John,
I have to admit that our team is copying your genius arm potentiometer design.
http://blog.iamjvn.com/2011/03/insid...ntiometer.html
Our potentiometer mounts keeps breaking (we broke our fifth version). Without it we cannot test our autonomous program. Our students have worked hard on the programming, thus I am willing to copy a design to give them a chance next regional to express their own unique ideas.
We are defiantly going to try copying a powerhouse design. I prefer to say reverse-engineer, because we are putting the extra effort to figure out why it works and how we can improve it. We have had a physics model running since the beginning the season. We have been using it to verify the speeds teams have been posting all season long. Its how we concluded that teams must have been removing parts from the tetrix gearbox, improving its efficiency or removing it completely. We opted to try to boost gearbox efficacy by lubricating and breaking in the gearbox but had little success. Upon seeing the 148 video, we knew we had to try direct drive. Your video also eliminated much of the unknown about durability of the tetrix motor.
Presently, we have determined a range of shaft diameters and tested a few possible tread material for durability. Our goal is to set up our minibot to have several interchangeable shafts and magnets, so that we can tinker with these variables. I mention all this because I feel our approach to the minibot will be reverse engineering because of the amount of testing and research we will undertake. The potentiometer design we are going to use is defiantly being copied because of the lack development.
In the real world, there is a lot of reverse engineering. It's an important skill for engineers to learn because everyone does it. I have not encountered a company that does not do it. Every car manufacture does it. It can get pretty grim at times (look up the B-29's that had to land in russia during World War II) but to me its an excepted part of life and gives a company an incredible competitive edge over others who don't. I actually met a micro chip designer who puts dummy traces in his circuits to throw off competitors. It also helps to have a good patent too, I have already read a few poorly written patents that the companies found out the hard way they can't use them to protect their own ideas.
I guess what I am try to say is that reverse engineering is okay. If you just copy without much thought, you are really missing the point. I don't like copying but some cases, like the potentiometer where i have limited time and unlimited vex parts in my closet, are needed to foster a creative solution elsewhere.
By the way John, you have to coolest blog ever! Its the most thought provoking, informative and useful blog I have ever read.