pic: Multipurpose Test Platform

[bigbeezy]

loading photo ...

[bigbeezy]

I have renders for the other versions but didn't want to clog up chief with a bunch of similar pictures

[MikLast]

why dont you make an album on imgur or on a similar site and post the link here? i bet a lot of people (including myself) would want to see.

[bigbeezy]

good call. http://imgur.com/a/feTUF/all

without the belts it may be hard to see. The middle axle (for the 6WD) is powered by the near motor. That belt would always be attached. The middle 2 wheels for the 8WD config are direct driven. A belt then powers the outer axle. The swerve wheels are just above the ground when using the other configs.

[Clayton Summerall]

This is really really cool!

[GeeTwo]

We are also interested in having a pre-built test platform with several different drive styles. We didn't really consider a design with swerve, though we were interested in most of the others. We opted to go the opposite route, to build a bunch of different platforms that were all the same size with the same mount points, which would allow us to prototype a manipulator set and drop it onto any of our drive platforms. Later, we decided that it would be even easier to just have some chassis kits on the shelf and build them to our needs.

[Connor McBride]

This is really cool! Keep up the good work!


FRC 166
2013: mechanical
2014: mechanical, design, human player
2015: mechanical, design, CAD, Driver
2016: ???

[bigbeezy]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

Later, we decided that it would be even easier to just have some chassis kits on the shelf and build them to our needs.

Could you expand on your chassis kits? Do you have precut material and mounting hardware? Did you use it this year and if so how'd it work?

[JesseK]

Seems like it lacks an intake bar. This would be a marvelous Week 1 platform to use with prototyping intakes for a game piece.

On that note, it'll probably need a front/rear bumper...

[Rkant14]

Great idea! This can be really useful to test various strategies for a particular game.

[bigbeezy]

Originally Posted by JesseK

Seems like it lacks an intake bar. This would be a marvelous Week 1 platform to use with prototyping intakes for a game piece.

On that note, it'll probably need a front/rear bumper...

wasn't intended to incorporate an intake. now you could modify where the swerve modules mount to allow you to mount an intake.

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by bigbeezy

Could you expand on your chassis kits? Do you have precut material and mounting hardware? Did you use it this year and if so how'd it work?

For this build season, it was the KoP AM14U2. Given that we're not up to swerve drive ability, we can build it out as mecanum, omni tank, 6, and 8 wheel drive with minimal cutting. We were also able to make some mounting brackets to convert it to an H drive. While it wasn't as fast as having completed chassis on the shelf, we were able to build each (except the H) in about a Saturday session. This was fast enough that by the time the "working prototype" lift frame was together, one of the drive chassis was ready to go with H-drive, and the other was complete as an omni tank and on its way to being an H-drive.

For 2016, we're looking seriously at using vex versaframe and their gearboxes and shifters, which should allow us to build any of these chassis styles with customizable dimensions and gear ratios and even shifting in only a little more time.

[orangemoore]

What is the purpose of putting the mounting point of the swerve modules so high? It seems to add unnecessary complexity to the frame.

Wouldn't it be simpler to run the framing straight across?



Please post again if this gets built.

[Nebster]

Originally Posted by orangemoore

What is the purpose of putting the mounting point of the swerve modules so high? It seems to add unnecessary complexity to the frame.

Wouldn't it be simpler to run the framing straight across?

I think it's so that when there are no wheels on the side rails, the swerve is contacting the ground. However, when wheels are added to the axles on the side, the swerve is lifted slightly off the ground for some clearance so that the side wheels are the ones doing the driving.

[bigbeezy]

Originally Posted by Nebster

I think it's so that when there are no wheels on the side rails, the swerve is contacting the ground. However, when wheels are added to the axles on the side, the swerve is lifted slightly off the ground for some clearance so that the side wheels are the ones doing the driving.

Exactly. The original goal is to have a single platform that programming can use to test out control systems for the various drive systems. With the swerve where it is you don't have to remove the module to switch back to tank drive. Just add wheels. I do like the ideas of modifying it to more easily incorporate additional features.