Yeah it is a LOT of parts which is one reason why we abandoned the design. However If I were to do a roller mount it would be very similar to the one that we made in this design because everything is pretty much integrated, however the sheer amount of those parts is what discourages that design because of the material limits
Also How is the coax crab going? I wouldnāt mind seeing that if youād let me, I have designed a few crab drive for FTC however I havenāt had the time to build them yet
Iām still tinkering with the index detection, but other than that I think Iām about ready to make 3 more drive modules (waiting for more parts to show up).
Iāve decided to go direct-drive for both steering and drive axles, which puts the motors up high but results in a pretty low part count and not too much slop. Of course, the swerve bracket uses a pair of spiders and a chain to get the coaxial power to the wheel. Iāll post some pics once Iām happy with the layout.
Iām using 8 motors, 8 encoders, and 4 index sensors so I can experiment with drive algorithms. (Definitely not a KISS design.) This approach isnāt feasible for robots that have a competition limit on motors or microcontrollers. If you only get to use 10 motors, you would probably want to group some of the steering motors (trading off maneuverability).
Hello again everyone,
Iām almost afraid to release this picture, as I fear it may give it away for a couple of you. But feel free to take a guess! And I did decide that the person who guessā correctly first will receive a prize. Included in this prize is a jambalaya of goodies including buttons, GUS tattooās, A slightly used but still new Hexbug Nano, and mayyyybe a brand new Gus shirt;]. So please donāt be afraid to take a guess, no guess is dumb! Alright, hereās your 2nd teaser picture!
Personally, Iāll just guess a dude with his head buried. Maybe an ostrich? I seem to remember learning about them sometime in my young childhood, how they would bury their heads in the sandā¦
Ok, letās see hereā¦
The golden-robot-thingy is a USB flash drive. A flash drive is a modular device, so this assembly probably is as well.
The USB drive is also a biped, so thatās a possibility, but I donāt see how it fits with the original pictureā¦ (But that certainly would be a unique drive system :D)
The USB
I still think my first guess is closest - itās a selectable tread/wheeled drive.
A possibility playing off this guess: Itās a balancing robot (can go to two wheels (biped USB), balanced by gyro), but has tread as a backup. This allows it to reach higher goals.
Question: what happens if no one guesses correctly?
As promised, hereās another teaser! This custom lexan part will be vital in our design. This is only the first iteration, so expect there may be a couple more!
Well I think its a drive module with a tank tread system and omni wheel on each side. My guess is that it is made to climb over the fence so that its much harder to trap the robot in the limited space of the field. (Yes I know the rules, Iām talking about when both gates are open.)
[EDIT]
This allows it to lift itself up to make it easier to reach 30" goals.
Iām having a hard time placing the new lexan teaser in the design, howeverā¦
My best guess is that the lexan is a bracket to hold the tread pieces (shown in the first image) in place. The slots on the right of the lexan part are attached to the tread pieces, the middle hole is a hinge/pivot point, and the little hole on the right might be a spot for a pneumatic piston to pull the whole structure up/down.
[/EDIT]
I am going to say that it is a bracket but I think that the 3 slots are where the omni wheels go and the slots allow for adjust-ability to get the chain tension just right. The middle whole is the pivot which judging by its size would pivot around the shaft at the right of the original image (the one with 2 12t sprockets and the standard tank tread sprocket on it).
However, it has omnis on the tips of the tread pieces.
[EDIT]
This allows it to lift itself up to make it easier to reach 30" goals.
Iām having a hard time placing the new lexan teaser in the design, howeverā¦
My best guess is that the lexan is a bracket to hold the tread pieces (shown in the first image) in place. The slots on the right of the lexan part are attached to the tread pieces, the middle hole is a hinge/pivot point, and the little hole on the right might be a spot for a pneumatic piston to pull the whole structure up/down.
[/EDIT]
//Andrew
Not exactly, this robot isnāt intended to be used in Gateway. But if it works really well, it could be used. But you are getting pretttty close, except the bracket isnāt intended to hold the tread pieces. ;]
Ahh, very good, youāre piecing the puzzle together. But why would we need this bracket, what would it accomplish?
Lets you articulate between different drive wheels (or treads) being on the ground which depending on your gearing could also mean selecting different drive speeds.
You are climbing stairs. Thats where my money is right nowā¦
