pic: Final 2011 Drivetrain

[Andrew Y.]

Originally Posted by poohbear

Hey comrads!

Here's our team's final design for our first drivetrain ever and its pretty innovative if i say so myself

-the body is milled from a solid block of 7071 aluminum (with our sponsor's five axis mill) to retain the maximum structural strength.
-the wheels are decagons instead of circles. NOW can we squeeze in more than tangential contact every tenth of a rotation, therefore we get more traction.
-the wheel formation allows for no "getting pushed around" and great defense. We might be the rookies, but thanks to our ingenuity, we're not going to get bullied on the field
-these four wheels are directly driven by CIMs so we can zip across the field at 154 fps according to JVN Design Calculator (great tool by the way guys).
-the bot fits in a 26x26 square. its octagonal shape allows for surface area for electronics.

I know its pretty good, but what are some design tips you veteran teams might want to bestow upon us?

P.S. The manipulator is coming soon with just as much innovation as you see here. Watch out for team 3815!!!

P.S.S. We would like to thank our professional mentors for their wisdom and guidance in designing this beastly beauty.

JUST INCASE THIS IS N OT A TROLL JOKE

Hey Poonbear, my name is Andrew and I am a mentor for the Westminster School's Robotics team, team 2415, the WiredCats. I looked up your team number and I see that your team is from North Forsyth County. My team is located in Atlanta and are not too far from you guys and that you guys are rookies.

I see that there are a few design flaws (and boy do I wish that we had a 5 axis CNC mill) and we are always looking to help other teams whenever we can. If you would to set up a meeting, some students as well as myself can make the trip up there and help out some if you would like.

But remember, time is of the essence in this situation, we dont have much time left in the season but I know that if this is not a joke, we can really get something workable together.

Thanks and good luck in the season,
Andrew