|
Re: Batteries
The batterys that FIRST gives us can be used for lots of things. I believe they are used in electric wheelchairs, for emergency lighting, for un-interuptable power supplys
and I bought one a couple years ago to power the running lights on my Hobie Cat sailboat - it will keep the lights on for about 8 hours.
The big difference between the various battery chemistries is Amp-hour capacity vs weight and size. The batterys we use are somewhat heavy and large - a nicad or Nickle metal hydrid pack would be smaller and lighter, but far more expensive
weight is not a primary concern for our bots - we almost never need high acceleration or speed, or cornering ability - so the sealed lead acid bats work well. If they gave us $200 batterys that were half the weight, you would hardly notice the difference in the performance (speed and handling) of our robots
but you take 6 or 8 pounds off a radio controlled airplane, and it makes a huge difference in its glide slope. Thats why RC pilots spend the extra $$$ for the more expensive batterys.
|