Nothing posted on it in in either FAQs or Rule Interpretations on Scioly.

Its about the process of getting from something fitting inside the 30cm x 30cm footprint in the “ready to run position”, to the arm(s) fully deployed outside that footprint, out over the competition area, and what control options are/aren’t acceptable in making that transition.

We have a “main arm”, with a “cross arm”. The cross arm, when operating, is mounted on and crosses the main arm at a 90 degree angle. The cross arm is longer than 30 cm. In the folded-up/“fits inside 30 x 30” configuration, the cross arm is rotated to about a 30 degree angle to the main arm; it's mounted spring-loaded so that when tripped, it rotates and locks into it’s 90 degree operational position. The end affector is mounted on the cross arm, and is motor-powered.
What the kids have at this point is simply a wire that runs through a tube mounted on the main arm back to the control box (which is outside the 30 x 30 area). Pulling that wire (a tenth of an inch) pulls a little pin, and that releases the spring, and the cross arm snaps into position. It is the stored energy of the spring that moves the arm; the wire is a physically activated connector that releases that energy. Tripping it into position does not “impart energy into the arm(s)(i.e., all end affector movements must be powered by stored energy in the device components”; all end affector movement takes place after this “basic deployment” step is done.

Is this an issue/a problem? If it is, we could add a solenoid to pull the trip wire…..

The same thing/question applies to the lowering of the main arm from it's upright (inside the 30 x 30 area)- a release wire that releases it to swing down to a horizontal position from semi-vertical; that downward motion being from the stored gravitational potential energy from being lifted up to fit the 30 x 30.

Thanks

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 13th, 2012, 1:29 pm
by Primate
NinjaChicken wrote:
JohnHa wrote:How many motors are you guys using? We used 5 and got like 10th.
Motors shouldn't matter for scoring that much, seeing as it's only a tiebreaker. We also are using 5.
Ten bucks the national champion uses only three.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 13th, 2012, 1:33 pm
by NinjaChicken
Primate wrote:
NinjaChicken wrote:
JohnHa wrote:How many motors are you guys using? We used 5 and got like 10th.
Motors shouldn't matter for scoring that much, seeing as it's only a tiebreaker. We also are using 5.
Ten bucks the national champion uses only three.
I agree, but I'm assuming most teams aren't going to be vying for the top spot at nationals.

Re: Robot Arm C

Posted: February 13th, 2012, 2:05 pm
by chalker7
Balsa Man wrote:I have a pretty basic question, that’s not so much a rules interpretation, as understanding of intent. It goes beyond the few words in the rules. Nothing posted on it in in either FAQs or Rule Interpretations on Scioly.

Its about the process of getting from something fitting inside the 30cm x 30cm footprint in the “ready to run position”, to the arm(s) fully deployed outside that footprint, out over the competition area, and what control options are/aren’t acceptable in making that transition.

We have a “main arm”, with a “cross arm”. The cross arm, when operating, is mounted on and crosses the main arm at a 90 degree angle. The cross arm is longer than 30 cm. In the folded-up/“fits inside 30 x 30” configuration, the cross arm is rotated to about a 30 degree angle to the main arm; it's mounted spring-loaded so that when tripped, it rotates and locks into it’s 90 degree operational position. The end affector is mounted on the cross arm, and is motor-powered.
What the kids have at this point is simply a wire that runs through a tube mounted on the main arm back to the control box (which is outside the 30 x 30 area). Pulling that wire (a tenth of an inch) pulls a little pin, and that releases the spring, and the cross arm snaps into position. It is the stored energy of the spring that moves the arm; the wire is a physically activated connector that releases that energy. Tripping it into position does not “impart energy into the arm(s)(i.e., all end affector movements must be powered by stored energy in the device components”; all end affector movement takes place after this “basic deployment” step is done.

Is this an issue/a problem? If it is, we could add a solenoid to pull the trip wire…..

The same thing/question applies to the lowering of the main arm from it's upright (inside the 30 x 30 area)- a release wire that releases it to swing down to a horizontal position from semi-vertical; that downward motion being from the stored gravitational potential energy from being lifted up to fit the 30 x 30.

Thanks
Is the question whether your setup would count as an extra motor or not? Or simply if it is legal or not based upon the stored energy?