Full Into the Deep Robot
Reference build for the Into the Deep season. Drivetrain, sample & specimen handling, hang. End-to-end integration with two distinct game pieces.
Before you start
Into the Deep splits its scoring across samples and specimensSamples score by deposit into buckets — bulk handling matters. Specimens score by hanging on a rail — precision placement matters. The same mechanism rarely excels at both, so pick which you optimize for.. Pick which one you specialize in before designing.
1Strategy: specimen-first or sample-first
Decide your scoring priority. Specimen robots need precision and reach to the high chamber; sample robots need bulk intake and bucket alignment. Each implies different mechanism choices.
Write a 1-page strategy spec the same way as the Decode build. Don't skip this — it's the only document that prevents scope creep.
2Drive base
Standard parallel-plate drive base. Into the Deep play is tight, so favor maneuverability — most top robots run mecanum or swerve, not traction.
Leave a clear access channel from the front of the robot to the rear for the linear extension that picks samples off the floor and deposits them.
3Linear extension for sample handling
Use the linear slide insert from that tutorial. Run it horizontally for floor pickup, vertically for bucket deposit, or both with a pivot at the base.
Cascade vs telescopeCascade slides give you maximum reach in minimum collapsed length. Telescope slides are simpler and stronger but collapsed length is longer. For Into the Deep's reach requirements, cascade usually wins. for the geometry.
4End effector: claw and wrist
A simple claw (from the claw tutorial) on a 1- or 2-axis wrist is enough for samples. For specimens, the differential arm from that tutorial gives you both rotation and roll for clipping onto the rail.
Test reach in Onshape — the end effector must hit the floor at full collapse and the high chamber at full extension.
5Hang mechanism
Pick high hang or low hang based on points + reliability tradeoff. The swingarm PTO from that tutorial gives you a hang without spending an extra motor.
Pre-deploy the hang hook before the buzzer — chasing the bar with a slow deploy costs you the points entirely.
6Final integration
Same as Decode: weigh, size, route wires, walk a full match in Play view. Bumper interactionsInto the Deep has tall scoring zones with rails. Your bumper height matters — if your top bumper height exceeds the chamber rail height, you'll catch on it and lose specimens mid-deposit. are especially tricky this year.
Build the robot. Iterate. Add a second version with the lessons from the first.
Like the Decode build, the Into the Deep robot is integration over invention. Every subsystem above is a tutorial on this site — your job is to make them work together inside the 18-inch cube.