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5. Ball Scooper

We created this ball scooper because we noticed that it is really hard for a robot to pick up a ball and launch at something during a Vex competition. The ball scooper can help the robot to pick up a ball faster and launch them in a more accurate direction. The part that we’ve designed can be used during a Vex competition to pick up circular objects and launch them to hit flags. The design will be fitted with two 12 tooth gears and one of the 12 tooth gear will be connected to a motor, which will make both scoops spin at a 90 degrees angle in opposite directions. There are four parts in the ball scooper, printed cup left (Object 3), printed cup right (Object 4), printed 12 tooth gear left (Object 1), printed 12 tooth gear right (Object 2). The printed cups and the printed 12 tooth gears will be connected by screws. At the end of both printed 12 tooth gears, there is a bearing holder for holding a bearing. The bearing will act as a support for the motor. There is a plate between the motor and the printed 12 tooth gears. The motor and both bearings will be connected to the plate. The plate would be connected to the arm of the robot. The ball scooper can be also turned into a catapult by removing Object 1 and 2. Object 3 and 4 can be connected together by adding two screws, one in the front and one in the back. Then it will be screwed into a plate from where object 1 and 2 was screwed originally. I used Autodesk Fusion 360 (Education License) to create the ball scooper with my Mac. In conclusion, I’ve learned a lot more tools to use when making and designing this project. I will be using 3D designing software in the future because it is a lot of fun to design and create things and I want to create. 3D design software will help me in my career path because I am working towards being an architecture in the future.