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Unread 12-12-2013, 19:26
Anupam Goli's Avatar
Anupam Goli Anupam Goli is offline
PCH Q&A co-founder/Scouting Mentor
AKA: noops
FRC #1648 (G3 Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Rookie Year: 2008
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 1,242
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Re: Vex Versachassis

My take on Versachassis and Versaframe:

At this point, our team is going to start transitioning towards more customizing in the future. However good of a transition to more customizable options(such as tubing and sheet metal) Versachassis and Versaframe are, it's still a large transition that relies a lot on experienced mentors who can think in the mindset, and we will need to build our CAD team and ensure they are able to handle the pressure they will be in.

Currently, our team uses 8020 for rapid iteration of prototypes and we keep those fine tuned components on top of an 8020 chassis that is designed around whatever driving constraints we set on the team. Yes, it would save us time in designing the drivetrain if we were to switch to versachassis, but in order to focus on manipulator prototyping, we use 8020. Having a uniform 8020 chassis and frame allows us to slide and test our prototypes in various positions and prototype more efficiently. In turn, our CAD team is not pressured as much to create exact components and prototypes can literally be stuck on top of the robot when we find them to be effective enough.

During the next offseason, we may purchase some Versaframe and VersaChassis components to play around with, but before we switch to a more customized option, we need to lay the foundations of iterative design and prototyping down and have the team be able to prototype effectively before we move on to fabricating custom parts and using something more custom such as VersaFrame. In order to ease the transition, our entire team needs to have this crucial prototyping knowledge and experience, have a solid CAD team that can handle the pressure, and our technical mentors need to be ready to make the transition in the academy of thought customizing brings to the table.
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