Victor
Victor is our almost 79 inch (2m) tall, competition robot for season 2015. We participated with Victor in the FRC Virginia Regional. Victor is a so-called hybrid robot, meaning that it’s not only capable of lifting totes, but also cans. The totes and cans are lifted by our elevator system; where a hook is elevated with two chains (so it doesn’t tilt). The elevator contains three hooks which means we can lift three totes at the same time. Through reversing the motors of the elevator, the totes will go down and stack. We chose this design so we could reach faster, higher scores and play an assistive role.
Driving
Victor is driven by a drivetrain with four DC-motors. Both axes are driven by two DC-motors. Per axle three wheels are connected by a drive belt. The two middle wheels are a slightly lowered, so the robot can rotate around his own axis. Everything is actuated by the RoboRIO with an Arcade drive. Using an Arcade drive means that it can be controlled with only one joystick, in contradiction to the tank drive which normally needs two joysticks to control. If you move the joystick forwards or backwards it changes its speed. If you move the joystick left or right it turns.
Elevator system
With the design of the elevator we payed a lot of attention to the weight. The elevator consists of a skeletal construction. With four L-shaped profiles in the corners with thin aluminum profiles inbetween. By doing so the elevator stays really light and doesn’t tend to tilt. For lifting the totes we use self-made waterjet cut hooks. The hook is designed to lift totes from both the long side and the short side. The total weight of the robot is 76.5 lb (34,7 kg).
Reveal
Our main sponsor Victron Energy inspired us for the name of our robot. At the end of the building season we hosted our reveal at their location. Below is an impression of the reveal.