Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

If we were to have a robot first aid kit... what do yall think would need to be in it?

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

even though i cringe when someone else says it here it goes...

DUCT TAPE, that would be equal to a bandaid

maybe some GREESE to be the antibiotic

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

A laptop for programming (the portable defibrillator)? ;)

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

any parts that you afraid are gonna break extra shaft, chain, motors, stock, screws, wheels,pneumatics

We carry almost 2 of everything we need and we preasebmle some stuff

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

a hammer to 'realign' everythig that gets bent.

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

zip ties.


Zipties will fix just about everything.

( as a replacement for the illegal ducttape )

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

Velcro.

Gotta have velcro.

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

Don't forget about electronics and pneumatics. Carry spare pwm cables, wire, crimp connectors, speed controllers, valves, tubing, pneumatic fittings, electrical and teflon tape. Duct tape is illegal on the robot and if the judges catch it you could be disqualified. The best advice I can give you from a seasoned FIRSTer is to look at your robot from different angles and think " If I get hit here what will happen?" A lot of the spare parts comes down to how much can your team afford, have time to machine, and have space to carry. Some teams also purchase and carry spare pneumatic cylinders, if on of those gets dented it's service life is pretty much over with.

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

I know each year, my team spends the time between shipping and competition to make extra shafts and such (I think this year we made about 2 extra shafts for every 1 on our bot totally around 20-30?). Besides that, we have organizers for our electronics (solder, connectors and such), spare parts, pneumatic fittings, metric bolts/nuts, standard bolts/nuts, along with just about every tool we used to build it (unfortunately, we can't bring our mill or lathe with us :( ). Basically I'd say bring anything that you think will happen during the competition. Dremels, Vice Grips, allen keys, wrenches, and everthing else you can bring for repairs is recommended.

And remember, if you don't have a tool at the competition, don't be afraid to ask another team! The past 2 years, my team has lent out so many tools to teams that did not have them, and it's nice to help another team get their robot back in shape to compete!

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

Duct tape isn't allowed on the robot as a nondecorative device.

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

zip ties will fix ANYTHING.

and who sais that just because its holding your drive motor on that the ducttape is nondecrotiave?

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

It'd be a good idea to make some kind of pocket or shelf on your cart (for tools, etc) so you can make adjustments on the fly.. this is particularly helpful during playoffs, as you might need to replace something on the field.. we stocked our cart with the most essential allen wrenches/etc last year and that paid off as one of our sprockets actually broke during the championship semifinals but we got it back on within 5 minutes..

Look at your bot (in our case we use extruded aluminium) and see which sizes of what tools you need the most. Go to some local tool store and buy 20 or so in that size, you can never have enough..

also, make sure you have something along the lines of a leatherman/knife, so many things can go wrong.. I still remember how in 2001 we discovered we had an illegal motor right as we were going on the field, so one kid spent 5 good minutes clawing at the motor trying to get its cables detached. One good hack with a knife would've done it.

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

Zip ties really help sometimes... and Dont forget the mallet... :D

Re: Robot FirstAid Kit??
 

We were showing off last year's (tri-wheel) robot during a Lego League event. At the end of the day, we lost a bolt and our front wheel literally fell off. Making things worse, we couldn't find the bolt. We were able to fix the problem before we left, though...

Since then, the wheel has only been attached to the robot by wires...and zip ties. Lots and lots of zip ties. :D