| Stair-Climbing Robots -- The Contest |
From "Robot Rivals"
episode DROB-106 |
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Once time runs out, each team must stop work on their robot. Each team can then inspect the work of the opposing team. Next, the robot showdown begins. The teams assemble at the robotic playing field.
The Rules:
- Each robot must climb a set of stairs.
- Once at the top of the stairs, the robot must pop a confetti-filled balloon.
- The team that accomplishes the task most quickly wins the competition and moves on to the next round of the tournament.
- Louisiana Tech receives the head-start advantage. Southern Utah used six items salvaged from the household item. Louisiana Tech, however, essentially utilized all parts since they converted the wheelchair into the chassis of their robot.
The Contest:
- Louisiana Tech, taking advantage of their 5-second head-start, moves directly and quickly to the stairs (figure A).
- For those first seconds, Southern Utah's "Thor" waits patiently at the start line (figure B).
- As soon as the head-start interval has elapsed, Southern Utah's robot also moves quickly to the stairs and begins climbing (figure C).
- Lousiana Tech's robot -- "Thor" -- encounters difficulty in tracking of the wheels at it attempts to continue its climb (figure D).
- Once the wheels get out of sync on the stairs, "Thor" gets stuck in position -- then suddenly rolls backward down the stairs. The force encountered when the robot hits the bottom of the stairs causes the chassis to come apart (figure E).
- Meanwhile, Southern Utah's "Easy Rider" slowly and steadily climbs the stairs (figure F).
- Easy Rider reaches the top of the landing and easily pops the balloon (figure G), securing victory for Southern Utah.
In the post-game follow-up, Buzz complimented the Louisiana Tech for their ability to improvise and modify their original plans to create a well-designed robot utilizing the wheelchair as a complete chassis. Southern Utah's team designed a robot that effectively utilized a track design for mobility. Despite some shortfalls with the programming for remote control, the robot moved and climbed with ease. The efficient design paid off in the final competition.
Southern Utah now progresses in the tournament, and will next face the winners from the upcoming match between Harvard and the University of Kentucky.
RESOURCES :
Robot Builder's Bonanza
Model: 0071362967
Author: Gordon McComb
Build Your Own Robot!
Model: 1568811020
Author: Karl Lunt
Robots, Androids and Animatrons : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build
Model: 0070328048
Author: John Iovine
Personal Robotics : Real Robots to Construct, Program, and Explore the World
Model: 156881089X
Author: Richard Raucci
Mobile Robots : Inspiration to Implementation
Model: 1568810970
Author: Joseph L. Jones, et al
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