Re: First Robot
 

The cart Andy suggested is basically what my team has used the past few years. They are available from a ton of manufacturers, and are customizable to your own needs. Last year, we mounted a plywood deck for the robot to sit on. If you choose to do this, ensure it is strong enough to handle the robot (If it isn't, injuries will occur).

Also, you should consider your robot's center of gravity in whatever you build (we almost dumped our robot off the side of the cart a few times last year).

Flashy carts are usually a waste of money, I would much rather have a flashy robot :D.

Re: First Robot
 

On sale, with coupon for $89.99 until 1/14/10 at Harbor Freight.

Re: First Robot
 

Chris has some great points, but here's some additional information (shown in red) that 228 has learned from about a half dozen different iterations of homemade robot carts over the past twelve seasons. We've learned all nine points the hard way at one point or another.

Nothing is more annoying (or a potential safety hazard) than having a solid, non-removable handle. Having an easy to remove solid handle allows you to remove the handle to work on the robot and make it easier to lift the robot onto/off of the cart. This can be something as simple a bent or welded piece of aluminum tubing than can slide into a slot in the cart.

When you put the casters at the end opposite the handle, you'll have a large rotational moment when trying to turn the cart. If you put the casters at the same end as the handle, it'll be much easier to rotate the cart.

Having storage space for batteries will save you from running to the pits, and having storage space for ample bottled water will literally save you. We once had a member of our drive team collapse during the elimination rounds five or six years ago from dehydration. Since then we've taken aggressive measures to always have ample bottled water (or Nalgenes+drinking fountain) at all times.

Standard doorways are between 30-32 inches wide, so this should be a universal standard.

6. Most FRC robots are a maximum of five feet tall. Remember this when building a cart. The maximum height of a robot on top of the cart should be less than the maximum clearance height of the lowest doorway you'll encounter.

7. Your robot will change every year, but when you finally build a cart, build it once. Therefore, design in an easy to change method for holding the robot every year. One good solution is to mount blocks on pieces of 80/20 (or other similar extrusion), to slide to new positions every year.

8. If you have a giant flat surface, put a lip on it. There will be times where you'll have loose hardware from a mechanism on the cart that's still being assembled as you rush back to the field. Having lips on the cart will prevent that loose hardware from getting hopelessly lost.

9. Make your cart lightweight. Don't make it motorized, don't put on surround speakers, don't have permanently attached toolboxes, etc. Make it carry the robot, carry spare batteries, and potentially carry the operator interface. Anything else should stay in the pits.


Here's a photo of the homemade (wood) cart 228 has been using since 2006, which incorporates all of the above features:



with handle removed: