We began with the idea that a tower defender has to be prepared for full contact battle, and that means protecting the robot's innards.* So, our frame perimeter is miter-cut, welded 2x1 aluminum tube, 34"x25". Rhino tank tread modules bolt onto that frame by means of uprights (more 2x1), and a full 0.09" sheet metal belly pan. Our arm pivots at two joints (still more 2x1) welded to the frame a couple of inches behind the front.
The single piece bumper mounts to the top of the frame using 1 inch angle and 1/4 inch bolts vertically through the frame -- this is very similar to the method we learned from HOT in 2012. Our plywood is also miter cut and joined with glue, then reinforced with aluminum angle on the outsider corners. We heat weld the stack of noodles and wrap them around the corners, securing with some gaff tape before covering with slick, reversible
Robopromo sets. You can see the finished result at
TBA.
The Average Joes did not invent any of these techniques -- for a solid bumper system that performs well we thought it best to copy (and slightly tweak) proven methods developed by others.
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*Why did medieval knights wear armor? Because they needed it!
__________________
Richard Wallace
Mentor since 2011 for FRC 3620 Average Joes (St. Joseph, Michigan)
Mentor 2002-10 for FRC 931 Perpetual Chaos (St. Louis, Missouri)
since 2003
I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.
(Cosmic Religion : With Other Opinions and Aphorisms (1931) by Albert Einstein, p. 97)