Laying it all out there

[Aur0r4]

Team 4264,

Our rookie year was 2003 and we used castors and two driven wheels in the back...ours worked great! Its not the best drive system, but it does work, its cheap, and that year our torquey drive system allowed us to make Semi-finals at GSR because we 0wned the slick ramp. Keep it geared low and you'll be fine. If you want to climb the median, some 8-10" bicycle wheels on the back should allow you to climb over, maybe add some deflector plates around whatever castors you use. Ball casters (we used them twice) will do worse than regular castors on the median. Regular castors will twist to get over, but ball castors will likely get ripped off.

I would use a CIM motor on the ball shooter with direct drive. Certainly better setups, but our tests with a simple, one-wheel pitching machine and a CIM direct to the shaft worked pretty well. Put that bad boy on a jag and you should be able to score some points.

And I agree with the other teams, reach out to your local teams and reach out to your inspectors. Robot inspection is more stringent than bridge inspection (I build bridges, and its true) and yes, the process is iterative. The judges will help you, and getting a prelim opinion on the things you have to fix is a great strategy for anyone!

Good luck! Feel free to send me any questions,

Jim, EIT