Quote:
Originally Posted by robochick1319
How would this fit in the pit? Would it just be the same size as the robot? Would it be in the pit all the time? I ask because I can't visualize a 10x10 space fitting toolboxes, fenced off playpen, and crew members coming in and out on a regular basis.
I think I should also clarify that when I have mentioned "blocks", I was implying blocks that were securely fastened to a cart or a table or whatever the team uses to work on the robot. Obviously just laying blocks on the ground with a robot on top doesn't prevent someone from bumping the robot and then causing the blocks to fall.
|
Precisely (part of) my point: any useful sort of device to stop a robot from driving off will occupy a lot of space that should be reserved for other usage. Theoretically it could be made with a very low barrier around it's edge, but it would still occupy a lot of space.
However, I still think any sort of dedicated platform is overkill if proper precautions are used. Even blocks bolted to a cart or table are fallible and could result in a robot getting tipped over. How do you ensure nothing is caught in the wheels? Or that the robot is sitting just right on the blocks so the wheels don't touch anything? How do you lock down the robot so it can't tip?
The reasonable answer always comes back to "a person has to check" and, in my mind, a person hovering over a disable button is just as good as a person spot-checking everything to do with blocking up a robot, or pulling breakers, or fiddling with code, or whatever the selected safety method is. The important thing is to be redundant in your safety measures and to have a practiced mode of operation so that everyone near the robot knows what could happen and how they must respond. The exact details are largely irrelevant.