2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

This is it...year of the wood robot! I'll do what I can to make ours look "period correct".

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with, Jim!

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Advice from Bob Vila and others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iotye7dvAQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTRZ-yRfZoM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inaB6BsNQGw


Some of the techniques might be best done after your robot fails to cross the Defenses for the nth time :D

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Jim, When themed wood robots came up, I immediately thought of 1726.

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

We use a lot of Baltic birch plywood in the construction of our robots. It is very strong and durable. I have seen many a robot built using mostly aluminum not last the practice matches. The plywood is not rigid so it flexes and returns to its original shape. And in the rare event that it does break, slap a little 5 minute epoxy on it and you're ready for your next match.

Perhaps its greatest benefit though is the ease of fabrication. No machining, just a saw and drill. The students on the team are able to do the work on the robot without have to send parts out for machining.


2012


2014


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2008

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

How did I totally miss the battering ram on that animation robot? Usually the animators have one robot use an arm to 'communicate' with another robot, but an uncontrollable wooden ram seems a bit excessive...

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

The robots that bobl showed pictures of are really cool looking but the Baltic birch makes it look like they came from a modern Danish furniture store. The beauty of wood is that a finish can be applied to make the robots look like they were found in an antique store or a museum, as MrForbes suggested :D

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Progress.

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

It would be funny and themed to have a metal robot painted to look like wood! or there is a wood design duct tape that would work nicely, too. It's a fun idea to go with the game theme if you are willing

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

I know you made a thread showing a video of that drivetrain a while ago, I can't wait to see how that works in competition. Our drive isn't too much different, actually ;)

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Anyways, this is what we came up with.



Plenty of plywood, 2x4s, 1x3s, etc in there!

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

/crocodile Dundee voice/

That's not a wood chassis, This is a wood chassis!

Attachment 20183

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

4183 also has a wood chassis this year.

Re: 2016: Year of the Wood Robot
 

Can't believe it... I never knew our 2008 robot had a twin on the other side of the country. And in one of those "small world" things, our ball launcher that year was inspired by a design posted by... 1726. :)