What COTS parts would you like to see?

[maxnz]

A potentiometer that is designed to work with VEX ThunderHex shafts.

[Ryan_Todd]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

...spacer inserts for tubes. These let you do through-bolt connections that can be tightened without crushing the tube, so you actually have a strong bolted joint. For VexPro in particular, spacers like this that fit their Versaframe extrusion sizes could be very useful for some teams.

+1 million on this one.

In recent years, we usually end up 3D printing all of our anti-crush supports, or else making do with lots of little cut-to-length tube spacers. With the first option, we waste time redesigning and printing the custom support blocks every year; with the second option, we waste time fumbling with (and dropping, losing, and needing to cut replacements for) dozens of tiny round spacers during assembly and maintenance operations.

Standard anti-crush supports that fit inside the VersaFrame extrusions, on the other hand, should be fairly cost-effective if injection-molded en masse!

[Knufire]

Originally Posted by maxnz

A potentiometer that is designed to work with VEX ThunderHex shafts.

You can do this pretty easy already. Just drill the center of the shaft out to 1/4", hacksaw a slit ~0.75" down the length of the shaft, and put a shaft collar over the slit. The shaft collar will now clamp the potentiometer shaft like a collet would.

[maxnz]

Originally Posted by Knufire

You can do this pretty easy already. Just drill the center of the shaft out to 1/4", hacksaw a slit ~0.75" down the length of the shaft, and put a shaft collar over the slit. The shaft collar will now clamp the potentiometer shaft like a collet would.

Yeah, but if it had the pwm cable pre-attached, like most VEX EDR electronics do, then it would be a lot easier to wire. That's mainly what I was getting at.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by MechEng83

An inside corner bracket for the 1" REV extrusion similar to the 15mm version: http://www.revrobotics.com/product/rev-41-1038/

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by jwfoss

-Anti-backdrive stage for VersaPlanetary
-Disc Brake set up with 1/2" Hex or "Standard" Sprocket Hole Pattern

Was just thinking about both of these.

An anti-backdrive VP stage would be awesome - that is basically the only feature I miss from the old DeWalt transmissions, and it can't be *that* hard to do, right?

I would really like 4140 pinion gears (at least 18T, 20T, 24T) for high load applications. Aluminum works sometimes, but sometimes you want steel.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by ASD20

This year AndyMark and a few other suppliers were told some details about the game and that is why they came out with Rhino Treads.

Originally Posted by Bkeeneykid

Citation: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotic...g/distributors

It doesn't say that the Rhino drive was a direct result of finding out about the game, but it seems a perfect product for the game, so I'd imaging it is something similar.

I would imagine they had already been designing the Rhino tread for some time previously, and being alerted that the new game would have "driving over obstacles" simply sped up the time frame for releasing it. A COTS tread system had always been something people wanted (for whatever reason ).

[ajlapp]

For those interested, this chain tool is still available in the wild.

http://www.davesmotors.com/DarkSoul-...Tool-3466.html

We used to sell it...it's a long story as to why we do not anymore.

This is hands down the best chain tool for #25 chain that exists....the main advantage is the inclusion of a re-press mandrel that allows you to eliminate master links.

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by ajlapp

For those interested, this chain tool is still available in the wild.

http://www.davesmotors.com/DarkSoul-...Tool-3466.html

We used to sell it...it's a long story as to why we do not anymore.

This is hands down the best chain tool for #25 chain that exists....the main advantage is the inclusion of a re-press mandrel that allows you to eliminate master links.

Will that work on the Vex #25 chain? It seems a bit thicker than other #25 chain.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Will that work on the Vex #25 chain? It seems a bit thicker than other #25 chain.

Yes it works with Vex #25 chain.

It is the best chain tool I've used.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Will that work on the Vex #25 chain? It seems a bit thicker than other #25 chain.

Yes. We used it this year on Vex chain - if anything the extra thickness makes it harder to drive the pin too far out, so it works better with Vex chain.

[JesseK]

I would like to see a better solution for using LED's. Right now LED's paralyze my team with how many choices / setups there are, so usually there's a mediocre attempt at them but never a finished product.
- How do we connect power to the LED's?
- Which LED brand, model, and length do we use?
- Do we really have to care that each light is addressable, seriously?
- To control them do we use an offboard processor, use a Spike, or is there a better way?

Would love to have something simpler that doesn't depend on in-house custom circuitry or an arduino. Plug this 12" LED strip into this device, then plug this device into the PDB and into the RoboRIO using these connectors. Then use this sample code to get going with writing different colors/brightnesses or blinking lights to the LED's.

FWIW, introductory courses in embedded electronics in college were all about blinking LED's, and connection of those circuits to the corresponding code was way more straightforward than the FRC LED situation.

[Monochron]

Aluminum HTD pulleys with more hearty outer walls. Almost all of our larger diameter pulleys had the wall ring pop off at some point during the season. The belts themselves very rarely slipped off as they were fairly well aligned, but I would love to have not had to deal with it over and over.

If they can't get away from the ring design of the walls, maybe make the walls a little larger so that you could tap and screw it back on after it pops off? It's doable right now with (I think) a #4 screw, but something larger would be nice to work with.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Monochron

If they can't get away from the ring design of the walls, maybe make the walls a little larger so that you could tap and screw it back on after it pops off? It's doable right now with (I think) a #4 screw, but something larger would be nice to work with.

You could tap the base aluminum pulley, close to the ring, and use a washer to retain the ring. This is similar to how many gearboxes retain bearings (AM Toughbox Nano, WCP DS gearboxes, and a few others I'm sure).

[ThaddeusMaximus]

VersaPlanetary "Inverter"- allow you to run a motor on the side of the planetary. Our team fobbed our own with a dual motor input and some shenanigans, but COTS would be nicer. The issue with planetaries' packaging is that they package long.