PAYLOAD CAPABILITIES
In order to pickup and deploy cargo, the
Stingray is equipped with two types of environment manipulating
mechanisms: grabbers and a dropper.
The Grabbers
There are two grabbing mechanisms installed on
the Stingray: one mounted under each of the Voith-Schneider propellers.
Each grabber was constructed from a modified carabiner. When the
Stingray has located the "secret documents," it lowers itself onto the
cargo. As the cargo comes in contact with the grabbers, the cargo is
passively secured.
The Dropper
The dropper is what the Stingray uses to deploy
the markers in the "bombing run". The dropper is able to hold two
markers and drop them individually. The dropper mechanism is designed by
the iBotics team and is constructed from milled acrylic. The dropping
mechanism is controlled by a Traxxas high-torque waterproof servo. The
release mechanism rotates counter-clockwise to release the first marker,
and clockwise to release the second.