Our VEX team has received a challenge from the Chicago Cubs to build a robotic baseball launcher. They have offered this to 6 teams in total, and the best one gets to use it to throw the first pitch at a spring-training game. The catch is that of the 6 teams offered - a few of them are FRC teams. Does anyone have any advice as to how to build a baseball launcher with VEX parts that can beat FRC parts? We have V5.
use as many motors as possible
Flywheel, or a good puncher will do the trick. It may be possible to make a puncher with a great deal more of bands than normal, with the addition of two motors to pull back the puncher. My team did something similar in our robot. Go Cubs.
1 Like
I have a possible pointers:
For a puncher, make sure it’s not metal hitting the baseball - you’ll probably get more force if you have an elastic/squishy surface (think of it like a tennis/badminton racket)
A Catapult would be much harder, but I think it could be more effective if you get your angle of release correct. I also think some baseball throwing machines (at batting cages) utilize a catapult.
Wow. GL! Make sure you have accuracy while being fast at the same time, accuracy is more important. To second @Wiredcat_Robotics, I’d agree to not have any metal contact the ball. Use elastic to your advantage!
As a Chicago team myself, Go Cubs!
tbh if there’s no size restraint just make an enormous catapult. like, house sized. and use 40 v5 motors to bring it down
Maybe make a 19 motor V5 flywheel with a 1 motor intake.
or… maybe…
if you have more than one brain you could build a 39 motor flywheel with a 1 motor intake!
the vibrations could be a problem though…
Good luck!
If possible make a 6 motor puncher with a killer gear ratio. Slow but powerful.