okay, so i know that this would take some MAJOR risks and engineering but…
have the entire microcontroller coated in water proof silicone, and the wire plugs where they could plug in and create a tight seal. “blank” plugs that you could just leave in if there is no wire to go in there… just “coat” all of the electronics in some sort of water proofer that would allow for submersible robots…
and then air tanks to allow float/sink capacity…
i know, it’s far out there. But i just wanted to see if this had a “cool, let’s look into it” factor. Now, uh, not that any body wants to risk sinking their vex, but if we could get this to work, it would be cool.
This is a cool idea. I would use like a plastic Ziploc container to hold the micro controller because that way it would float if your bot sank and it wouldn’t ruin you micro controller with silicone.
As someone who has done RC boats, I can tell you… you don’t want to mix water and expensive electronic equipment. And you’ll need something a little better suited than a ziploc bag or tupperware type thing.
Sealing the wire holes (and a vex device would have a lot of them) is tough, especially to do in a way that is reasonably reliable and easily taken apart.
this is kind of what i had in mind with the silicone thing. Kind of like a cross between a Ziploc and an ipod skin. Know what i mean? Slip inside, seal, it fits super tight, and when you want it off, just reverse the process. Although while i must admit that it would be nice to have some sort of flotation device, it would take a lot there of to keep the entire robot afloat, considering that the microcontroller is usually anchored to the ALL-METAL robot. Kind of rigged to sink.
HOWEVER… you know those large “pool noodle” things that you can buy for about $2? Cut and join around the robot to form a “life preserver” and bam. Combine that with a propeller and boom: vex boat.
anyhow, about the noodle thing: 1) the ones with the hole running the length should be easier to mount because of the hole, just like a ring toss, 2) if i remember properly, we pulled some calculations and I think it was 8 of these noodles should easily support a human… if they were bound together like a raft and kept rigid enough… don’t quote me on this, though. And certainly don’t test it if you can’t swim. Remember, vex is quite made to handle aqueous rescue missions…
