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Intakes

What is an Intake?​

An intake is a mechanism on your FRC robot designed to collect and control game pieces from the field, either from the floor or a human player station. It's typically the first point of contact between your robot and the game objects you need to manipulate. A well-designed intake is crucial for competitive success because it directly affects how quickly and reliably your robot can acquire game pieces.

Key Functions of an Intake:

  • Acquisition - Grabbing or collecting game pieces from the field
  • Control - Maintaining possession of game pieces while moving
  • Feeding - Transferring game pieces to other mechanisms (shooters, arms, etc.)
  • Ejection - Releasing game pieces when needed

Important Considerations:

  • Intakes must not jam - If jams occur, there must be a quick and easy way to clear them
  • Wider is usually better - Wider intakes provide a larger target area and are more forgiving
  • "Touch it, own it" - The intake should acquire the game piece the instant it makes contact
  • No special operator actions required - Intakes should work automatically without complex button sequences or precise driver control
  • Reliability is critical - Intakes must be robust and not break under normal use or defensive contact

Common FRC Intake Types​

Horizontal Roller Intakes​

Description: Horizontal rollers or wheels that spin to pull the game piece into the robot.

Best for: Balls, cylinders, and round game pieces

Pros:

  • Excellent grip
  • Can be large
  • Simple to build and maintain
  • Can intake at various angles
  • Works well with compression

Cons:

  • May struggle with irregular shapes
  • Rollers can wear out over time
  • Requires proper compression tuning

Note: When compression is applied to the game piece, roller intakes can struggle to effectively funnel or guide the piece into the desired position

Vertical Wheel Intakes​

Description: Vertical wheels that spin on each side of the intake, used to pull the game element into the robot. Similar to a claw mechanism but with spinning wheels that actively grip and draw in game pieces.

Best for: Large Balls, cubes, weird shaped objects

Pros:

  • Grabs vertical walls well
  • Easy to prototype and adjust
  • Funnels game element horizontally well

Cons:

  • Can kick the game element away if not properly aligned
  • Needs precise alignment to effectively capture game pieces
  • Does not contain the game element in the vertical direction

Claw/Gripper Intakes​

Description: Mechanical grippers that close around game pieces using motors or pneumatics to create a secure hold.

Best for: Cubes, cones, irregular shapes

Pros:

  • Secure hold on game pieces
  • Works with irregular shapes

Cons:

  • Slower cycle time (open/close)
  • Requires precise alignment
  • Does not actively pull the game element in

Suction Intakes​

Description: Uses vacuum or suction cups to pick up game pieces by creating negative pressure that holds them against the intake surface.

Pros:

  • Can pick up from various angles
  • Secure hold once suction is established
  • Can hold irregular objects
  • Can handle multiple different objects

Cons:

  • Limited to specific game piece types and surfaces
  • Requires consistent vacuum
  • Can lose suction if surface is dirty or irregular
  • May struggle with heavy or textured game pieces

Active Pinching Intakes​

Description: Uses one or two horizontal rollers that actively pull game pieces in by creating pinching action, either between two counter-rotating wheels or between a wheel and a surface.

Best for: Compressible game elements, balls, cylinders, or edges on objects

Pros:

  • Actively pulls game pieces into the robot
  • Simple and reliable mechanism

Cons:

  • May require precise wheel spacing
  • Can be affected by floor conditions
  • Usually only handles 1 game element at a time
  • Does not center object horizontally well

Funnel Intakes​

Description: Wide-mouthed funnel-shaped mechanisms that guide game pieces from the human player station into the robot, often combined with other intake types for smooth transfer.

Pros:

  • Wide target area for human players
  • Guides game pieces reliably into position
  • Simple and effective for station pickup

Cons:

  • Limited to human player station use
  • Requires precise positioning relative to station
  • Dependent on human player accuracy
  • Usually slow due to relying on gravity
  • Game pieces may bounce or move unpredictably since there's no active pulling mechanism