need help for middle school program… we have no engineer
want to build a launcher or elevating machine to make high goals in nothingbutnet.
any help is appreciated
There are 3 basic launchers for NBN: The double flywheel (2 wheels geared at around 25:1 spinning very fast to launch the balls), the single flywheel ( the same as double except just with one wheel and some sort of compression on top), and the LP( Linear puncher, AKA slipgear launcher, which uses a shaven off gear and linear gears to pull the slide back). Look around on the forums and youtube, you should be able to find lots of help for building either of these launchers. As for a lifting robot, I have no idea how to build one of those…
If you are looking at doing high goals, I would start with the simplest way to make one. Do what we call a “bar shot.” Hit the front of your robot into the front bar and have a low(er) speed flywheel etc. to gently throw them in. The team 2v uses this tactic well.
In my opinion it is the next step from pushing or placing them into the low goal.
The throwing angle should be above 60 degrees to get this shot, but it requires minimal velocity control (if any.)
I would not even attempt the full court pre load shot, as a lot more difficulties are hidden in accomplishing this. I would also not worry about lifting. You may want to make a robot that can be easily lifted though.
Good luck and please respond if you would like more help.
-974x Cyber brains
I think that browsing the forums and youtube is always a good way to get ideas.
Check out 8059a’s forum. Lots of good tips on building a flywheel.
If you have a team of mostly or all rookies, you will probably not have the hardware or software skills to build a robot that you will find on the forums, youtube, etc. I am not trying to be mean but as a captain of rookies, we had to use the majority of the early season just prototyping and building models until we had an idea for a robot that we thought we could build. Before building the actual robot (and preferably the prototypes), try to map out exactly what you are going to build and what advantages and disadvantage the idea has. EVERY idea has advantages and disadvantages but only a few will work out well. Keep searching the forums, read the rules, and the search the internet and you will learn a ton. My personal suggestion is a single flywheel that has no feeding mechanism or wheels that you driver load (read the rule book for explanation of driver loads) with the single flywheel, try a building a “U” that keeps compressing the ball with your flywheel (the fast spinning wheel that launches the balls) in the middle of the “U” and use a 35:1 or 25:1 gear ratio. I will try to post a picture tomorrow what I mean but will probably not remember. This is simple design that will almost definitely not get you to worlds but it might get built before the end of the season and let you do okay at competitions. Remember to research everything you can especially the stuff you do not know and ask lots of questions online and to any teams at the tournament. Good luck!
My teams first year was Sack Attack. None of us knew what we were doing, so our robot wasn’t that great. We made the simplest robot possible, while still being able to accomplish the goal. It was literally just a scoop that put the bean bags into the trough. My advice is KEEP IT SIMPLE!!! Since you are new, try to just pick a design, and make it as simple as possible. Simplicity never hurts.
We won 2 tournaments last year with an 8-bar and a VEX Claw, so this is definitely true.