Quote:
Originally Posted by ,4lex S.
A Gallery of past successful designs in great detail (CAD files, images, calculations, written explanations...) would probably become one of the most useful tools for FRC design out there. I know how helpful the FIRST Canada galleries ( http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/site/node/96) can be when looking for ideas, and this sounds like an expansion on that idea, so I say go for it.
Otherwise, it might be helpful to incorporate Kit frame based designs onto this page as well. It is a great oppourtunity to play with 6WD and Mecanum designs without going into heavy manufacturing. Giving rookie teams access to things like incorporated supershifter designs, or chain tensioning systems could enhance their on field performance without too much work for them.
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Well put, this is what I had in mind as well. A large collection of "what works" would benefit inexperienced teams immensely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanddrag
Back when I started in 2002, we didn't get any of this handed to us. We had to figure it out ourselves. It was hard, and we learned a lot. What good is this program if robots are just entirely put together from a kit and instructions? We're losing the design and analysis aspect of the competition here.
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This is one of those things that can be ferociously argued either way (similar to the mentor debate). My opinion is that time is better spent focusing on the strategy of the robot or some complex manipulator rather than trying to figure out small annoyances in the drivetrain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfred
To that end, I might suggest getting in touch with the entities behind the 2009 kitbot. If you can come up with methods of improving future versions, either in durability, versatility, cost, or ease of use, your work may get more use by teams than a separate design posted to CD. The kitbot might go against some of the design sensibilities you or your team relies upon, but what better way to help teams than to help improve the aforementioned baseline?
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This is also a good idea, since the kit chassis works so well for so many teams. As ,4lex S. mentioned, putting up different configurations for the kit frame would be helpful. I think it would also be good to provide ideas for teams that want to go past the kit frame too, for the small number of teams who prefer a design that won't work well with what's provided in the kit.