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The Beach Cruiser

2011

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Stats

Record16-10-00
MAR RankN/A
Drive Team Eric Principato, Matt Schwartz, Chris Banziger, Peter Wolfe
Awards

New Jersey Regional Best Web Site Award

Poseidon the Beach Cruiser is Nemesis 2590’s fourth-generation robot, debuting in the 2011 competition — Logomotion.  The Beach Cruiser glided across the field on its maneuverable mecanum wheels. Featuring a towering lift, Poseidon crushed the competition in the New Jersey and Washington DC regionals.  Originally using window motors, the lift reached its maximum height in eight seconds.

Following the DC competition, the robot was enhanced with Fisher-Price motors allowing it to extend to its maximum height in only three seconds.  The spline hubs for this new design were taken from a Barbie Beach Cruiser, hence the name. Pneumatics made their first appearance in Nemesis robotics history. Poseidon utilized pneumatics in its arm, claw, and minibot deployment systems.

Poseidon the Beach Cruiser carried on its back the jewel of the game — the minibot. The minibot used an unconventional scissor design to climb the pole in under four seconds. Scoring the team a maximum of 30 points every game, the minibot was integral to victory in Logomotion.

The Challenge

Logo Motion

LOGO MOTION incorporated the FIRST logo as game pieces. Each Alliance, comprised of three FIRST teams, must hang as many of the logo game pieces (inflated trianges, circles, and squares) on the scoring grids located on each end of the field as possible.

The higher a game piece is hung on the grid, the more points the alliance receives.  Any logo piece hung on the same peg as an Ubertube receives double points.  If the logo pieces are assembled in the order of the FIRST logo (triangle, circle, then square) the points for the row are doubled.

Each match lasts for 2 minutes and 15 seconds, beginning with a 15-second “autonomous period” in which the robot functions on its own using instructions programmed by the team.  In order to receive extra points, it must hang Ubertubes.  Then it is time for the drivers to take control during the “teleoperated period” which lasts until the end of the game.

At the end of the match, the robots deploy separate minibots which must race to the top of a vertical pole, triggering a sensor and earning the alliance additional bonus points.  The first minibot to reach the top receives 30 points and the remaining bots receive 20, 15, and 10 points for the last minibot.