Pro's and Con's of Motorized Robot Carts

[1502]

Originally Posted by legogeek24

It would have sure made that walk from the pits to the field in Atlanta soooo much nicer!

It sure did for us! We put a camera on the front of ours after a match and went back to the pits.

[nitneylion452]

Originally Posted by 1502

For my first forum post on CD, I did not expect this from some teams...

As for the size, I've seen WAY bigger carts. As for the regard to batteries, we can fit 12 and still have room for tools. It has AM Super Shifters that can be disengaged in a few milliseconds to make it easier to push than our non-motorized cart.

But seriously guys.. Why such criticism? We make these carts over the summer. We enjoy the process of building so much that we don't stop when the season ends.

If you do it right then why stop?

Btw I'd like to see what each team can do with a $400 budget and less than 1 hour of work by a professional machinist.

To quote CD rules, "Please remember, you are representing not only yourself, but your team and its sponsors, as well as what FIRST stands for."

Your making it sound like it's such a HORRIBLE idea to work with your team.

We strive to be different for the standard cookie cutter teams out there and we accomplish this every year.

I apologize for the long post and if I hurt anyone's feelings. I aim not biased towards this issue. At our first competition we didn't have a motorized cart, and I wasn't crushed because we didn't have one. If you are so determined to ruin the point of this thread and crush the hopes and dreams of young engineers, please send me a private message.

On a happy note, we'll continue to spawn excellent engineers every year in the support of gracious professionalism.

I think you misinterpreted the meaning behind a lot of the posts here. Absolutely nobody is saying that working with your team is a bad thing. Nobody is saying building a motorized cart is a bad thing. They are offering alternatives and lending their opinions on the matter.

The title of this thread is "Pro's and Con's of Motorized Robot Carts" yet you seem to be very negative toward those who have offered cons. I just don't think it's fair to judge the members here because they have negative opinions about motorized carts. "If you are so determined to ruin the point of this thread and crush the hopes and dreams of young engineers..." I feel like there were at least a few better ways you could have put that statement. It's pretty offensive because everyone here is working toward the goal of inspiring students to go in to STEM fields.

[gyroscopeRaptor]

There are few pros to motorizing a cart. A lightweight, skeletal frame cart with casters can do the job perfectly.

What Joe said. Nobody is criticizing you. You asked for our opinions, and we provided. The word "opinion" does not just mean whatever you want to hear. Some people don't like motorized carts. Big deal. You make them every year, and that's great. Nobody is chastisizing you for it.

Honestly, I'm kinda offended by your post. I know for sure 100% that you didn't mean it to sound rude (trust me, I'm the king of that sometimes), but next time read what you're saying.

I find this rule helpful:

Read twice, post once

This is a great thread, no matter the result. People are posting their opinions, which is the focus of a forum, and people are learning things, be it the pros and cons of a motorized cart, or an important life lesson.

Best regards,
Andrew

[class1234567]

I love S.W.A.T's cart its so cool

[GarrettF2395]

Our team built a motorized cart in 2010 and brought it to the OKC regional. The safety judges there asked us to not use it for future competitions because of the safety hazards it creates in confined walkways. I believe team 1742 (who also had a motorized cart for a time) was asked to do the same at one point.

S.W.A.T. did you experience any comments from the safety staff about your cart at OKC this year?

I very much enjoyed having a motorized cart because it makes the transportation process much easier and has a certain "cool factor" about it.

You might contact someone on your local regionals safety staff and ask what they think about it.

If they don't like it, I would suggest not pursuing the idea. Otherwise, Do it!

[Hawiian Cadder]

I would never use a motorized cart. Our carts don't even have handles, the robot is locked in place on them and then we use the robot superstructure to carefully push the entire thing along.

[jspatz1]

Originally Posted by 1502

For my first forum post on CD, I did not expect this from some teams...

I thought when you asked for pros and cons that you actually wanted both.

[gyroscopeRaptor]

There are other ways to electrify a cart as part of a robot project other than motorizing it. Make reactive LED underglow with an arduino that corresponds to your bumper color is one way.

[pfreivald]

We built a motorized cart several years ago -- it had a lift that could raise and lower our robot to proper lifting/working heights, too -- and then never ended up using it. It was too big, too clunky, and just one more thing to worry about breaking...

For the past several years we've used a good old fashioned drop-down dolly, painted purple of course and with Bausch + Lomb stickers and our team number on it. It's lightweight, compact, portable, and easy to get out of the way when we need it out of the way...

340 has a new cart this year, too. It's got a lift-off work table so they can work under their robot in the pits, that locks in solidly so they can cart the bot around... It's not motorized, but it's pretty slick.

[Kim Masi]

I think the trend of those carts stemmed from 2003 championship where the walk from the pit to the field was atrocious, and required going up and down many flights. As a tiny girl on the drive team, pushing those robots gets tiresome. It was similar, but probably not as bad in Atlanta.

When I was in high school, 177's cart wasn't motorized, but we had a mechanical scissor lift that could lift and lower the robot for easy work in the pits. This made the cart really heavy.

Honestly I'm kind of "meh" on the idea of motorized carts. I see students just driving them around to play with them, and that's where it gets dangerous

[Cal578]

Question: When people talk about a "Motorized Robot Cart" in this context, is "Remote Control" (wireless or tethered) implied? I can see how that gets more dangerous, and more tempting for people to play around. What if it were more like a self-propelled lawn mower: when you pull a lever while holding the handle, you get motor assist, but if you let go, it stops/coasts.

I'm not an inspector, but I think they would likely not prohibit a simple motor-assist design. I'm also not an event volunteer, but I think they would not be annoyed by this (they probably wouldn't notice, since it is less likely that anyone would be goofing off with such a cart).

Our team had a motorized cart several years ago (before I was with the team). They said it was too big, and caused trouble, so they removed the motors and smallerized the cart. [Everybody please start using "smallerize"; I want to make it a real word. 8-) ] That cart has served us well for several years now. Although, now there's talk of a new-and-improved cart, with scissor lift and such. I think good things will come of that. It will make a useful summer project, with goals->requirements->design, hands on work, imagery, and much potential team benefit.

[zachmartin1806]

We used our cart every match this year at both Kansas City and OKC without a complaint from any of the volunteers or the safety judges.

EDIT: We made the cart in 2008 and have taken it to every event since, this includes Champs twice (2008 & 2009), Kansas City (2009-2012), STL Regional (2009 & 2010), 10,000 Lakes (2011), OKC (2012), Cowtown Throw Down (Off-season event 2008-2011), plus many other promo and demo events.

[PAR_WIG1350]

Technically we have a motorized cart. Sometimes we use the battery compartment to store stuff, batteries go in the middle under the robot since they are big and don't fit through the gap in the sides, but tools would fall out of that area of the cart, the battery compartment, on the other hand, has enclosed sides...

[Captaindan]

This is our cart we have had no problems with running over people because it is very easy to control. It has a 5gallon air tank, underglow, a sound system for all the other days of the year when we're not at the competition, and an ooga horn when yelling robot is overated and it rolls along at the flick of a joystick. The whole thing was student welded student assembled student wired simply put no mentors had anything to do with the building and assembly of it. The stickers and paint were designed and chosen by the students.