| Robotic Driving-Range Golfers -- Design and Construction, Part 2 |
From "Robot Rivals"
episode DROB-109 |
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With the preliminary designs worked out, work gets fully underway on constructing the components of the robots. Activity Log: UC Berkeley (Hours 3 - 4)
- Bart builds the launcher, attaching two counter-rotating motors and two rubber wheels to an extruded aluminum frame. The wheels will spin around three-thousand RPM, ejecting the golf ball at one-thousand feet per second. At this rate, a golf ball will reach a target that is ten feet away and six feet high in fifteen milliseconds.
- Bart looks into ways to somehow incorporate a golf club into the golf ball feeding mechanism.
- Brian works with Bart and Daniel to complete the turret and framing supports for the golf-ball launcher.
Activity Log: Southern Illinois University (Hours 3 - 4)
- Matt constructs an aiming device using a linear actuator and PVC pipe. At the peak elevation, the linear actuator spins on the ball screws, preventing stress on the mechanism.
- Jeff cuts and glues pieces of PVC pipe for the air chamber, which will hold the compressed air used to fire the cannon.
- SIU uses a three-quarters inch ball valve from a sprinkler system as a triggering mechanism for their pneumatics.
- Matt alters the launching tube to include a golf ball holder, in which gravity pulls the golf balls down through the storage tube and into the firing tube.
Expert Corner Brian discusses the power-saws and specialized saw-blades (figure A) used to cut metal in robot building.
Wood is a relatively soft building material, so saw blade-teeth used for cutting it can be fairly wide. Metal, which is much harder, requires a blade with much thinner teeth that are more narrowly separated and coated with high-strength carbide (figure B). Because the teeth have width, they slice out a strip of the material as they cut into it. This is called a kerf.
Another means of cutting thin metal -- without leaving a kerf -- is to use metal shears (figure C).
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
Special Thanks for Robot Rivals 100 series
The Robot Store
provided various robotic components for Robot Rivals.
www.robotstore.com
IFI Robotics
makers of the "Isaac 32" control system.
www.ifirobotics.com
NPC Robotics
provided wheels and motors for Robot Rivals.
www.npcrobotics.com
Robotic Power Solutions
provided battery packs.
www.battlepack.com
Parallax Inc.
Provided microprocessors, on-board robotic cameras, autonoumous programming.
www.parallaxinc.com
Hobbico
provided Futaba control system.
www.hobbico.com
Alloy Frame Systems
provided extruded-aluminum frame materials.
www.alloyframesystems.com
SMC Corporation of America
provided pneumatic systems.
www.smcusa.com
Team Delta
provided wiring kits and electrical wiring.
www.teamdelta.com
Radio Shack
provided component cabinets.
www.radioshack.com
Campbell Hausfeld Tools
provided pneumatic tools and compressor used on Robot Rivals.
www.campbellhausfeld.com
Delta Machinery
provided tools used on Robot Rivals.
www.deltawoodworking.com
Porter Cable
provided tools used on Robot Rivals.
www.porter-cable.com
Waterloo Industries
provided tool chests used on Robot Rivals.
www.waterlooindustries.com
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