2013 Southeast Pennsylvania FTC Regional Qualifying Tournament
From DEW Robotics
Revision as of 03:19, 9 September 2014 by MaiKangWei (talk | contribs) (→SE Pennsylvania FTC Qualifier Photo Gallery)
We went (3-2-0) in qualifiers, finishing as 10th seed in a field of 20 teams. We were not selected for eliminations, nor did we win any awards.
We did, however, learn a lot. Had fun too!
Contents
What worked
- We did
- Inspection
- Drive-train
- Stability - even with battery mounted at the lower arm axis
- Getting on the ramp in autonomous
- Flag raising (w/ original broken & repaired flag raiser) - new flag raiser is too flexible
What didn't
- Hanger - pinned the 5/8" tubing, but the set screws did not hold the steel shaft
- Block collection & scoring - we were a very low-yield block scorer
- Collection very difficult
- We generally collect 1 or 2 blocks (never 4)
- beater bar does not stay on
- collected blocks are frequently lost (esp with beater bar off)
- ejected blocks sometimes miss baskets; lost score
Thoughts & observations
- Hanger
- Explore alternative approaches
- Center arm on top tube with independent rotation and spring-loaded lift?
- If we keep this approach:
- Need to key the steel drive shaft - and if possible increase the shaft diameter - Maybe hardened steel shaft
- Hooks should probably be reversed & lowered; back up to engage
- Latex tubing "springs" can assist lift once shafts are secured
- Current hooks higher than they need to be
- Alignment seems reasonably straightforward
- Block collector
- Ability of arm to travel past straight up and to score on opposite side would speed scoring as the robot would not need to turn around
- Requires "losing" the 4-bar arm (maybe)
- Explore alternative approaches
- Ability of arm to travel past straight up and to score on opposite side would speed scoring as the robot would not need to turn around
- Lego autonomous dumper
- Seems to show promise
- Consider a servo replacement?