Competition Robot Preview

If you're looking to scout our 2016 FRC Stronghold robot, you've come to the right place!  Team Komodo's "Twitchy" is a multifunctional, mobile platform with numerous hardpoints to attach competition ready modifications.  If you need the short version of this post, scroll to the bottom to the tl;dr header.  In this post we'll discuss the main three aspects of our robot: defense crossing, ball handling and climbing.  We'll finish with a discussion of how to best use us in our strategy and why you should pick for Team 4293 in your alliance.

Perhaps the greatest asset Twitchy offers is its modular design.  As we mentioned, Twitchy is designed specifically with modifications in mind.  If you need an alliance partner to do practically any task on the field, we can mount a manipulator for that task.

Lets begin by talking about our defense crossing capabilities.  Twitchy runs a 6 wheel drop center (often called "West Coast") drive train with 8" pneumatic wheels.  Each side is powered by 2 CIM high torque gearbox which drives all three wheels via chains.  This gives Twitchy the capability to turn smoothly and speedily while maintaining high torque and traction when acting defensive.

Twitchy is low enough to go under the low bar, has manipulators specifically designed for the portcullis and cheval de frise and can vault all of the other ground obstacles with ease.  Team Komodo is guaranteed to handle those 6 obstacles in no time.  Twitchy can also handle the drawbridge and sally port, it just takes more time.

If you need a robot to defeat all of the defenses on the field, or assist your bot in crossing the tougher ones, Twitchy is your top pick!

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How about ball handling and scoring?  Twitchy is a dedicated low goal scorer, using its manipulators to pinch and hold a ball.  Its tennis racquet-esque pinchers can firmly hold the ball and raise and lower it past obstacles.  Those little prongs on the pinchers, by the way, are there to help us pass the portcullis in one smooth motion.  

Because Twitchy can still perform tasks while holding a ball, it can grab a ball in any part of the field and bring it to the low goal to score.  This makes Twitchy a very valuable pick for damaging the tower!

To repeat however: Twitchy cannot score in the high goal.

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Finally, lets discuss Twitchy's climbing ability.  Twitchy has a telescoping lifter hooked to a CIM on a 1/64 gearbox.  That much power has no trouble lifting Twitchy (who is a pretty light little robot!) up above the low goal.  Twitchy also has the capability to keep itself in the air at the end of the match, so watch out for Twitchy scoring big points in finals matches.   

The climber has a unique design in which the claw detaches from the Igus sliders for the actual climb which prevents the sliders from bending.  The claw can also be secured in place for defense handling. 

Speaking of defense handling, the climber lays down under the low bar and provides us with the capability to open the sally port and the drawbridge.  

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Lets finish by talking about team strategy.  Twitchy is a fast, powerful and maneuverable robot.  In many of the previous regional competitions, robots like Twitchy have been successful by first breaking defenses, then playing defense.  We have more than enough power to knock any high goal scoring team off their mark and our lifter arm can block high goal scorers fairly reliably.  Twitchy's auto can cross any ground defense, in keeping with the defense breaking theme.

However, if your robot is already dedicated to these things, Twitchy can play a tower breaking role by reliably and quickly scoring in low goal.  If all else fails, Twitchy can ferry balls to a high goal scorer, or assist other robots in crossing defenses.

Most importantly, and we cannot stress this enough, is that our robot is designed to be moddable.  If it comes down to the final matches and you need a robot to do something, we can quickly fabricate and mount something to do just that.  Despite Twitchy's already solid performance on the field, the ability to change Twitchy's capabilities on the fly to better fit your strategy is one of our best assets. 

TL;DR

Twitchy can:

• Handle every defense without getting stuck, sally port and drawbridge are slowest
• Manipulate balls and break defenses at the same time
• Score in low goal
• Play defensive with a powerful drivetrain and an arm that can block
• Cross defenses in auto
• Climb the tower

Twitchy can't:

• Shoot high goal

Most importantly, and we cannot stress this enough, is that our robot is designed to be moddable.  If it comes down to the final matches and you need a robot to do something, we can quickly fabricate and mount something to do just that.  Despite Twitchy's already solid performance on the field, the ability to change Twitchy's capabilities on the fly to better fit your strategy is one of our best assets. ​