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Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
Here is a shot at some of the costs you are asking about. Here are my assumptions:
$156: 6x 4" plaction wheel (6" FIRST wheels can be had for $7 each) $60: 12x 3/8" ID 1.125" OD bearing $96: 8x Sprocket $50: 2x CIM motor $360: 4x Victor controller $28: 4x 40 Amp fuse for PD board $15: 6' of 3/8" sch 80 pipe for axle spacers (is what AndyMark uses) $129: 2x Banebot P60 64:1 gearbox $15: 2x RS-550 motor $24: 2x pool noodle set $20: 3/4" x 24" x 48" Plywood for bumpers $54: 4 yards of bumper fabric from Seattle Fabrics That adds up to not quite $1000. Shipping for that would be something like $50-100 if you ship ground and combine orders. (ground shipping is fast with AndyMark) If you want a spare Jaguar, spare Banebot planetary gearbox, and a couple of spare motors, that is another $175-200. I'm not brave enough to speculate on the cost of other assorted mechanical materials for actuators, but those costs seem to add up quickly for our team. I think $1500 is just about as low as you can go for 4 CIM 6WD with any sort solid manipulator. |
Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
We rarely spend more than $1000 a year on the robot. The main reasons being, A. we can salvage a lot of extra electronics and drivetrain items off of past robots or old KoPs that we never used, and, a big one,
B. We get a ton of items donated. Usually, each year we get around $500 + worth of Polycarbonate and aluminum donated from a local manufacturing company. This is mainly what we used to then build the rest of chassis on top of the KoP chassis, as our coach preferred to save money wherever possible. If you don't think starting off with the KoP chassis is the best idea (I didn't my senior year, but we didn't have the means to not use it), but do have the means (manufacturing technology) to not use it, then I'd certainly try to go out and get a bunch of raw material donated like we did, and use that to make your robot with, rather than purchasing much more expensive COTS items like the pre-made KoP chassis. |
Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
I don't have the breakdown, but I recall 2815 spending around $1,000 on last year's robot. (Despite our success on the field, the robot was average at best; you being you, you would be able to take chicken soup and make it fine dining.)
If you've got a few materials already, you'll be okay. While more is always better, these days a team can have a good season from the kit, the Lowe's hardware aisle, and a couple things from AndyMark or McMaster-Carr. |
Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
I am surprised at how low the numbers are really.
If you think about it, every actuator (whether pneumatic or motor) is going to run close to $200 by the time add in all the associated costs. I suppose that teams have 5-10 actuators all in (not counting wheels as actuators) that $1K-$2K right there. How are folks doing full up robots for so little? Joe J. |
Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
We were under $1000 this year as a rookie team.
Using just about everything we could from the KOP. We used the kit frame and our lift was just alum sliders and wood. With Brackets for the pneumatic ram (free from bimba) were made out of REM alum we got from the local metal shop, about $2. It doesn't take much to make a mount for a cylinder or a bracket for a motor. Though our robot wasn't really that great, it had a good run in off season. The real cost comes in from prototyping and breaking stuff.... |
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Re: [DFTF] Budgeting for a Competitive Robot...
And gearboxes...
Last year rookie kit you got 4 jaqs + 1 victor. So you only need to add another victor or two. |
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I can't give you specific numbers (because I don't remember them) but my team frequently builds a robot well under the perceived "average cost". While we may not have the most competitive robot, that's nothing that a few iterations more wouldn't cure, not more money. |
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1. Always take Bimba up on the max donation each year, even if you have no plans to use all (or any) of the items. Obviously the strategy is to get the broadest possible range of items to ensure that a *nearly optimum* selection of cylinders is "in stock" for your team down the road. 2. eBay. In the offseason I periodically scrounge parts for bargain-basement prices, and we don't shy away from used items when appropriate. We've bought used cylinders, solenoid valves, etc. and new fittings, etc. for less than 50% of the retail price. Obviously the BOM accounting has to be at full new price, but there's nothing wrong with the robot actually costing less than it does on paper. The loosening of the pneumatics rules in the last couple of years makes this a viable option, and we are careful to purchase items with a long product lifecycle to ensure that we aren't designing-in obsolete products. In our case, we've got dozens of FRC-legal SMC solenoid valves (of all varieties) which will last us for many years and we spent less than $200 acquiring the whole selection. 3. Strategic use of First Choice. For example, IIRC one of the options last year was a pneumatic fitting assortment. There were enough fittings in there to last us for several years. 4. Inventory management. If someone takes charge of the unused KOP items, excess purchased parts, etc. in the offseason to prevent loss then this is a huge cost savings. It almost sounds like some of the posters on this thread are starting with zero parts left over from previous years. Where did all of the extra parts go? 5. Damage prevention. I explain to our students that this stuff is expensive. It's totally OK if it breaks during the heat of competition, but let's not waste our hardware (and our sponsors funding) unnecessarily by horsing around, etc. |
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A competitive robot is one that is virtually always playing in the elims and, moreover, is drafted in the first round in more often than not*. Caveats:
*assuming the associated team is not full of jerks, the drivers are reasonably competent, ... It is easier than you'd think to get yourself crossed off a draft list. I advise my teams, "Be the team you'd want to partner with." |
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