The robot’s build consists of a 14 by 10 inch goBILDA u-channel structure, its minimal size allowing the robot to strafe and maneuver around field obstacles with ease. To prevent the phone camera from being blocked, the front motors are horizontally aligned  inside the u-channels, which also gives the claw intake a wider range.

The intake system itself is composed of 3D-printed elements. Attached to the u-channel’s servo is a J shaped claw geared to a mirrored claw, optimizing range and efficiency in intake. Our 3D-printed pieces are a mixture of Polycarbonate and PLA+ to provide strength and rigidity, while remaining light enough to reduce swaying from the linear slide. Rubber bands and mesh material wrap around the tips of the J-claws, providing better grip when grabbing cones.

Our lift system consists of a four-stage goBUILDA linear slide with pre-lubricated ball bearings for smoother extension and retraction. We created a custom 3D-printed spool wide enough to prevent the string from getting tangled and wrapping around the motor axle. Furthermore, we outfitted rubber bands to each stage in order to collapse the mechanism quickly.

Our initial design featured an arm with two individual claws that were attached by two servos, that could lift and place blocks on the shipping hubs with ease. The arm rotates 240° and the claws would pick up both the blocks and spheres. The chassis was based off of our original testing unit which followed a standard “H” frame.

The second design incorporated two wheels on an axle that had rubber bands tied from each end. They would spin at high velocity and capture the block or sphere, sliding onto a linear slide system. The slides would lift via a pulley system that was towed by a motor. Although the wheels and lift system performed well during tests, we felt that the 240° arm would benefit us greatly. The design also incorporated a green rubber wheel to spin the duck carousel.

Modifying the original arm, the engineering team reinstalled the arm and immediately began testing. The former claws had difficulty grasping the sphere. We had rendered and 3D printed two mirrored claws that would attempt to grab both the block and ball. A second rubber wheel was added to spin the carousel on the blue side.

With much testing and thorough analysis, the former claw was removed and re-designed. The claws were well suited to perform our tasks of lifting both freights. The former wheels (mecanum) had been replaced with lighter and faster omni wheels that couldn't strafe but could climb over the barrier with ease. The rubber wheels were doubled up to account for height variation in the carousel.