Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: alex_13 on February 16, 2010, 02:00:18 AM
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For a school design project, I am supposed to design an RC soccer playing robot that can drive, and pick up and shoot ping pong balls at a goal wall.
The material is given, and includes:
- 2 dc motors
- sheet metal
- various shafts, rods, tubing, wiring, etc
- various gears and pulleys
- plastic and foam sheets
- springs
My main question, what would be the best/most efficient way to use only 2 motors to drive, steer, pick up and shoot?
My group and I are all pretty new to robotics/mechanics so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Alex
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Do they include a microcontroller/ have any constraints on what you can buy?
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In two motors you can build a robot with a differential steering mechanism. It is simple to implement and understand. If the DC motors you are given are not geared you will have to gear them.
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SmAsH: The robot is radio controlled, and there is no outside material allowed. I forgot to mention that we have access to some rapid prototype material that can be cut into any shape.
Pratheek: The problem with a differential steering system is that it wouldn't leave any motors for picking up and launching the balls.
I suppose it's not absolutely crucial that the robot needs to be steered, since our job is to start at one end of the field, pick up balls at the center, then shoot them at a wall from behind a "goal line". So we could probably survive by moving along a single path only.
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Does it have to "pick up" the ball? Could it push the ball?
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Yeah, it would have to pick it up and fire it from a certain distance. I was thinking maybe of some kind of rotating paddle system that shovel and launch the balls in a single motion, but I'm open to any other ideas anyone might have