[ratdude747]

Originally Posted by BoilerMentor

With the current position HBR has found themselves in, I thought this might be a fun thing to look at.

Share your robot weight situation and describe your remedy.

Let me start by saying the number on the scale shocked me. I have 9 years of FIRST experience and I've never seen a robot look so light, but weigh so much.

Initial Robot Weight: 138.4lbs
Final Robot Weight: TBD
Anticipated Weight removal (based on list of remedies): ~21 lbs
Remedy:

• Replace 4 Mini Cims with 3 RS550's in Cimile gearboxes (~8 lbs.)
• Rebuild interface frame replacing 1/8" wall 1x1 tube with 1/16" wall (~5 lbs.)
• Replace 40" of steel 1/2" hex shaft with 1/2" aluminum hex shaft (~1.4 lbs.)
• Replace 2-1.75" bore 12" stroke cylinders with 1.0625" bore 12" stroke cylinders (~1.4 lbs)
• Rebuild intake roller with polycarbonate tubing and delrin endplates to replace 3" PVC roller (~2.2 lbs.)
• Remove excess length from any hardware or replace with a lighter option. (~.25 lbs)
• Remove webbing from the robot back plate (~2.5 lbs.)
• Remove 4 unneeded standoffs from drive modules (~.6 lbs.)

EMERGENCY NUCLEAR WEIGHT LOSS OPTION:

• Remove 2 CIMs from the 6 CIM drive (~7 lbs.)

(joking in this post)

Being 1747 alumni, I see some things never change (minus 2010).

Look at some pictures of your 2007 robot (whose name escapes me). To call that robot cheeseholed would be an understatement. It was (from what I was told at the time) accidentally made from 1/8" wall 1" square tubing (not 1/16") and even cheeseholing the frame, (if I remember right) they had to cut the tubing into angle irons to make weight. Even one frame section as cut and replaced by a carbon fiber member...

More seriously, I agree with the list... specifically the hex shaft. Usually AL is a better material than steel for hex shafts. The lone exception was the shooter shaft in Seagriffin (the 2009 robot). Being the student machinist who made the 2nd and 3rd shafts, that one had some gnarly vibrations with aluminum that steel seemed to fix. But otherwise, AL hex seems to be strong enough (although in the past, a bit less than precise when being used for pressed hubs).