Our Robot, Raymond!

We started the season with a full team meeting to plan how we would approach the new challenge. First, we discussed different intake ideas and built a brush intake prototype. After testing it, we realized it did not grip the game pieces consistently enough. Because of that, we redesigned the system and switched to a rubber wheel intake, which gave us better control, faster collection, and more reliable performance.

To quickly test our ideas, we used cardboard to build a life-size mockup of the robot. This allowed us to experiment with spacing, angles, and ball flow before moving into CAD and final materials.

Once collected by the intake, the balls traveled up a ramp system. The ramp guided them upward using gravity and controlled angles, ensuring smooth movement without jamming. At the top, the balls dropped into a storage compartment, where they were held securely until ready to fire.

When it was time to shoot, the balls were fed into an exhaust-style launch tube powered by a flywheel system. The flywheel generated the speed and consistency needed to launch the balls accurately and efficiently.

This step-by-step prototyping process helped us improve reliability, efficiency, and overall robot performance before finalizing the design.