Kinetic Energy Flipper

**Eventorizon** · 25th October 2012, 19:11

Had this idea in my head for a while...

What if you used a spinning flywheel to store energy in a robot and then via a clutch dumped all the energy in to some kind of flipping device? It has probably been done or looked at and then discarded but the only issue I can see is building a strong enough clutch.

It could be as fast and as as strong as a pneumatic flipper but not have the issues of running out of gas. The same could go for an axe weapon.

Thoughts?

**Ellis** · 25th October 2012, 19:13

Has been done more than once with quite a lot of success. There is an american builder who I believe has 2 automatically-triggering flippers on his FW (for DragonCon). It works well, it seems. Then again, full machine shop tools help a little!

And I think it was Ewan experimented with this in a BW-scale axe. Again, had good results, lots of power.

Edit: the American machine is called Overthruster. I'll let you do the YouTubing.

**typhoon_driver** · 25th October 2012, 19:52

Team whyachi built a very nice machine. Full bodied spinner with an eccentric ring on top. The mechanism engaged and transferred all the energy into the flipper. Would be a bugger to machine though!

**Eventorizon** · 25th October 2012, 20:16

That Overthruster thing is cool! How on earth does it work though? Its got some serious kick to!

Edit: Didn't take long... http://www.wa4dsy.com/robot/overthruster-robot

**maddox10** · 25th October 2012, 20:21

Originally Posted by typhoon_driver

Team whyachi built a very nice machine. Full bodied spinner with an eccentric ring on top. The mechanism engaged and transferred all the energy into the flipper. Would be a bugger to machine though!

SKF Warrior

**PJ-27** · 25th October 2012, 22:56

What a crazy but awesome idea!!

The over thruster guy has loads of info on his site and several different ke flipper designs. The best of which seems to work on a dog clutch.

**Eventorizon** · 26th October 2012, 08:04

He has a new one based on an exponential threaded screw which seems to work very well and is much less complex... its just manufacturing an exponential screw that is the problem.

**Kenny** · 26th October 2012, 09:08

I like the idea of innovation in robots but it seems alot of work to get something which to be honest is worst than a simple 1 burket FP co2 system

**dirk_kasten** · 30th October 2012, 11:27

Hi,
please excuse my bad English. It is not easy to build a kinetic flipper. I have built one 6kg bot ala team whyachi. See the image. Without a lathe and milling machine it won't work. My bot / the mechanic was to sensitive in a real fight . So.... whopper Mark IV no longer exists. Perhaps, however, you could do it as a featherweight.

If you need, I have a few pictures of team wyhachis robot