Game Animation:
Team Name: Gompei and the H.E.R.D.
Robot Name: El Chupacabra Goat
Summary For The Year:
In response to the 2008 challenge, Team 190 built El Chupacabra Goat. In looking for the most exciting angle on the game, the team decided that having the robot plant itself in the middle of the field, extend a 12-foot telescoping tower, and infinitely rotate an arm would be an acceptable strategy. The objective was to carry the track ball around the field as many times as possible as quickly as possible. The robot utilized Man-Bear-Pig drive, a unique 5-wheel arrangement in order to move around the field. The right-hand side of the drivetrain had friction wheels; the left-hand had two omni-wheels and a rolling pin of doom (rPod.) When the match began, El Chupacabra Goat deployed its rPod to lift the friction wheels clear of the carpet and trundle into place in the center. Once locked in position, El Chupacabra used a suction cup that required 50 pounds of force to lift the ball. The arm swung around and used custom built slip rings to allow electrical contact through the full 360 degrees of rotation.
Competitions Attended:
- BAE Systems Granite State Regional (Manchester, NH)
- Silicon Valley Regional (San Jose, CA)
- FIRST Championships (Atlanta, GA)
Offseason Competitions Attended:
- BattleCry@WPI 9
- Bash at the Beach
- River Rage
Awards:
- Xerox Creativity Award, Silicon Valley Regional
- Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award, Granite State Regional
Team Pictures: None