Hey there y’all,
We have been getting a lot of questions about our popper after our instagram and Facebook posts, so I wanted to take the time to explain our mechanism in a bit more detail!
It started a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… haha not really, but we had the initial idea for a popper as soon as the game was released. I had experience building such a mechanism before, as it is what my rookie-year team (#8716 Techaholix) used as our primary scoring mechanism in Cascade Effect. As we were effectively recycling the particles used, we knew that there was merit in such a solution.
After deciding on our design, we got to work. After testing multiple launching designs, such as a flywheel and lexan popper, we found the CAM based popper to be the most effective, as it provided the most consistent shot. We worked to take our idea of Techaholix’s popper and make it more compact, durable, and able to score both blocks and balls. We were able to do this by installing a CAM on both sides, as well as creating a “funnel” which orients blocks on its edge, giving an accurate shot every time. In addition, we created a telescoping tube to make sure the particles would land in the same place every time.
Currently, we are working on integrating our design with our intake and slide system. We will be sure to keep you all updated as we progress! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@revamped12808), Facebook (facebook.com/RevAmpedRobotics) and Twitter (@revamped12808) to stay up to date on what we do!
Shishir Pandit-Rao
Captain, FTC #12808 RevAmped Robotics