i just watched all of the videos. some are pretty good, but only one really stood out. Gustavo Gorektin’s ChemBot was the most complicated, worked the best, and accomplished the most difficult task, as well as having a very good render + animations.
i noticed that just about all of them implemented a claw on the robot. some, were simple, with just a driving base and a claw on a pivot. but i guess having a 6 function limitation makes things harder.
Although I did not enter the contest, I posted some Vexplorer modifications using a Lazy Susan that gave the Vexplorer’s robot arm 0:360 degree panning (Azimuth) capability. This allows me to pick up objects at almost any angle using the camera and RC remote. My current Vexplorer project is to make it programmable for autonomous operation. You can see the photos in the Gallery using the following links:
That’s excellent! I congratulate you. Now you may want to try other contest such as those sponsored by Circuit Cellar, Microchip, Freescale and NASA. I was able to get to the second phase of the Microchip PIC32 Design Challenge with my Vex based SunBot and also have entered the NASA Future Design Contest, which only requires you to propose “ideas”, so if you have any good ideas that could eventually lead you to getting Patents like Thomas Edison did a century ago you can submit them or have your parents submit them for you if you are under 18.
I considered entering Microsoft’s Imagine Cup but since I’m leading our VRC team and taking some homework intensive classes I dont think I’ll have time.
