Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

Cart Features below and a picture is attached. The one with the robot on it is are old one and is a very nice cart, but you have to lift the robot on and off of it. The new cart is a work in progress and the first time we used it was at St. Louis for Worlds. If there are any questions or comments let me know.

•No Lifting of Robot is necessary
•Fit thru standard doorway
•Adjustable height for working on scoring section or drive train (~4"-32")
•Lift robot wheels off of platform to test robot when needed
•Ability to maneuver over wire ways or other obstructions.

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

For a number of years on 968, we used something similar to this: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_802_802. I don't recall if ours was that size but it was at least built the same way. We could easily disassemble and reassemble it in an airport with a couple tools and strap the wheels to it to check it as baggage. We also put it in the robot crate a few times. We carried 8 heavy totes full of parts/batteries/tools/etc on it to load into the pits at Atlanta. There was probably over 500 lbs on the cart.

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

The two most important things in a cart are a rigid handle and two casters, preferably on the handle side.

That said, the 2010 kitbot makes a great cart if you put some omni wheels on it.

If you haven't at least started your custom cart by now, I doubt you'll get it done before Kickoff unless you're super organized. We use the McMaster cart, works fine.


Driver and op carry the driver station, HP pulls the cart.

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

To add one more thing about our cart, the best part might be the built-in compressor, for charging the pneumatics system pre-match. In the small GM drawer we have a compressor hooked up to a breaker, a switch, a hose, a blow-off valve (to depressurize the line after closing the valve on the robot), and an Anderson connector. Keep an old battery plugged into it, and you don't need to turn the robot on to pressurize it.

The downside is it's very tall, and our ~52" tall robot squeaks/scrapes into our trailer, and all 4 wheels being casters could help it lumbering about.

It's not the big white lettering, is it?

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

For what it's worth, it was illegal in the last several years to charge the robot with a compressor not directly controlled by the robot. That said, I don't know if anyone minds if you use the same compressor powered by a legal FRC battery, but you should be aware and make plans to fix it if called out on it.

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

That would only be for an on-robot compressor.

A compressor on a robot card or just lying around wouldn't be violating any rules.

If a compressor was on the robot and say controlled somehow wirelessly by another computer, that'd be a no no

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

Quite, quite wrong.
Only a rules permitted and robot controlled compressor may be used to charge the air on a robot on or off the field.

Team 68's cart as described is illegal for FRC use.
While it is possible to have a cart mounted off-board compressor. Specific rules must be understood and followed.

Please read the rules.

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

Alright, I hadn't heard that. I'll see what the mentors say. It's not that much of a pain to use the robot itself to fill the system, but no one has ever seemed to mind either (they may not have even noticed; it doesn't get used much outside our own pit).

Re: Robot Carts - 2012 Edition
 

[R73]
Compressed air on the Robot must be provided by one and only one compressor. Compressor specifications may not exceed nominal 12V, 1.05 cfm flow rate, 120 psi maximum working pressure. Off-board compressors must becontrolled and powered by the Robot.

As a ref I have seen teams bring out a compressor and battery onto the field (usually after a extended wait time between matches or between finals matches) and try and charge their air with this other battery. Every team I have called on this rule has been mad but I have never backed down.