As was mentioned at the end of this thread we all spend a lot of time prototyping our bots, iteratively reassembling them a bit better each time.
I’ve had good luck using these cup magnets to quickly attach/reposition/detach the control and radio parts. They have an 8-32 stud that is long enough to go through the thick plastic mounting ears on Vex modules and still have enough room for a keps nut. They are (currently) priced at ten for $9.90
They have enough grip to easily hold any non-load-bearing part during testing and normal operations, though I don’t think I’d use these in competition (even if they were allowed).
I now keep a battery tie, antenna mount, radio module, and controller module permanently fitted with these magnets and can snap them on and off easily. I’ll be using these next time I teach a Vex class to save valuable in-class build time.
Not that I’ve noticed. The magnetic field is well focused away from the mounting stud, so I doubt the Vex part bolted to the magnet sees much of a field. And since the magnets are not moving relative to the Vex electronics, there would be no induced electrical current.
The only downside I can see is that some of my fasteners are likely to become weakly magnetized over time, which might be mildly annoying.
Of course, keep them away from the (future) Vex compass unless you want your robot going in circles.
i forget where i heard it but a university researched the technology of electroadhesive, works the same way as an electromagnet (programming wise anyway) but it’s an adhesive (like glue or tape) rather than magnetic!
wall climbing robot, security thing (intruder gets stuck, lol), the list goes on, no need for weird gripper designs, it would just stick to the object, i cant wait for this!
