Minibot Questions

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

As to threaded rod, only if you can make it from...
H. Raw aluminum sheet, 90° angle, u-channel, tube, bar, that is not sold in pre-perforated or pre-punched form.

I would suspect that you could get round Al bar and thread it. Whether you can get it to fit into the Minibot volume and still come down enough to get the Minibot easily is a little trickier.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by EricH

I would suspect that you could get round Al bar and thread it. Whether you can get it to fit into the Minibot volume and still come down enough to get the Minibot easily is a little trickier.

I suggest teams put a hook or ring on their robot that gives an obvious place for the Field Personnel to grab the minibot. You should do this even if you are planning to have the robot bring itself down because things don't always go according to plan.

ChrisH

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

As to threaded rod, only if you can make it from...
H. Raw aluminum sheet, 90° angle, u-channel, tube, bar, that is not sold in pre-perforated or pre-punched form.

GDC decided it's a fastener:

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=16667

[Nemisis]

Hello Everyone! Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever abut the deployment of the Mini-bot? any advice or ideas from any team would be treated with the utmost appreciation!! Thank You!



Team 2389

[JB987]

Originally Posted by Nemisis

Hello Everyone! Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever abut the deployment of the Mini-bot? any advice or ideas from any team would be treated with the utmost appreciation!! Thank You!



Team 2389

Go to Youtube, type in FRC minibot and observe closely

[PAR_WIG1350]

Couldn't threaded rod be considered a mechanical fastener?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by PAR_WIG1350

Couldn't threaded rod be considered a mechanical fastener?

At the time I made that post, it was unclear. Someone asked Q&A, and it is considered a fastener by the GDC. Therefore, it is a fastener for FRC purposes (whether or not is is actually a fastener).

[lonski]

does annyone know if there are any spefications on the aluminum sheet. ex. thickness, limited amount. and does anyone know if we can use pvc sheet or does it have to be tubing

[Mike Wittman]

Originally Posted by EricH

Not if you do it right. Not being entirely certain of the method there, I'd say to find 1714 (or Chris is me) and ask them.

Steel cable: Not legal on the Minbot. You can use non-metallic rope or cord.

Henry, check the Q&A I linked to again.

Polycarbonate can be cold bent, and in most cases it will not break. It can be bent in an apron break or a press break. If you are going to bend it over onto itself you will need to stress release the material with heat. Many hobbyists do it with a heat gun.

If you are looking for a spring tension, you could stack layers of different thickness to create a leaf spring. This will allow you to play with different tensions. It is very unlikely that you will break Polycarbonate using it this way.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by lonski

does annyone know if there are any spefications on the aluminum sheet. ex. thickness, limited amount. and does anyone know if we can use pvc sheet or does it have to be tubing

The GDC answered that anything marketed as sheet is sheet. The rule in other words reads PVC pipe or fittings CPVC pipe or fittings. Sheet PVC is not part of the rule.

[E2207]

Is it possible that we can have anotehr FRC team with a water jet cutter to cut our minibot sheet metal on a CAD file?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Yes,
There is no restriction in the minibot rules that prevents you taking advantage of someone's watergenerosity.

[E2207]

Anyone generous out there?

[Brian Ha]

Umm, we have our wheels basically drop their power or however you would actually word it, and then drop. We plan on putting some foam underneath it, both the minibot and the deployment system because the first time we did it, some things fell out, then we did it again without fixing it, and some more things came off. So you might want to have it free drop, but have some sort of thing to either cushion its fall or prevent it from hitting the ground intensly hard.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Brian Ha

We plan on putting some foam underneath it, both the minibot and the deployment system because the first time we did it, some things fell out, then we did it again without fixing it, and some more things came off.

Umm... Can someone tell me where to find "foam" of some form in <R92>?

Deployment system, go for it. Minibot, start thinking creatively. Hmmm... stretch surgical tubing on the bottom of the Minibot, maybe?