bot carts. need info!
 

yes i know i'll get yelled at because theres already posts on this but there are so many and they are long and i'm having difficulty finiding what i am looking for.
i am trying to come up with an idea of how to build a simple cart driven by 2 motors. i am planning on using the rc and oi from a previous year to control it.
it needs to be small but be able to get over bumps and somehow raise the bot to a good working height that we like.(about 3 feet from ground).
if anyone has any plans or ideas they can give me post them here or you can email me here.

once again yes i know i'm repeating posts from before but they tend to be on carts in general. if someone knows of a thread with the info i'm looking for tell me and i'll close down this thread. thanks!

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

two years ago 1083 just purchased a Radio Flyer wagon that had big pneumatic tires. it worked fine for traversing those power cable protector things around the field. it was simple and got our robot around. the top of the wagon was a bit low so something to raise the top up might be good.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

I have no experience with powered driving carts. However, here's some of the obstacles you will need to worry about: Wire guards (the main one; usually about 1-3 inches high and close to a foot long) and the occaisional ramp. And, of course, crowds. Assuming tank steering, you may want casters. For raising the bot, you can raise the whole cart (which doesn't work too well) or use a scissors lift.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

some (most?) regionals do not allow powered carts, scooters or other motorized vehicles in the pit area or along side the playfield.

During a competition the pit area and the paths to the playfield are often filled shoulder to shoulder with teams and crews trying to get to or from the playfield, along with spectators who want to see whats going on in the pits.

Having a motorized cart would be awesome, but I think in this case the risks outweight the cool-factor.

Look at it this way: FIRST requires plexiglass shields, steel railings all around the playfield, and for all students and refs near the field to wear safety glasses in order to drive a well specified and inspected robot during the event. Why would they then allow the same students to drive an experimental robot cart around in the pit area, right next to students and spectators, with no restrictions, inspections, or safety measures of any kind?

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

I would say, don't use motors and don't make it complicated. A simple cart will be better in the long run. Sure, at The Championships it will be handy to have one with massive storage, but the rest of the time its just in the way. KEEP IT SIMPLE! :]

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

Last year our Seniors built a motorized cart out of Diamond Plate and an old Electric Wheelchair. Quite a nice ride for our robot, to be sure. The only semi-complaint (more of a warning) was when we first arrived at the Lone Star Regional someone told us to keep the stereo they had installed turned down so as not to become a distraction to teams working on their 'bots.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

At the championships? I'd prefer to have the space at a regional as well. Even when your pit is a modest 300 feet away, it still seems to take an awful long time to get there and back when you need stuff and all you have is 10 minutes until your next elimination match! :ahh:

And does it really have to be motorized? Just give it big pneumatic tires, a handle, and storage space and you'll be waayyyyyy ahead of many teams.

PS Do not put small hard plastic wheels on your cart! You will have to pick it up over the wire covers and it will be a big pain in the neck.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

Well they allow the robot to be driven on a tether, and if they mount their OI in the cart and the RC as well connecting the two via tether it should be okay, although this is in the realm of the legality depending on the people at a given competition.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

Team 836 last year used a motorized cart using 2 wheel chair motors, an electrical car battery, an OI from 2002 and spare motor controllers and spikes from 03,04. It worked quite well, it had enough clearance to fit through a doorway and enough ground clearance for bumps. It also doubled as a shipping crate for all of our tools and spare parts. If you would like some pics i am sure i can find some.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

Whatever you do, use good, strong durable wheels.

If you use cheap wheels, they will most likely break on you at the most inopportune time as ours did last year at the Championships. Because we could only go in once on the first night to get all our stuff in, we loaded everything on our cart together. Before we made it 6", the front two castor wheels broke.

We bought another pair of cheap castor wheels the next day and they broke again, so we broke 4 wheels just at the championship event.

So, USE STRONG WHEELS!

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

our regional does allow the use of motorized carts. a team last year made one in the design of forklift and they had no problem with the staff. up here in toronto the attendance isn't as great as in the states. umm and a pics would be great

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

Just make sure you read the documents that just came out. There are NEW rules for carts.

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

all i can find are 05 docs where did u get this info??

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/doc_updt.htm

I just read it somewher let me find it

Re: bot carts. need info!
 

found it but all i see is that u can't put a stereo and what not...