6.270 Team 33
Gimme-A-Hug
Overview:
6.270 is an autonomous robot competition. Each team has 3 weeks to design, build, and program a machine that will compete head to head with another machine in a simple contest. The machines were built using Legos, and were programmed in C. This year's contest was called "Montezuma's Revenge." At the end of 60 seconds, the team with the most total points would receive the win.
The Robot's Structure:
We have decided to use a differential drive mechanism because of its ability to turn without moving forward. It will be much easier to maneuver in and out of tight spots than with a steering drive system. A possible downside is making the robot move perfectly straight, but with the proper sensors, the robot will be able to correct itself if it goes off track. A third wheel will probably be installed on the back of the robot for stability. We built this type of robot in assignment 2 and we are very happy with its maneuverability. We will also use two arms and a gate to grab on to the balls. The gate will be powered by a servo.
Strategy:
The robot will move across the board by line following. Using 3 phototransistor/LED
combos as discusses in lecture, we should be able to do this successfully. When
the robot reaches the top of the table it will drop its hands and pick up the
two balls in front of it. Using transistor/LED combo it checks the colors of
the balls. If the ball is our ball the hand remains dropped, if not the hand
releases the ball. The robot then moves backward down the table to the scoring
position. Gimme-a-hug was not designed to attack the other robot.
