In the event of an emergency, robots may be called upon to enter into areas which have been devastated by natural disaster. The thirteen students from the Foundations of Engineering II class split up into four groups to build such robots, and testing came after eight weeks of work and dedication!
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The original CAD model of the obstacle course, constructed over several weeks by our indefatigable teaching assistants, seniors Josh and Claire |
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Davis gets his team’s robot up onto the 50 mm platform with no worries at all |
The payload mechanism’s motor came unplugged!
Davis, the driver, thought up an idea. The payload was resting on top of the robot. What if he just flipped the whole robot over? Using the tank’s “tail”, he flipped the robot up onto its end and delivered the payload.
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Although not able to climb the full 45 degree slope, with a slight modification the Trapezoidal Tank was make it at 40 degrees |
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A moment of pure glory! Davis upends the entire robot and performs the obligatory victory dance! |
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Caleb taking things in his stride, as the long-legged robot effortlessly clambers over the gravel pit obstacle |
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Caleb attempts to steer by camera only– no easy feat! |
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Pushing the one-kilogram block away, the package waiting to be delivered is clearly seen on the right-hand side of the robot |
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This complex (and squeaky) maneuver involves a series of high-torque gymnastic activities |
Next up was “Daddy Long Legs,†a robot with motorized wheels attached to extended legs. It was built by Caleb, Sydney, and Zach. Caleb, the driver, slowly completed the run, also skipping the very difficult 45° incline. On the camera-only trial, the robot was not able to place the payload in the designated area.
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Anaconda brings its bulk to bear on a one-kilogram block of wood |
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This monster robot leaps 100 mm platforms with a single bound! |
Next was “Anacondaâ€, built by Sam P., Isaiah, and Pedro. It’s most notable feature? The robot’s tracks could rotate all the way around to point in the opposite direction. Sam P. took the wheel, and on his first run, he only skipped the smaller gate. On the camera-only run, he made it through the same obstacles without any issues.
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James steers the Iron Horse through both gates and up onto the 100 mm platform |
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Charging over the gravel pit with a huge ground clearance |
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End of the road: the Iron Horse capsizes while trying to free its jammed package (the small yellow catch was supposed to release and allow the hinged door to fall) |
The lesson to be learned for these four groups? Each problem can be solved in many different ways, but some are more effective than others. In every problem you encounter, consider those many solutions and then choose the most effective one.