Killer Bees - 2014

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

Are there any better pictures of the drivetrain system posted anywhere?

[apalrd]

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

Are there any better pictures of the drivetrain system posted anywhere?

I don't have any. I'll see if anyone else does.

[Jim Zondag]

Here are a couple of pics.
As Andrew said, it is very simple. The minimalist design freed up a lot of resources we could then use on other features of the machine such as a giant spring bundle in the catapult and huge catching wings. The lack of chains or belts means we do not need much rigidity in the frame, allowing it to be even lighter. There is a single 6:1 rear reduction to each wheel.

Our priority this year was to make the best catapult possible. The drivetrain needed to take a backseat to this objective.

A lot of people thought we were crazy and/or stupid when we revealed this. Admittedly it is a bold choice. It has its pros and cons, but for this game, I think the pros were an advantage overall. It does require a very good driver, and Ellen is pretty awesome. (7 blue banners, 175/46/1 record over 2 years)

There is more than one right way to design a robot. The right choice depends on many factors including: experience, driving ability, weight, complexity, and game strategy. I think our 2014 experience proves that you can sometimes step outside the box if you have properly thought through the question.

[jagen31]

Nice! Very interesting design philosophy. We have a really good driver, but if I told him we were putting omni wheels on the robot he'd punch me square in the face.

Funny story, during Archimedes, whenever someone would mention 33 in the team 20 stands, a bunch of mechanical people would say, "don't worry, we can just push them around," and finally someone said, "Then do it, if its so easy."

[Mike Marandola]

This is my favorite robot by far. The drivers are so good. Are you guys able to alter the trajectory of the shot with your choo-choo mechanism?

[AlecMataloni]

So, what's the standard bend radius on the .050 sheet you guys use? I've read that 6061-T6 bends poorly/ cracks below a bend radius of double the material thickness. Is this the rule of thumb you follow?

[chiefsfan67]

By the way, thank you Killer Bees, from 1730 Team Driven, for all of the free bee antennae, at the buffet Saturday night, and for wishing our drive coach a happy birthday! That was awesome!

[tim-tim]

Originally Posted by AlecMataloni

So, what's the standard bend radius on the .050 sheet you guys use? I've read that 6061-T6 bends poorly/ cracks below a bend radius of double the material thickness. Is this the rule of thumb you follow?

I can't speak for 33, but the typical rule of thumb is twice the thickness for 6061-T6. We don't use much .050" or 6061-T6 on our robot, but at work we typically just use a 1/8" bend radius or 3/32" (.094") if we are in a pinch.

[Phyrxes]

Interesting read, thank you for posting. This was our first year using a sheetmetal frame and our sponsor suggested 5052 sheet over 6061 as thats what they use for most of their paying customers and can generally make our parts of of scrap. Any insight on what alloy properties to look for in this application?

[Ed Sparks]

Originally Posted by Jim Zondag

..... There is more than one right way to design a robot. The right choice depends on many factors including: experience, driving ability, weight, complexity, and game strategy. I think our 2014 experience proves that you can sometimes step outside the box if you have properly thought through the question.

Absolutely ..... and your drivers were awesome. When I first saw the bot on it's back in the pits, I kept looking for the secondary wheel system to provide traction. What are the two green omni wheels doing?

The proof is in the performance and no doubt 33 had it this year (as always). Looking forward to seeing you next time.