[FTC]: FTC transport and work box

[chuckmerja]

We qualified for FTC Worlds this year and are thinking about how to get our robot and parts from Montana to Atlanta. And we are wondering about other storage containers and toolboxes. We currently use some SToR plastic parts organizers with removable bins as our primary parts storage containers. They are about 17x13x2.5 in and as I said have removable bins. They are good for screws, nuts, axles and hubs, gears, motors, Lego n HiTechnic sensors etc. We also use one Black and Decker plastic storage container with removable bins 17x13x4.5 for larger parts like tubes, some C channel etc. And then we use a couple PITSCO or LEGO tubs for larger C channel etc. We have a 24x18(too narrow)x24 tall 2 shelf utility cart for transport from pits to field and around our shop.

We are wondering how to (re)organize all this and get it to Atlanta in a useful way. We are thinking about a cart that is ends up about 30x20x30 in tall with drawers or shelves for the above mentioned organizers etc, but the airlines have 50lb limits on checked bags etc. So I'm looking for success stories from other teams - storage, transportation etc.

And wondering if pple built their boxes/carts or found some already commercially available.

Thanks, Chuck

[JohnFogarty]

Last year we had built our cart from 80-20, and this year That we have 3 teams going to ATL we are doing it again but it'll be a little more complex. We actually making our cart a triangle that folds in on itself. Though won't need it to because even if our FRC Team doesn't make it we'll take our Trailer anyway :D

[Rick TYler]

Airlines also charge you extra if a box is more than 20x20x20 (check your own airline for specifics, this might not be true of them all). We've carried six robots to world championships events over the last two years and did it using standard 20x20x20 shipping boxes with the robots and parts wrapped in bubble wrap, carried onboard as luggage. No hassles with airline for batteries or robots other.