ack, trebuchets are for OUTSIDE!

Is it really a trebuchet if it isn't powered by the trop of a heavy counterweight but rather by an electric motor attached to a set of cogs? My major concern is what happens to that apparently flimsy construction once the ring cog reaches the stop in order to transfer the momentum into the ball. It looks like that throwing arm needs some kind of additional bracing.

At least they all seem to be having fun.

It doesn't look like they actually have any physical stop for the arm. It looks like its ment to be able to go in a complete circle.

which may be why Wolf is freaking out

I think the answer is a lot simpler... it's not meant to throw the ball... it's designed to dunk the ball. It doesn't need to transfer inertia to the ball.

I think it is meant to throw the ball. Otherwise, why would they need a motive system to move the robot if not to set it up for a free throw? Dunking a ball from point-blank range just doesn't make much sense nor provide any kind of a challenge.

I think those two bars at the other end of the arc are the hard stops; with the electric motors powering the arm motion, the motors themselves can act as a kind of soft stop to control the energy transferred to the ball.

This reminds me of a movie I once saw.... "Revenge of the Nerds" I think it was called.

This also makes we kinda wish I was still in school. This would have been a great project for robotics club

Come on and slam !

And welcome to the Jam!

Awh I miss first robotics

FIRST Robotics is fun. I've been to a couple of their events.

I wonder how this'll end up exploding.

Actually, this is a clever and simple design. The arm with the ball would be carried in the trough at the bottom of the robot behind the base of the upright supports. The arm would swing up and then continue forward to rest at the base. (It might even be able to "Guard" the ball by locking it in the trough.)

Anyway, once again Cartoowolf shows off remarkable rendering skills, attention to details and great understanding of mechanical design.

I play the game "Besieged" a lot ;3

Oh! Thank you for introducing me to a fun and interesting simulation-game.

Actually, I think he's panicking because it's gonna dunk his wrench as well as the ball...

This is a fun piece. Good job with it!

So THAT’S where the yoke for my 1 meter telescope went!

WOLF!!!!!

A wrenching experience... for sure...

Anything with Wolf involved wont end well, as usual.

*And then it exploded.

That wrench is liable to hurt if it comes loose during that arc!

Very cute picture!

Gotta show my coworker this, he runs our school's robot team! =^^=

I like these classic colorful ribbon cables

errant wrench, ERRANT WRENCH!!!!

'Looks like Wolf's wrench became part of the test run. ..
"Abort! Abort!"

when basketball is broken down to a science XD