11.08.2012

30 Minutes or Less

The parts that we ordered finally arrived today, greatly increasing the resources that we have at our disposal and allowing us to build bigger and better robots. These new parts will be stronger that the parts we currently are using and will provide us with better performance. 
 

Silly String

 Nik and Pierce troubleshooted our lift system and decided to scrap the string being wound on the side, as it would not wind correctly and started to destroy the string. Instead, the string was moved to an axle beneath the arm that is turned by a gear attached to a motor. This arrangement prevents the string from stretching when the arm is lowered- another problem we encountered- and provides more torque for raising the lift, making it a much better solution.


Feeling Rather Spoolish

Apparently, the spooling system we have now isn't quite working as expected; it has a tendency to fray the string. So, I went off to SolidWorks to draw up a concept for a new one.

 Unlike the last spool – which was mounted on the side – this one goes between the two bars in the arm, meaning that it's a more direct route for the string than before. In addition, the string uses the arm's axle as a pivot, meaning it will always be the correct length regardless of what angle the arm is at. Pretty nifty, I think.