Monday, November 28, 2011

Entry 05


Date : Wednesday, 02 November

Time: 1.30 - 5.30 p.m.

Subject: Even, even more research


Analysis of a few YouTube videos showing last year’s competition:


  1. Research continues pertaining to the robots used in last year’s competition. After watching a robot with caterpillar tracks perform, it appears that the caterpillar tracks are not sufficient to pull the robot up the ramp while its tall loops allow it to reach over the edge of the tilted midway bridge and move up with little difficulty.





  1. Another robot extracts the batons and moves them up to the top of the robot, releasing them into the rolling goal by using gravity to slide the batons down a thin chute that extends into the rolling goal.



  1. In a final match, a robot attempted to direct the batons it was containing into the rolling goal by sliding them down a V-shaped tray. The batons were well going to fall in when another robot came and stole the batons by pushing away the rolling goal so the batons would fall into the other robot’s container instead. The two robots were clearly from different colours, red and blue. Was this right?




Aaron has just built the base of our robot, using the |_| long bar arrangement. He

arranged two long bars in parallel, then connecting them perpendicularly with a combination of a few shorter bars. The whole process proceeded with precise measuring of the differing lengths of the bars. He is enduring certain difficulties screwing on the first wheel, making him frustrated to the point that he wishes to kill me and smash everything (though I doubt it was really so). He wants to use a particular gear ratio, the type of which I could not perceive at the time, but was discouraged by our robotics teacher Mr Soh.


He now fits a large-sized Tetrix wheel with the broad black ‘tyre’.




1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwVmYSCOlCQ&feature=related

  1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfnFMk7F-QI&feature=related
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkgoOs2htxs&feature=related



Aaron’s well detailed ideas of how the mechanism that collects the batons will be placed on the base: at the 2 sides, at the middle bar, or right at the edges.





Aaron connecting the parts together to form the frame, the base of the robot. A structure that is built on a firm base will not fall easily. Similarly, a structure with a poorly developed base will collapse easily. It goes to show how important the fundamentals are.




Aaron uses the Allen key to tighten the parts together. Everything must be constructed and put together securely. If not, things will certainly go haywire for the robot should it come with an unforeseen accident. Taking good care of the robot will prevent it from being needlessly damaged.



Aaron holds the humble yet completed base in triumph in the radiance of the bright ceiling light, which in the near future will become a successful baton-collecting robot. Some of the most amazing inventions have had lowly beginnings.

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