Specifications

Overview

The best feature of our robot is its quick lifting. On our robot, there is also a gripper that is pneumatically driven, and exerts 35 lbs. of force. The drivetrain features are the Omni wheels for turning a tight radius, high traction tires for quick acceleration and improved turning, a 6 wheel suspension system for stability, and 4 powered wheels for increased maneuverability. The software features are a highly tuned drive system, auto height selections for lift, a faster lift speed in hybrid mode, and a hybrid mode. Specialty feature is a telescoping life mechanism for simplicity. Last is the “Safety FIRST,” which means that the forks are blunt, the spring mounted forks move easily, the gripper is flexible to bend when impacted, the gripper’s vertical force will securely hold the ball, and the design is multi- functional for lifting and herding.

Design

Helios’s design function was to be a multi-purpose robot built to put “Safety First”. The team chose to build in speed, herding ability, a fast lift system, and a simple but highly functional gripper mechanism.

Controls

The controls were also a product designed for “Safety”. Clear visibility, so judges can easily see what is going on in our robot, was an important part of our design. A clear plastic cover ensures visibility of our controls. A hole in the cover lets us access the main circuit breaker to quickly turn our robot off. Swinging covers provide access to critical components to render the robot to a neutral state. The cover also incorporates quick disconnects to easily access the controls for maintenance and repair if needed. The cover can withstand vertical and side impacts to more than 4 times expected forces during the game. A fan provides cooling for all the critical controls components while also providing airflow over the drive motors. The final electrical design allows maximum power to be delivered to all power systems. The components were oversized where practical to allow for this maximum delivery of power! Helios is a fully functioning and completely safe robot.

Programming

The software code is critical to the functionality of Helios. The software allowed for easy operator maneuverability, incorporated critical lifting “Safety” features while maximizing performance on every system. Drivability and maximum controllable lift speed was the key to the overall success of Helios.

Pneumatics

The pneumatic system powers the gripper and allows for ease of use with maximum power delivery through a flexible system. This system compliments the gripper and helps achieve the “Safety First” gripper design.

Drive Train

Speed was obtained by using a simple CIM motor, transmission with chain drive system. This drive system was simple to build and maintain. The drive system also achieved high maneuverability with the chain drive, only utilizing the rear 4 wheels. This reduced the turning radius to literally half the length of the robot. Traction wheels were used in the center of the robot and Omni-wheels on the ends. Herding ability was obtained with a simple, flexible lower fork type design. The ball can be easily positioned between the forks as the bend easily to pressures exerted against them but have enough resistance to hold the ball. This allows the ball to slide across the carpeted floor and be herded over the end-line. Dual CIM motors coupled to a standard transmission provide the lifting power for the mast. This design can lift the mast and ball from the floor to a full extension of 10’6” in under 1.6 seconds. At 6.5 ft/sec, this is one of the fastest lifts we have seen. Electrical stops were added for safety at both the upper and lower ends. “Safely” controlling the mass of the lift and ball at both ends makes the game “Safer” for all the robots on the field.