OverviewTeams from Union College and Dartmouth College are asked to design and build a robot that can rake leaves and capture them on board the robot. Union designs a robot with a combine mechanism consisting of sheet metal fins riveted to an attachment chain, while Dartmouth designs a robot usinng a series of fans to vacuum leaves up through ductwork into a quick-release leaf bag. Both robots come together late in the day, but Union's "Dutch Box" bags the win, and Dartmouth's "Mega Maid" has to make like a tree and leave. Union advances to the next round of competition and one step closer to the two-thousand-dollar scholarship.
The Teams
Union College
Adam Retersdorf, Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Marissa Post, Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Jason Fishner, Junior, Mechanical Engineering
Dartmouth College
Luis Carrio, Senior, Engineering Physics
Nikhil Manchanda, Senior, Computer Science and Engineering
Alexander Price, Senior, Mechanical Engineering
The DesignsUnion designs a robot with two main drive wheels, two castors, and a combine mechanism powered by right angle motors that collects and dumps leaves into a quick-change hopper.
Dartmouth designs a robot with two main drive wheels, two castors, and a series of fans to vacuum leaves up through ductwork into a long quick-release leaf bag.
The "Household Item" Component
The teams are given a household item from which they may source parts for the construction of their robots. The team that uses the most parts from the household item receives a pre-determined advantage in the final competition. The household item for this competition: An electric refrigerator.
Construction
Host Chris Chianelli introduces the teams to their challenge: to build a leaf raking robot. With the help of Brian Nave and Buzz Dawson, both teams begin brainstorming. As the teams continue to design they are introduced to a sample of the leaves for the challenge.
While the teams develop their initial design ideas, Buzz and Brian reveal the surprise household item: refrigerators. We see the final designs for the teams, and building gets underway. Dartmouth gets right to work on their drivetrain and finding some fans and bags in the lab to incorporate into their design. Union gathers all the parts they'll need for their robot.
Union has taken a real interest in the refrigerator, cutting it up for scrap metal to use in their robot. Dartmouth utilizes the fan blades that were found for the leaf gathering system. Both teams have set a good pace as their robots take shape.
Mid-way through the construction phase, Chris talks to Brian and Buzz about how their respective teams are doing. Dartmouth continues building the frame of their robot along with the leaf-gathering fan and bag assembly. Union's conveyor assembly takes shape with attachment-chain as the heart of the robot's conveyor system. Dartmouth tests their systems and find that there is still plenty of work needed before the competition. Union take their robot for a successful test spin.
Chris gives an update on both teams' progress. With the base of their robot built Dartmouth, is ready to fit the ducting that they are fashioning from refrigerator parts. Union is busy attaching the fins to their conveyor system, and when they're done they conduct a successful test of the system. With one hour remaining, both teams race to be ready to compete at the end of building.
The ContestThe competition starts well, but the Dartmouth robot just doesn't perform to expectations. Union's robot handily takes the win with a huge pile of leaves gathered.
The Winners: Union College
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