Implementation of high-voltage kicker system for “ROSTU” middle-size league robot soccer

Abstract

Middle-size robot soccer is one of the divisions that competed in national events such as the National Indonesia Robotics Competition and international competitions such as the middle size league (MSL). One of the main components in soccer robots is the kicker system. The kicker system is expected to be high torque, robust, and safe. In this work, a high voltage kicker system is designed and evaluated to substitute ROSTU's previous kicker system. This high voltage solenoid-based kicker system works at 380V and uses the electromagnetic force principle to move a ball. The performance criteria of the kicker system are it can move a ball with a mass of around 1 kg for a minimum range of 3 m and control the charging and discharging process in high voltage conditions. The experiment results show that the kicker system can move a ball with a mass of 1.06 kg, a difference kick distance from 100cm to 350cm, and a monitoring system that can show information about the capacitor voltage and system status.