2004 Tecknokats Drive System

[sanddrag]

Well, after seeing pictures and prints of several of the Technokats' previous drive systems, I eagerly awaited seeing what they would come up with for the 2004 year. While I don't expect prints or a white paper so soon, I am curious as to what it is and what it looks like. Since I haven't been to any of their events, I haven't heard about or seen even the slightest bit of it. So, what is it?

[Clark Gilbert]

Below is what I can tell you, and I'll leave it up to Baker/whoever to explain it in detail. This should keep the thread from getting pushed down too far without an answer.

I don't really know that much about the specifics on the drive base, but I know a little bit. It was a 4 wheeled drive base with a gearbox on each side just like normal. Each gearbox was powered by an Atwood motor and a Fisher Price motor (atleast that's what it was when i saw it). Both sides were also shift on the fly like normal. The wheels they used looked very similar to those small front wheels that you see on shopping carts.

Here are some pictures that I took on Feb. 21, 2004. They aren't the best, but they show a little. I also don't think the wheels in this picture are the exact ones they used, but I may be wrong.

Front Wheel Close-Up
Robot Right Side View
Close Up Side View
Looking Into Robot From Above
Close Up of Gearbox For Ball Suction
Close Up of Gearboxes
Good Side View of Robot
Another Wheel Close Up

Hopefully, someone who's actually on the team this year can do a little better job than me explaining it for you

[Ryan F.]

I know they posted a whit page of their gearbox. It's somewhere on here...but I'm sorry that I couldn't find it. It seems to disappear right when you need it.

[Clark Gilbert]

The one you're thinking of is probably the 2003 Gearbox. The gearbox they designed and used this year was quite a bit different (larger size and different motors).

[Andy Brockway]

If you look closely at the gearbox picture you will see a hose clamp around a cylinder in front of the fisher/drill motor. Andy Baker showed me this really neat sub-assembly. It takes the first reduction out of the drill gearbox and uses it to reduce the fisher or drill motor speed to near CIM motor output. Of course you need to put a drill gear on the fisher motor and there is an adapter to compensate for the difference in motor OD. All in all a very nice design that puts the two motors on the same side.

I think I have this essentially correct and am looking forward for the white paper on this. I can envision all sorts of mechansims that could use this subassembly

[Max Lobovsky]

I believe it was Joe Johnson from Chief Delphi who was telling a few of my team members and I about a similar assembly though he described using a gearbox from some other larger Bosch drill with three speeds. He said 47 would be releasing a white paper on it, if im not mistaken.

[Andy Baker]

We need to get some good pictures of our switching gearbox and the planetary reducer for the drill and FP. We used it for the FP, but it could be used for the drill (easier, in fact). This stuff will be posted within a few days.

Andy B.

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

This stuff will be posted within a few days.

Andy B.

Well, just what have you been doing since February 26th?
The build season has been over for weeks.

[sanddrag]

Just curious Andy, any more info/pics on the 2004 Technokat drive? We'd all love to see more.