2008
Doctor Claw is designed to grip and lift large 40-inch diameter balls from a six-and-a-half foot-tall overpass goal and either carry the ball around a racetrack-like field or 'hurdle' the ball over the overpass goal. To grip the ball, four laminated wooden fingers are attached to a gearbox with a slip clutch. Control of the fingers by the operator is determined by a slider which maps to the position of the fingers between their open and closed positions. The gripping assembly is attached to uniquely angled arm designed to fit the large fingers in the envelope of the robot, while maintaining it's tall reach. The drive-train consists of six wheels driven by chains and CIM motors that are controlled at the operators' station by a single two-axis joystick. On either side of the robot are sponsor billboards made of acrylic which are attached at the base of the robot and at the arm with custom brackets. Unique features of software are the use of a gyroscope to turn in place to a specified angle and sensors at the wheels to travel to specified distance. These are used in the first 15-second autonomous period to traverse the field and earn extra points.
