Lift prototype

As we proceeded to build our conveyor belt robot (Detailed in the CAD shown), we split up into two main teams. 2 of our main members led the chassis team, and I led the lift team.

Our first step to making this lift was to decide what materials we were using, and how they were being mounted. We decided to use elastic for our tubing, and a combination of garage pulleys and plastic ones that we would make, because not all of them were directly powered by a motor, as each pulley pulled another.

The final prototype can be seen here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyr3TwyTQBY&context=C3b9123fADOEgsToPDskLDHmZoGkpAjNtZp2OKRFMt

After we made that, we made a list of improvements :
1. Improve the PVC pulleys - Elastic popped off numerous times
2. Make elastic more tensioned
3. Move elastic closer together
4. Add guards at the bottom to ensure the ball is centered while traveling up

On our actual robot, we used a lathe to turn plastic pulleys, as opposed to the PVC ones shown in the video. This kept the tubing from popping off several times. We also changed the spacing on the elastic from 2 inches and 6 inches to 2.5 and 5.5, and are planning to add foam guards at the bottom to keep the ball centered.

During the prototyping phase, we kept a drawing of the lift on the board, and a todo list next to it. This way anyone who came to a meeting could work on it regardless of how much they knew about the design. It also meant that the core members working on the chassis could keep track of how far the lift had gotten.