Demobots Spring Kick-Off!

21 Feb 2022

A new semester is off to a great start! The Demobots we have been working on this semester include Talons of Acquisition (TOA), Couchbot, Dancebot, and a new addition: A ball-catching-bot (which I’m sure will have a zinger of a name really soon)

I’ll begin with TOA, our claw machine demobot. The mechanical team’s current goals are getting the prototype of the z-axis (the claw) put together so the electrical team can work on wiring the winch and claw-closing mechanism and getting the new design for the arcade casing designed for laser cutting.(seen bellow is a shot of the extremely technical methods the team is using).

The other Demobot which has exciting updates in the Couchbot. After an unfortunate start to the semester when we found the Couchbot’s batteries dead, the Couchbot team is currently looking for new members to get the bot up and running again! The Couchbot team has successfully been able to take the couch to the floor of the EER, start, and drive it around on multiple occasions. They are currently planning the next steps in the Couchbot’s journey, will this include colorful lights? Waterproofing? Speakers? Only time can tell what fun things are in store.

Demobots also has a very new team with the goal of designing a robot that can catch a ball tossed to it. The team is starting out small with a movable 2D arm, followed by a 3D one. If you’d like to work on a new bot from the ground up, this team is for you!

If you would like to learn more about Demobots and get your hands on our cool projects this spring please stop by our meetings on Mondays at 6pm in EER 1.504 or shoot any questions you have to the RAS Discord or me (Caitlin) at cmonty@utexas.edu.

Author: Caitlin Montgomery

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