Rookie Team 1746 creates it's first prototype robot

[Snappel328]

We call him Brutus-I. We created him just so we could get a feel for creating a real FIRST robot. This guy took us about a month of 2-day a week sessions to build.


So how is this thing for a Rookie Team robot?

[Kyle Love]

That looks GREAT! Remember to use the KISS principal during the real build season and you will do great!

[Ryan Foley]

Wow!

I must say that looks really good. That was good thinking on your part, making a practice robot before the season to see what it's like.

My only question, did you buy all the parts, or did other veteran FRC teams donate theirs?

Great job guys.

[billbo911]

Wow, that is really well done, and only one month at 2 days per week to build! I would love to have our team that motivated this year.
I also would like some feedback on your drive train. That is almost identical to what I have been envisioning for one of our future (near future I hope) designs. My belief is that it would be highly maneuverable and fairly responsive. Is that what you are finding? Also, do the casters cause any problems or are there any other drawbacks you have been experiencing?

[Snappel328]

To Ryan Foley,

We bought the build kit that used for last year's FIRST competition

to billbo911,

The maneuverability is very well done and responsiveness is top-notch according to our trial runs and such. As for drawbacks, it tends to veer to the left if driven straight forward

[Rabbit222]

A simple design always gets the job done right! Excellent machine and best of luck this year!

[Zoheb N]

WOW that is a cool robot. good job if you guys did that in that small amount of time im scared if my team has to go against yours.

[Snappel328]

Scared of a rookie team?

[Andrew Blair]

Oooh boy, you'll learn quickly. The only thing vet. teams have going for 'em is reliability. And generally not even that. The rookies are the ones who say for example:

Hmmmmm....if we jump off the 5' ramp with a load of game pieces at 10 ft/sec, we can get to the goal really quickly...


And the "too crazy for us, we know better" schemes always seem to work! You guys will have loads of fun.

[Vince lau]

wow that looks great, good job. How much does it weigh? looks like you used 80/20 profile

[Snappel328]

It weighs a little over the maximum standards for FIRST robots, about 140 lbs and true, we did use 80/20

[Jonathan Norris]

Originally Posted by Snappel328

Scared of a rookie team?

lol no... but we have lost to rookie teams in the past, for some reason I cannot see the picture of the robot, you may want to upload it to the image gallery here at CD.
edit: I can see it now, looks good. I would not recomend a 2 wheel drive at all, at least try for 4 wheel drive .

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Snappel328

It weighs a little over the maximum standards for FIRST robots, about 140 lbs and true, we did use 80/20

80/20 does have a bit of heft to it, but I'm sure you could knock off some pounds. (Those wheels appear to have some heft, at least from the photos.)

Do you plan on using 80/20 for the chassis, or use whatever we get for the kitbot frame this season? The Kitbot frame is pretty good at what it does.

Either way, good stuff! The first robot you build is the one where you actually figure out what you're doing, so it's always a good thing to have that one not count. (I speak from experience.)

[Snappel328]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Norris

I can see it now, looks good. I would not recomend a 2 wheel drive at all, at least try for 4 wheel drive

We tried a 4 wheel drive in our kitbot, not that one, and it was very difficult to get bot to do a gradual turn to the left or right while moving forward. We eventually took those off and use giant ball-bearing wheels in the final design of our kitbot. We used the same ball-bearing wheels on Brutus, but in the front and back while we used the drive-wheels in the middle.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by Snappel328

It weighs a little over the maximum standards for FIRST robots, about 140 lbs and true, we did use 80/20

What size 80/20 did you use? It looks like the 1.5" x 1.5" 80/20 was used for everything. You can use the 1" x 1" 80/20 for most of the chassis frame to help save weight. If you want to try to cut back on the weight of the robot, here are a few helpful ideas:

There are a lot of "extra" 80/20 pieces on the robot that you might be able to take off if other joints are strengthened. Also, if you have the machining facilities used to mill the holes for the 80/20 corner joints, you might be able to machine pillow blocks for the axles out of regular aluminum stock rather than 80/20, as it may save you a bit of weight. On some of the 80/20 members on the frame, they overlap another piece. You can knock off a few inches of the 80/20 (and knock off a bit more weight) by having all the joints be "butt joints" that join together in the same plane (rather than skewed joints).

Otherwise, this looks very nice for a robot built in a month, let alone by a rookie team. You guys should do well this year.