Drop Mechanism

This is the current (as of 3/14/2021) drop mechanism for SPARTA (and hopefully future UGVs too). For a detailed view of the inner workings, check the CAD file and play around with the animation.

Basics:

• An angular servo manipulates two opposing steel bars in a linear fashion.

• These bars, when in the closed position, stick into the hole of the sled tip seen in SPARTA.

• This tip is held in by the frictional forces of the pin (also seen in SPARTA).

• The tip also holds the parachute strings.

• When the UGV touches the ground, the sled will swing backward when it starts driving, so the pin will then be pushed out of the hole and SPARTA will ditch its parachute (otherwise, the high winds at the competition will drag the UGV like Mary Poppins and her umbrella)

• This mechanism box will be mounted directly onto the wing spars.

Testing: So far, the pin has a 100% success rate at holding the parachute under normal conditions, a 100% success rate at popping out on a relatively even surface (grass testing needed), and the box has a 100% success rate for holding and dropping the UGV.