More Videos

[Sunny]

I found a couple more videos.

This first one is of team 987, it looks to me like they're using some of high tension bands to kick off their ball. Especially when he says "3 bands."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raZdkGxq5Ig

The second one is team 1114's teaser. You can't see much, but it's still nice to see some launch vids.

[Tanner]

That's a interesting way of doing things. Kinda the same was as Dad's, but without a foot. Probably less control too as their kicker seems to be just a square.

No second video?

-Tanner

[Sunny]

That's a interesting way of doing things. Kinda the same was as Dad's, but without a foot. Probably less control too as their kicker seems to be just a square.

I think control will come with a holder and an angle of incidence. And, I think what they did was that they had the bands, and then they used a winch to wind it back, and pneumatics to "let it go." Our launcher is good, but their launcher delivers more powerful shots, but I'm not sure how they would control that exactly because it seems too powerful to me.

And the second video doesn't even show anything, and I can't find the thread anymore.

[Tanner]

I think control will come with a holder and an angle of incidence. And, I think what they did was that they had the bands, and then they used a winch to wind it back, and pneumatics to "let it go." Our launcher is good, but their launcher delivers more powerful shots, but I'm not sure how they would control that exactly because it seems too powerful to me.

I thought I heard something kinda like pneumatics, but I'm not sure how you'd get them to "let it go"? Their's seems WAY too powerful to me. If you're going 8ft up in the air, you're going to go outside the field. The key is to go long, but low.

We could use a winch to cock Dad's system. Then we could put a servo on the actual ratchet part of it and have it release. I'm CADDing it up though to see how well what you and I talked about today would work.

-Tanner

[Sunny]

I thought I heard something kinda like pneumatics, but I'm not sure how you'd get them to "let it go"? Their's seems WAY too powerful to me. If you're going 8ft up in the air, you're going to go outside the field. The key is to go long, but low.

What they do is that they pull the kicker back, and then when it's back, a cylinder pops out and the kicker sits against he cylinder. When the cylinder pops back, the kicker shoots forward, and is caught by the winch.

We can actually employ a similar method to Mr. Smith's design and GREATLY reduce its size, but maybe increase it's effectiveness.

[Tanner]

What they do is that they pull the kicker back, and then when it's back, a cylinder pops out and the kicker sits against he cylinder. When the cylinder pops back, the kicker shoots forward, and is caught by the winch.

We can actually employ a similar method to Mr. Smith's design and GREATLY reduce its size, but maybe increase it's effectiveness.

That's actually quite ingenious. The VEX Catapults implemented something of this exact method. We could use this on Dad's design.

-Tanner

[Logan]

What they do is that they pull the kicker back, and then when it's back, a cylinder pops out and the kicker sits against he cylinder. When the cylinder pops back, the kicker shoots forward, and is caught by the winch.

We can actually employ a similar method to Mr. Smith's design and GREATLY reduce its size, but maybe increase it's effectiveness.

How, exactly, are they "un-winching" the system? I can't think of anyway to quick-release the winch.

[Tanner]

I don't see a winch so I don't know. Magic?

-Tanner

[Sunny]

How, exactly, are they "un-winching" the system? I can't think of anyway to quick-release the winch.

We implemented a system back in '08 similar to this. I believe that cutting power to the motors can effectively create a "free" spinning motion, although I'm not entire sure.

In this scenario, it's entirely possible to "un-winch" the winch until it has slack, and then fire it.

[Logan]

How, exactly, are they "un-winching" the system? I can't think of anyway to quick-release the winch.

We implemented a system back in '08 similar to this. I believe that cutting power to the motors can effectively create a "free" spinning motion, although I'm not entire sure.

In this scenario, it's entirely possible to "un-winch" the winch until it has slack, and then fire it.

In '08, we used electromagnetic couplers to connect two independent shafts via very strong magnetic attraction, and we would reverse the polarity of said couplers to break the connection of the two shafts, allowing the one that was attached to the surgical tubing to spin on its own. There was no connection to the motors at all when we were firing.

That being said, I'm still not sure if we thought up of a way today to quick-release a winch.