Safety Issue: Robots Moving in Pits

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

It will be made for the kit chassis. Even a version that has the front cut out. We can't adapt It that well for everyone but most people who don't have a safe system in place are probably teams using the most chassis.

Consider making a robot 'playpen' instead. A plywood sheet covered in carpet with a rigid barrier around the edge. Robot drives on carpet, works with any chassis, robot can't drive away, no blocks to tip over...

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

Consider making a robot 'playpen' instead. A plywood sheet covered in carpet with a rigid barrier around the edge. Robot drives on carpet, works with any chassis, robot can't drive away, no blocks to tip over...

Not a bad idea.

[robochick1319]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

Consider making a robot 'playpen' instead. A plywood sheet covered in carpet with a rigid barrier around the edge. Robot drives on carpet, works with any chassis, robot can't drive away, no blocks to tip over...

How would this fit in the pit? Would it just be the same size as the robot? Would it be in the pit all the time? I ask because I can't visualize a 10x10 space fitting toolboxes, fenced off playpen, and crew members coming in and out on a regular basis.

I think I should also clarify that when I have mentioned "blocks", I was implying blocks that were securely fastened to a cart or a table or whatever the team uses to work on the robot. Obviously just laying blocks on the ground with a robot on top doesn't prevent someone from bumping the robot and then causing the blocks to fall.

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

How would this fit in the pit? Would it just be the same size as the robot? Would it be in the pit all the time? I ask because I can't visualize a 10x10 space fitting toolboxes, fenced off playpen, and crew members coming in and out on a regular basis.

I think I should also clarify that when I have mentioned "blocks", I was implying blocks that were securely fastened to a cart or a table or whatever the team uses to work on the robot. Obviously just laying blocks on the ground with a robot on top doesn't prevent someone from bumping the robot and then causing the blocks to fall.

Precisely (part of) my point: any useful sort of device to stop a robot from driving off will occupy a lot of space that should be reserved for other usage. Theoretically it could be made with a very low barrier around it's edge, but it would still occupy a lot of space.

However, I still think any sort of dedicated platform is overkill if proper precautions are used. Even blocks bolted to a cart or table are fallible and could result in a robot getting tipped over. How do you ensure nothing is caught in the wheels? Or that the robot is sitting just right on the blocks so the wheels don't touch anything? How do you lock down the robot so it can't tip?

The reasonable answer always comes back to "a person has to check" and, in my mind, a person hovering over a disable button is just as good as a person spot-checking everything to do with blocking up a robot, or pulling breakers, or fiddling with code, or whatever the selected safety method is. The important thing is to be redundant in your safety measures and to have a practiced mode of operation so that everyone near the robot knows what could happen and how they must respond. The exact details are largely irrelevant.

[jman4747]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

Consider making a robot 'playpen' instead. A plywood sheet covered in carpet with a rigid barrier around the edge. Robot drives on carpet, works with any chassis, robot can't drive away, no blocks to tip over...

I noticed last year a LOT of extra space at Peach Tree. Obviously you couldn't add a few more practice fields due to money, personnel, time, etc. (the room in the GWCC could probably hold another 4 or more) but you could add several ~10' square spaces with simple guards around them so people have an out of the way area to practice sub systems. Obviously this only works if the regional had that kind surplus area.

[techhelpbb]

Originally Posted by jman4747

I noticed last year a LOT of extra space at Peach Tree. Obviously you couldn't add a few more practice fields due to money, personnel, time, etc. (the room in the GWCC could probably hold another 4 or more) but you could add several ~10' square spaces with simple guards around them so people have an out of the way area to practice sub systems. Obviously this only works if the regional had that kind surplus area.

Same point I made before.
Most venues I have been to in MAR had some room they could find for this purpose.
All they need is floor really and perhaps scrap rug.