First BW Build (Orchid Mantis)

[Phill]

For just a grip a high power servo should be enough.

www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__43054__TrackStar_8482_TS_910_Digital_1_8_Truggy_ Monster_Truck_Servo_30_6kg_0_14sec_66g.html

Just as an example, but that has over 1.5kg of force at the end of a 20cm arm and it weighs 66 grams.

You don't need to worry about hinging the wedge, with the wheels near the back it will sit flush on the front of the pan.

As for the arm design, if you want you can make it a combined lifter with some kind of wedge front to get under but more importantly with the right shape it will right itself even with a relatively low degree of movement.

Not sure why you have the red wedgelets on the back.

Not sure if you have thought it through but I assume the win condition for you is to grab and then drop someone down the pit (I assume this is for kinematics and assume the pit will remain a feature) so you need to consider how your pan achieves scooping them in, holding them as they try to escape and then dumping them in a controlled manner when they won't want to. Most pans are great at the first but struggle with the second and get the opponent out by spinning.

[Lemonism]

Thanks for the feedback
@R9000, I'll be keeping a look out for a DX6i on ebay. I'm also looking at the Walkera DEVO 7E, which I saw mentioned in another thread. Same thread mentioned I'd have to update the firmware for that one, but looking around that doesn't seem difficult.
@Phill:
Servo sounds good to me
About the combined lifter, are you suggesting that the wedge + gripping claw should be connected and move as one? That doesn't sound much more difficult than just the claw, so I'll definitely consider that. Using a lifter would probably solve the 'how do I win' issue too. I'm not sure if I'd still want/need the dustpan in that case.
Now that you mention it, I'm not sure why I put those wedgelets on the back... I'll remove those