Announcing findrobotparts.com

[dk5sm5luigi]

Over the weekend we realized how many options we now have for various robot parts when we were trying to determine which gearbox was best suited for our needs. We were navigating multiple websites and multiple products on each website comparing their specs and verifying they did what we needed.

We wished there was a better way and decided to do something about it. We created Find Robot Parts: http://findrobotparts.com/ to quickly navigate through gearboxes, motors, and sensors from various websites.

We hope this is a great new asset for all FRC teams and plan to expand it as we find time.

P.S. We are sure we missed something or entered something incorrectly so please let us know. We want this to be as accurate as possible.

[Joe G.]

Nice work! The filtering interface looks great, reminds me of McMaster.

I feel like this could be a great means of bringing greater awareness to "lesser known" COTs products, which don't come from FRC-focused vendors but nevertheless are extremely useful in FRC applications. Things like alternate compressors and solenoids which fit the rules and may offer advantages, for example.

[Allison K]

Looks great!

FYI, The Robot Space (http://www.therobotspace.com) is another awesome supplier of VEXPro parts. Super speedy shipping within Michigan (and presumably Ohio/Indiana/other midwestern states, but I can only personally vouch for Michigan).

[cgmv123]

Great site overall; I just have a few observations/suggestions.


For numeric specifications (gearbox reduction, motor speed, motor power, etc), narrowing down options by (user-specified?) ranges may be more useful than just selecting exact numbers.
Sorting the tables by columns other than the default should be an option.
Operating ranges and input voltage (especially if it's not 5V, though I think they all are 5V) may be useful for sensors.
CIM compatible mounting is a useful specification to know for gearboxes.
Weight would be useful for motors and gearboxes.
Wheels and sprockets/pulleys would be my choices for categories to add next if you're looking to expand.

[Ben Martin]

This is a pretty sweet website. Good job

I'll also plug The Robot Space -- I'm in Pennsylvania, and I appreciate that if I order something from them, it usually arrives 2-3 weekdays after the date I ordered it.

[dk5sm5luigi]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Joe:
Great idea on the compressors, that is exactly the type of thing we want to highlight.

Allison & Ben:
We will look into that site and any links.

Max:
-We will look into letting the user enter a range, might not be available for a while
-We talked about sorting but it didn't make a lot of sense since there can be multiple values in a column and then you need to decide on which item to sort by.
-CIM compatible mounting is already listed (under output shaft as 8mm)
-We can look into operating ranges
-Weight is a good idea and another thing we will look into
-Wheels/sprockets/pulleys are another item we will look into

[cgmv123]

CIM compatible mounting is already listed (under output shaft as 8mm)

"CIM compatible mounting" refers to an 8mm keyed output shaft and an even number of 10-32 tapped holes on a 2" circle. I'm fairly confident your assertion that all of the motors listed as having an 8mm output shaft have that hole pattern is correct, but it's still something I feel is worth listing separately.

I'll second the recommendation for pneumatic components as well.

[Knufire]

Looks great!

FYI, The Robot Space (http://www.therobotspace.com) is another awesome supplier of VEXPro parts. Super speedy shipping within Michigan (and presumably Ohio/Indiana/other midwestern states, but I can only personally vouch for Michigan).

+1, we (Indiana) recieves items from Clint about a day earlier than from Texas.

[Sunshine]

Great job folks. Very impressed.

[dk5sm5luigi]

We appreciated all the feedback and after a couple of discussions we will be doing the following very soon:

Compressors
Accumulators (Pneumatic Tanks)

Only problem is we don't know where to get these besides the vendors we already list on the site. Where do you get them?

Other changes we are making based on feedback is adding The Robot Space and more sensors. If there are any specific sensors you think are missing please post them.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

[cait.schroeder]

Over the weekend we realized how many options we now have for various robot parts when we were trying to determine which gearbox was best suited for our needs. We were navigating multiple websites and multiple products on each website comparing their specs and verifying they did what we needed.

We wished there was a better way and decided to do something about it. We created Find Robot Parts: http://findrobotparts.com/ to quickly navigate through gearboxes, motors, and sensors from various websites.

We hope this is a great new asset for all FRC teams and plan to expand it as we find time.

P.S. We are sure we missed something or entered something incorrectly so please let us know. We want this to be as accurate as possible.

I really like it! This is going to be a very helpful tool to many teams, thanks!:D

[AllenGregoryIV]

Compressors
Viair (http://www.viaircorp.com/c-models.html) 90C through 100C (all under 1.10 CFM at 12V) are legal this year. You can buy them on Amazon and other vendors.

Air Tanks
We used to buy from pneuaire.com but they are now run by http://www.coastpneumatics.com/Reservoir-Cartridges_c_17-1-2.html haven't purchased from them since the change over. The new website has less information about the tanks than the old one.

[cbale2000]

Nice site, definitely looks like a good place to go to quickly compare parts. Should also be a great resource to give rookies once it's complete. :)

It would be great if there was a category/filter for the published weight of items. When you're trying to narrow down your choices between several similar products, weight can play a huge factor in decision making.

Also, I'll add a +1 to adding The Robot Space, they're great for getting Vex parts fast in the Northern Midwest (especially Michigan).

[Knufire]

You can also buy Bimba cylinders directly from Bimba's website (that might be tough to integrate, since you can pretty much change any option on the cylinder) or McMaster.

[jman4747]

This is a great site and will help a lot of rookie teams, mentors, and students. It's great to only have to go to one place to see all your options.


As for what to add in the near future:

There are a host of pneumatic components (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components) and sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders) at Automation Direct. I would also include digikey for things like the the AMT103-V (http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/AMT103-V/102-1308-ND/827016) encoder.

Anything major that is in FIRST choice and available elsewhere. Also batteries.

[rfolea]

Continuing the AutomationDirect line:

Pneumatic Cylinders (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Pneumatic_Air_Cylinders)
Pneumatic Tubing (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Flexible_Pneumatic_Tubing_-a-_Hoses)
Pneumatic Valves (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Pneumatic_Valves_-a-_Accessories)
Pneumatic Digital Pressure Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Digital_Pressure_Switches_-z-_Transmitters)
Pneumatic Pressure sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders/Pressure_Sensors)
Pneumatic Push to connect fittings (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components)
Pneumatic Brass Fittings (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Threaded_Fittings)
Mini Pneumatic Devices (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pneumatic_Components/Special_Purpose_Push-to-Connect_Pneumatic_Fittings)
Safety Glasse (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Safety/Personal_Protective_Equipment)s
Laser Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Safety/Personal_Protective_Equipmen[URL="http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders)
Wire Ties/Zip Ties (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Wiring_Solutions/Cable_Ties_-a-_Accessories)
Wire Management (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Wiring_Solutions)
Push Butons (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pushbuttons_-z-_Switches_-z-_Indicators)
Indicators (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Pushbuttons_-z-_Switches_-z-_Indicators)
Proximity Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders)
Photo Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders)
Laser Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders/Laser_Sensors)
Ultrasonic Sensors (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders)
Encoders (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Sensors_-z-_Encoders/Optical_Rotary_Encoders)
Tools (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Tools_-a-_Test_Equipment)
Ethernet Cables (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Cables/Cat5e_Patch_Cables_(3_to_50_ft.))
Terminal Lugs (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Wiring_Solutions/Wire_End_Connectors)
Pulleys and Belts (http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Power_Transmission_(Mechanical)/Synchronous_Drives_(Timing_Belts_-a-_Pulleys))

Reminder there is a $30 Voucher in the KOP - buy anything your want!

... Shipping is FREE for orders over $49 and ADC ships same day - most teams receive items next day or day after.

[dmorewood]

This is an awesome resource to have. This will save so much time in the future. Nice work.

[Robopromo]

This is an awesome idea and I love the clean layout of the site. If I may make a suggestion, you should add bumper materials. We at robopromo.com have been helping teams with all things bumper related for five years now - from the raw materials themselves to customizing iron on numbers and even making pre-sewn bumper kits to help teams save time during the build season. It could be another helpful addition to the site.

Check us out at www.robopromo.com

[Kwolfe]

I compiled a list of suppliers last year from a thread.
Here is the link to it: https://goo.gl/w4eBRK

Feel free to make additions to the list, and use it for your own good.

[dk5sm5luigi]

We are truly amazed at the feedback we are getting both in email, this thread, and in person. The limiting factor in us getting new categories posted on the website is the time it takes to do the research.

If people are interested we have created a Google Spreadsheet that everyone can update. Once we see enough data in a category we will add it to the site.

Thanks for the help.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wNkNvcVklXsYa0dGmGmAiwMzYg4DSsCbknDMIBcHobQ/edit?usp=sharing

[alecmuller]

Awesome resource - thank you for making it!

Major props for crowd-sourcing resources too. I just added a 2nd source for an encoder (which includes CAD files that AndyMark does not have).

[Chris_Elston]

Is there any way to incorporate USED parts and make it a community selection? I wished there was an easy way to share what used parts we have to other teams in the FIRST community.

+10 for The Robot Space as well...Clint rocks it hard in Michigan. Thank you.

[HolyHacker335]

We appreciated all the feedback and after a couple of discussions we will be doing the following very soon:


Thanks for the site. Could you please make the images clickable to a larger image so we can look close? Thanks.

Also, about the 8mm sizing for the CIM motor shafts, I have found when I put a caliper on them that they are actually 5/16". Anyone else actually measure the shaft sizes for the CIM and mini-CIM?

[Jim Wilks]

Nice work!

Have you started an endless task?

[dk5sm5luigi]

We have added several of the updates that were supplied and also added The Robot Space. By the end of the weekend we hope to add a new category or two.

Have you started an endless task?

Apparently yes but it is a great value to the community so it is worth it.

[cbale2000]

I wasn't sure what the most effective way to represent this on the spreadsheet would be, but the VexPro VersaPlanetary is actually load rated for reductions up to 324:1 when using certain motors and output shafts on a 3-stage configuration.

See page 5 on this PDF (http://content.vexrobotics.com/vexpro/pdf/VersaPlanetary-Load-Ratings-20151221.pdf) for reference.

[dk5sm5luigi]

We have added a Wheels section and Compressors. We hope to launch a couple more sections tomorrow.

http://findrobotparts.com/wheels/
http://findrobotparts.com/pneumatics/compressors/

[NinjaMunkeeNao]

Thanks guys! This is wonderful!

[Lil' Lavery]

More suppliers to consider adding:
http://www.ctr-electronics.com/ (electronics)
http://banebots.com/ (gearboxes, motors, wheels, hardware)
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/store.html (basically everything, including both FRC stapes and non-FRC parts)
https://www.inventables.com/ (hardware and raw materials)
http://www.mcmaster.com/# (hardware and raw materials)

[adammiller3122]

This is awesome!!! Thanks for the wonderful resource!!!

[dk5sm5luigi]

Over the weekend we added two new categories:

Vendors:http://findrobotparts.com/motor-controllers/
Motor Controllers: http://findrobotparts.com/vendors/

If you want to help us add more products/vendors please continue to fill out this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wNkNvcVklXsYa0dGmGmAiwMzYg4DSsCbknDMIBcHobQ/edit?usp=sharing