[JamesCH95]

Thanks again!

@brennonbrimhall

The control algorithim will look at speed and joystick input 'magnitude' and make a gear selection from there, like an automotive automatic transmission controller. If you're lightly on the accelerator pedal the transmission will up-shift very readily to reduce fuel consumption, but if you floor the accelerator pedal the transmission will downshift as many gears as it can to maximize acceleration.

Now, this is somewhat simplified with only 2 gears, but that's the idea!

@Nathan Streeter

Very good suggestions, thanks! We definitely plan on iterating this design, though since we're really hurting for funding this year (government lab as flagship sponsor + sequester = sad robotics team) we'll likely recycle the 6in components. The main weight-loss strategy will be 'trussing out' the side plates. Hopefully that will make them look a little sexier as well as reducing weight. That, and making the belly pan out of plastic instead of aluminum!

Upon further consideration I think that for a competition robot we would mount all of our game-related mechanisms to a plate that bolts on top of the drive base. This would potentially make game mechanisms modular and divorce the drive base design from the manipulator design, allowing them to be developed independantly. A top plate, coupled with the belly pan and bumper panels, would result in a VERY strong chassis structure.

And, frankly, bumpers have really reduced chassis strength requirements... hitting robots at full-speed just isn't what it used to be!