Thoughts on my idea for Pinnacle?

Achieve Robotics Competition | RECF Achieve | Pinnacle | 2026-2027
1

I know that there aren’t that many people here yet, but this is my idea for a robot and I am looking for some feedback

DRIVETRAIN

- 6-wheel drive

- 3 wheels on each side (left and right when looking at the front)

- 4 motors for the drivetrain, unless we use 3 or fewer motors for the rest of the robot; then 6 motors on the drivetrain.

- 2 motors on each side, unless we use 3 or fewer motors for the rest of the robot; then 3 motors on each side (left and right when looking at the front)

- 1 motor for each front wheel, and 1 motor for the back 2 wheels

INTAKE

- Escalator intake using 1 motor on the front, using a belt

- Scissor lift with 1 motor on the back that the escalator drops the pins/cups into

- Claw-type thing with 1 motor to put the pins/cups on the tower/holder

OTHER

- Big rubber flex wheel on the front of the robot somewhere with a shaft and 1 motor to spin the side things

2

  1. What is the reason for 6 wheels? Why not 8 or 4?

  2. Why a scissor lift? Why not a 2,4,6,8,200 bar lift?

  3. Why not try to make the claw a pneumatic claw? Or a passive claw?

    I like all of your ideas, I am just curious your logic behind using these mechanisms. Good luck this season!

3

I think if this is your idea you should CAD it out and give it a try! Run it through the engineering design process, and if it works, great! You now have a competition-ready robot. If it doesn’t end up working, you learn from it and try something new, but it’s a win-win either way. I think people are too focused on the “meta” in recent years, as opposed to using the competition as a means to learn new skills and improve yourself and your work.

TLDR: Do what YOU want to do and give it a shot! You’ll learn more and have more fun that way!

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