Ok so I’m here brainstorming like some of you might be but I came up with this really out there idea that seems probable in my head but really sketchy on paper. So in short its a slip gear hanger. Yes I did just say that but before anyone just laughs and leaves hear me out. This would also require hanging from the side, ok so you have a claw that is on a arm it starts pointing upward on your robot and to climb it goes down 90 degrees and is shoved into the pole but while it goes down the 90 degrees it stretches elastics that are mounted to the front of your bot all the way back to the front of this arm. When it is on the shoved into the pole and has a good grip you turn the slip gear until it slips causing the elastics to come back to the rested position and tilting the rest of your robot 90 degrees and above the field perimeter. I think this can be done and will be one of the most innovative solutions to climbing.
That sounds like a really good idea. This would only achieve a low elevation, right? You would have to make the arm really sturdy. It would be holding up the whole robot.
No it would be a high elevation your arm would rest on the gusset plate of the field thus the robots weigh is mostly being supported by the field wall. I also forgot to mention that the arm sits between to turntable bearings that arent motorized so the freely spin on the arm but are attached to robot so that would be the pivot point and instead of going 90 it may have to go like 120 degrees
Ok makes more sense. You mentioned that the arm would be shoved into the pole.
yeah a few nights ago i designed this claw that is on a arm it is basically 4-8 small wheels for us we plan to use Vexplorer wheels. But the claw is a U shape design that uses the drive shaft bar locks on c channel so when its all put together its a bunch of non movable traction wheels that fit around the bar refer to paint drawing. now the real thing will be to scale and will pinch the pole more this is just crayola cad
This sounds pretty good. However, I can see some problems with using it too much or just using it in general… I feel like it would consist of a lot of trial and error. But hey.
I definitely think that this is something to try.
Honestly, I think it would be a good idea, but I have one question,
If the pinch mechanism has to be strong enough to lift your whole robot without letting go, how much force would you need to apply in order to get the pinch mechanism onto the pole?
Yeah the elastics would need to be changed maybe each match or every other match. The metal if bent at all which it has a high risk of being bent would need to be changed any broken gears but also. So it will be a very high upkeep device but every robot is.
The pinch mechanism is not gonna support all the weight and will be put through trial and error the results will be posted on here and I encourage other teams to help troubleshoot too. Ideally the opening would have to be slightly smaller then the pole. Overall the design will be a lot like the sky rise section pick up from sky rise.
grappling hook
This device makes sense except to deploy your claw you’d have to push through you elastic. If you make your elastic strong enough to HOLD your at 90 degrees it have to be able to exert about 15 pounds of force. If your arm can apply more than 15 pounds of force to stretch the elastics. Then you don’t need the elastics as your arm has can apply force equal to the weight of your robot.
That is true and is honestly something i didnt think through thats why i post ideas here cause then they get run through other minds. Now thinking about it to make a rotary device that would be able to lift the robot wouldn’t be too hard. If i do the math right I can make up a two motor gearbox that could rotate the robot. The biggest thing to overcome is that the whole rest of the robot all 18 inches and possibly 10-15lbs is the arm you need to pivot. So two HS motors ran on opposite sides of a 36 tooth gear then that goes up to a 36:60 which then powers a 12:84 should be sufficient enough to rotate the whole robot.
However your not allowed to grapple any other part of the field besides the hanging pole if I’m correct. Correct me if I’m wrong
You are correct you are not allowed to grapple the field walls or anything else the way this works is it lays basically on top of corner gusset. the wheels that “grapple” the pole are to the inside of the c channel so the outside of the channel is flat and therefore doesn’t grapple just lays on top of it. a better way to see this is make two rock on signs with your hands then place your palms so that they are facing each other, now the inside of the bottom of your finger to the inside of the bottom of your opposite finger are where the tires go the outside as you can see with your hand is flat
@Collin Stiers Let’s do it!
In all seriousness though, I think the claw would need to be considered very carefully in its design and size. If I imagine correctly, the robot hanging off of the claw would basically be a huge lever, and since all the weight is far away from the fulcrum, the claw would require a lot of grip to keep level.
Assuming wall-supported High Hang is still allowed, it might be better to first lift off of the top of the wall (only touching the top, not reacting against 2 sides which is illegal) and then simply touch the Hanging Bar once you’re done.
The walls offer more surface area and are generally sturdier, so I think they would be a more ideal lift platform.
the traction will be provided by using the VEXplorer wheels
you wouldn’t necessarily need lots of traction assuming you made a claw that locked on, then you place a torque on the claw will force it to slant, making it dig into the pole and lock, it’s very similar to a trick construction workers use to climb up giant steel I beams
Are they legal? I am not sure what wheels you mean, when you say “VEXplorer wheels”. I did not think VEXplorer parts were legal.
Vexplorer electronics are not legal. Vexplorer wheels are legal but teams must be mindful of R5a
how did i know you would be on top of that comment haha
No the catapult wouldnt be the hanging arm it would be totally separate