Team BLEEP build diary

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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

aah.. all ideas and no build..

last night I was pondering Deadlock, and the way it looks like it rotates when it lifts (well, I thought it did), when I had an idea.

A tin can!

Imagine, if you will, a tin can (or plastic pot or summat) with the top and bottom removed, and a quarter of the circumference cut out. Now imagine it mounted on its side in a 2wd bot, so that the open section faces forward, and driven by a motor. There'd be a small wedge at the front, as a feeder.

Something less blurry and vague than..
Image

The idea would be to ram into bots so they end up at least partially inside the can, then the motor would rotate the can and hopefully pick the other bot up and into it (probably not completely, alas). With a few attachments, the can should also work as a self-righter, I think.

Chances of it working (I suspect my sense of scale is wrong) or driving properly are pretty much zero, but I feel like it's worth a try. :)

Name-wise.. maybe just 'Avocado', or 'Cress?' (a very cut-down Bottom quote) :P

edit: I just worked it out with proper measurements and stuff, and it's looking a little dubious. As suspected, my imagination and reality are not in agreement. :P The can has to be quite small to fit inside a 4" cube (pretty much the same diameter as a drink can), and the opening would be too small to do anything much. Cutting it in half might work, tho. Still lots of options to try out! :D
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
Decode
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by Decode »

Oh man, I came on here to look for some newbie builds and feel good about my box-on-wheels, but your bots are really good!! :D

I love your updates and your bot designs! So many ideas I hope you get round to showing us!

Does nobody on here make rubbish bots that fall apart.....? haha.
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

aw, fanx! glad you like em. :D

mine are pretty rubbish, tbh. my pushbot can't push, and my lifter can't really lift, and i expect my hammerbot won't be able to hammer, and my launcher will probably launch itself.. it's all good fun, tho!

a box on wheels sounds like a good place to start. i made life a bit difficult for myself, really. :P
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

Another minor update..

Suspicious Houmous is not dead! I was gonna sideline it in favour of different bots, as I'd been having issues with it, but in the back of my head it feels wrong to ignore it. I mean.. it can do backflips across the arena! None of my other bot ideas can do that.

There's one fix I can make that solves quite a few problems. I'm kind've ashamed that I didn't spot it earlier - it needs wheels at both ends, mainly so that it'll have drive no matter where the spikes are. It should also make it a bit more controllable, although it won't stop me reversing into the pit. :P

I can't decide between tracks or wheels.. I'm planning it on paper while I'm in work, but drawing two wheels with a lifter between them just makes it look like i'm doodling crude pictures all over my notepad. :o

edit: I'm going for a mixture! 4 wheels, linked with bands within the diameter of the wheels (if that makes sense). I can't really link them with gears due to the lifter getting in the way.
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

I finally tried using Sketchup in anger, and this is the result:
Image

Not bad for a first attempt, I reckon. :)
The idea is to use the printed stuff to fix everything in place, and use polycarb for the top, bottom, and probably sides. I'm gonna try printing it out tomorrow, and then I can see if anything fits, and then make a more detailed model if it all fits in. :D

edit: Ha! As suspected, it didn't work out. I'd have gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for that pesky Vex29.. And the double-size axles (seems pressing '3' while making a circle creates a diameter of 6).. And the ruddy stupid way the wires come out of the LiPo.. The usual stuff. :P
Back to the drawing board!
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

Some progress made, but mainly in fiddling with Sketchup. I've been experimenting with wheels, and I think I now have a hub that can take a 30.4mm lego tyre. Took a while to get the 'D' right, and I've yet to print it. It may not end as planned.

Speaking of which, I gave ABS a quick try..
Image

99 problems but adhesion ain't one - it broke in half when I tried to remove it (partially due to poor layer adhesion). :P

ooh, I have another idea for the list - this one's a grabber, using a motor and toothed rails to extend/retract a pair of arms. Compared to some of my other ideas, it's pretty simple, so i might give it a go! :D
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

Wheeeeeee(ls)!

Image

I finally produced a version of wheel that I'm happy with. It took quite a few iterations, often because Sketchup behaved in an unexpected manner, but it's all part of the learning process. I think I might have to switch modelling software.

It's quite a wide wheel, but it fits the Lego caterpillar tracks, and has a few different tyre options. I'm gonna use what I've learned to make a couple of smaller Lego-ish wheels, and then I can design my bots around them. :)
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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Spaceman
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by Spaceman »

Those look some really good hubs. That is a fine bit of sketchup work there
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Paulmchurd
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by Paulmchurd »

Cool, where have you got your Lego wheels from??
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voorsk
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Re: Team BLEEP build diary

Post by voorsk »

Paulmchurd wrote: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:18 pm Cool, where have you got your Lego wheels from??
My son has literally hundreds of wheels in his Lego stockpile, so I'm using his stuff at the moment. :)

He only had one set of tracks, tho, so I bought some from bricklink. it's also useful as a reference, as it shows which tyres fit with which wheels (and vice versa). gotta watch for postage, tho.
Team BLEEP Suspicious Houmous / Sprouting Potato / Fermented Melon / Black Carrot
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