Demobots 2022 March Blog Post

30 Mar 2022

Spring is in the air, and with it comes the sweet smell of robots in the morning! Demobots has been making steady progress this semester towards it’s yearly goals.

In TOA (talons of acquisition) the mechanical team has decided to redesign it’s claw to opt for a two pronged system that can be laser cut and mounted much more quickly that the previous three-pronged iteration which had to be 3D printed and faced issues with interlocking parts for mounting. This design change will shift from relying on an additional pully mechanism attached to springs in the claw housing (which are prone to snapping and fatigue) and instead use a gear like system which will be much more stable.

The electrical TOA team has been designing light, button programing for the game board, and it currently working on designs to power all of the various electrical components, which require different power inputs, with one large battery. If you are interested in Arduino programing and electrical work, then this is a committee fit for you!

The Couchbot finally has new batteries and is getting up and running! The team has been working diligently on features to improve not only the “cool factor” of the bot but also the safety and longevity via water proofing, protective casings for hardware, and bumpers.

Dance bot has been designing the mother ship and working on utilizing a raspberry pi to communicate and deploy the Dancebot efficiently and effectively. Ready for the robot revolution? You’ve found your calling here.

Fetch-bot (name TBD) has designed a two dimensional robotic base to maneuver and catch a thrown ball, they are currently compiling a parts list and prepping to begin the build process. Looking for some hands-on action? Look no further!

As you can see, Demobots is a happening place this semester and if you’d like to join the cool cats working on these robots drop by our discord, attend a meeting, or reach out to me at cmonty@utexas.edu!

Author: Caitlin Montgomery

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