pic: Spartonics 1503 - 2011

[Pat Fairbank]

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[Pat Fairbank]

I neglected to mention that the robot's name is SPARDIS (Scoring Points At Relative Dimensions In Space).

More pictures from the final weekend of build can be found here.

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Pat Fairbank

I neglected to mention that the robot's name is SPARDIS (Scoring Points At Relative Dimensions In Space).

More pictures from the final weekend of build can be found here.

+1 Doctor Who

[Nick Lawrence]

There is a bit of a backstory to this robot.

After the 2010 season, we took a step back and evaluated it as a whole and looked at our mistakes. We discovered that last year we tried to do too much, and ultimately exhausted our design and machining resources to the point of actually never finishing our 2010 robot.

So, this year we set out with a goal in mind: Build the absolute simplest robot possible to play the 2011 game.

This is our simplest creation to date.

Also, even with our current minibot deployment mechanism, we're 15 lbs underweight.

-Nick

[Jeffy]

The lightening in the arm support structure is pretty cool. Love the colors too.

[Nick Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Jeffy

The lightening in the arm support structure is pretty cool. Love the colors too.

Thank you. One of our mentors actually made punches for this, and we actually flange the edges of the lightening holes out. This makes the individual pieces much much stronger.

-Nick

[Kpchem]

I have to say I'm a fan of the little light up display at the top of the arm. Is this purely decorative, or designed to tell the Feeder what tube to give you?

[Nick Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Kpchem

I have to say I'm a fan of the little light up display at the top of the arm. Is this purely decorative, or designed to tell the Feeder what tube to give you?

Both.

-Nick

[548swimmer]

Originally Posted by Nick Lawrence

Thank you. One of our mentors actually made punches for this, and we actually flange the edges of the lightening holes out. This makes the individual pieces much much stronger.

-Nick

I understand the benefits of large flanges, but I don't really see how flanging such a small area can add substantially to the cross-sectional area. I've thought about trying this before on some of our robot parts, but it always got shoved aside due to the extra fabrication time.

[Nick Lawrence]

Originally Posted by 548swimmer

I understand the benefits of large flanges, but I don't really see how flanging such a small area can add substantially to the cross-sectional area. I've thought about trying this before on some of our robot parts, but it always got shoved aside due to the extra fabrication time.

I was skeptical at first myself, until I tried to twist one of or siderails.

It takes a lot more force to do so with these flanged lightening holes.

These punches made the difference between having to swiss cheese a super heavy over-trussed frame and being 15 lbs underweight.

-Nick

[548swimmer]

Originally Posted by Nick Lawrence

I was skeptical at first myself, until I tried to twist one of or siderails.

It takes a lot more force to do so with these flanged lightening holes.

These punches made the difference between having to swiss cheese a super heavy over-trussed frame and being 15 lbs underweight.

-Nick

So do the punches punch and flange in one operation? If so, I want a set .

If not for the mini-flanges, would the sidewalls be just bare sheet? If so, that would explain why the mini-flanges help so much.

[Nick Lawrence]

Originally Posted by 548swimmer

So do the punches punch and flange in one operation? If so, I want a set .

If not for the mini-flanges, would the sidewalls be just bare sheet? If so, that would explain why the mini-flanges help so much.

Unfortunately, no they do not. We have two different punches for each shape, one that punches a smaller sized shape, then another that flanges the edges of that shape out.

All the pieces do have folds in them though.

Here is a photo of one of our practice bot siderails being made.

Here is a closeup of that siderail. After the first successful rail, we switched to an impact wrench to make things go faster.

Also, our bearings holes are punched in the same way. It's really neat, come take a close look at our robot sometime.

-Nick

[548swimmer]

Originally Posted by Nick Lawrence

Unfortunately, no they do not. We have two different punches for each shape, one that punches a smaller sized shape, then another that flanges the edges of that shape out.

All the pieces do have folds in them though.

Here is a photo of one of our practice bot siderails being made.

Here is a closeup of that siderail. After the first successful rail, we switched to an impact wrench to make things go faster.

Also, our bearings holes are punched in the same way. It's really neat, come take a close look at our robot sometime.

-Nick

That's really neat! I'm spoiled by our sponsors waterjet . Assuming we both make it to nationals, I'll check out your robot for sure!

[David Dawson]

Holy reduction batman! Is that a rs755 mated to a cimulator mated to a gem 3 stage planetary connected to at least a 3:1 chain reduction? When i come up with solutions like this my team makes me sit in the corner. This year i had to power our arm with two rs755 mated with cimulator and a tough box plus 3:1 chain reduction to make up for the lack of gearing.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Nick Lawrence

There is a bit of a backstory to this robot.

After the 2010 season, we took a step back and evaluated it as a whole and looked at our mistakes. We discovered that last year we tried to do too much, and ultimately exhausted our design and machining resources to the point of actually never finishing our 2010 robot.

So, this year we set out with a goal in mind: Build the absolute simplest robot possible to play the 2011 game.

This is our simplest creation to date.

Also, even with our current minibot deployment mechanism, we're 15 lbs underweight.

-Nick

Sounds eerily familiar.

It's a $@#$@#$@#$@# shame we won't be doing any double slamma jammas this year.