Team MCCC robot reveal: the Pneubot, zero motor drive

Inspired (accepting the challenge) from this thread: One Motor Drive?

We present the first VEX legal zero motor drive robot: the “Pneubot”

Videos and pictures here: Pneubot - Google Drive

Technical details: the crankshaft is powered by a pair of double acting cylinders offset by 90°. A V5 rotation sensor provides feedback to the brain to actuate the solenoids. The timing is mechanical, just like on a car engine.

This little robot has become our new example pneumatic trainer, since it contains almost every pneumatic component, along with code on the brain (PROS).

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amazing, I was wondering if anyone was going to make something like this.

who needs motors, right?

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Wow!
This looks completely awesome but also extremely complicated to me.
I’ve never seen something like this robot, and it sure does show how vex designs can be so vigilant!

Great job on this, you really earned it!

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well
is it possible to make one that could go to competition?
not viable, just possible

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Well, it goes about 20’ on two full air tanks…

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Great!

Now the next step is to make a vex legal pump with the motors!

8 motor pneumatic pump, 4 cylinder pneumatic drive!

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Inspector: please count you motors.
Me: about that…

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This is the best thing I’ve seen all week.

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If you separated the sides and could make it last at least the driver control, you could create a legit bot. Of course, you would also need to create a pneumatic operated claw.

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You would probably win a judges award for that.:grinning:

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This just made my day!

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This is awesome I wanted to make one of these but it has no practical operation.

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It has no use for competition, but it is a practical pneumatics trainer for the newer teams in our organization.

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image Bro made a train.

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That driving video is very satisfying! Maybe I grew up to be the wrong type of engineer. I don’t even get a cool hat at work!

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True. Experimenting is one of the best ways to learn imo.

I wondered about recharging the reservoir, but we have this. Perhaps changing from “additional” to “increasing” would quench energetic quibblers.

Why stop it? You can’t verify the maximum pressure easily. If you arranged gearing such that 100PSI reliably halts the pumping motor(s), perhaps it could potentially be safe. I wouldn’t let my mentees take that risk. They’d have to persuade someone else to take responsibility,

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well it specifically says you can’t use components for the purpose of “generating air pressure” which would make a pump illegal.

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I read it as relating that to additional elements - which I assumed meant not part of the kit - such as surgical tubing. Maybe they could just unify those sentences.

This guy beat you to it

I think yours is cooler though

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