The machine.

1Drivetrain

A mecanum strafer drivetrain, chosen because it is simple, reliable and sturdy.

Four motors, one per wheel, on a frame of U-channel that keeps it stiff.

Motors

4

Servos

0

2Intake

A flap-wheel intake with a curved ramp, for quick pick-up of artifacts.

One motor drives the flap wheels. The ramp is 3D printed.

Motors

1

Servos

0

3Sorter

A spindexer: a drum that rotates to sort the artifacts by colour.

Two servos turn it. Sorting turned out not to help our scoring, and the flap that pushed each artifact on into the shooter was unreliable, which slowed every cycle.

Motors

0

Servos

2

4Shooter

A hooded flywheel shooter that fires the artifacts into the goals.

One motor spins the flywheel. It worked, but the hood was fixed, so we could not control its angle.

Motors

1

Servos

0

1Drivetrain

A custom parallel-plate drivetrain on mecanum wheels, built in polycarbonate.

Designing our own frame gave us far more freedom over where each mechanism sits. The wheels were driven by sprockets and chains, which gave us problems.

2Intake

An intake that feeds artifacts up a flat ramp.

3Transfer

Flap wheels that carry each artifact from the intake to the shooter.

It replaced V1.0's spindexer. Our analysis showed that sorting was not worth the slower cycle times.

4Shooter

A hooded flywheel shooter with an adjustable hood.

V1.0's hood was fixed. This one lets us set its angle.

1Drivetrain

The same custom parallel-plate drivetrain on mecanum wheels, now driven by timing belts and pulleys.

They replaced the sprockets and chains that gave us problems on V2.0.

2Intake

Gecko wheels over a curved ramp.

The curved ramp replaced V2.0's flat one to improve pick-up. The gecko wheels are compliant, so they give as an artifact comes in.

3Transfer

Surgical tubing that carries each artifact from the intake to the shooter.

It replaced V2.0's flap wheels after further testing.

4Shooter

A hooded flywheel shooter with an adjustable hood.

Carried over from V2.0.