Mechanical Robotic Kits

[Dillon Compton]

no idea about tracks, having never used them- however, for the situations you described if you use a fairly grippy wheel you should be fine- see if your team has any old Skyway Pneumatic wheels from past KoPs. I'd say that the rogue atr (or a similar base) would be relatively simple to set up; I'd suggest essentially re-creating the kitbot on a reduced scale, with wood and a top plate (piece of plywood) for mounting sensors. Download the kitbot video, or look for pictures of it, if your team has not used it. It should be a relatively simple project, and well within your tooling capabilities. To add strength, use 2x4 structural brackets, which can be bought at home depot and are fairly foolproof and easy to use. Expenses should be as follows:

2x4s (or similar): under $20. You wont need many, especially for a small robot.
Plywood: under $20 (depends on the quality and quantity you purchase).

Theoretically, at least, your team can probably help you out with the rest of the materials (being: wheels/tracks, axles, motors, etc...). I'd suggest going with the FP, Globe, or Window motors to drive this. Also, using only 2 driven wheels may be to your advantage, as it will require fewer speed controllers & motors to work nicely.

If my team is any indication, mentors will be pleased at your interest in pursuing knowledge on your own; with luck they will be happy to donate or LEND motors, speed controllers, RCs, etc- even if they need them available for next year, you may be able to secure a loan of the items untill the next build season.

Good luck, and I'd be more than happy to help you out in any way I can.

Dillon Compton
Team 1394