Cyber Blue and Team 221 LLC "Wild Swerve"

[Chris Fultz]

A few months ago, Cyber Blue began working on designing a crab drive system. We have always been impressed with the teams that do crab / swerve drive and do it well and have talked about creating a design for several years, but until this summer, we had not done any serious work on a design. We knew that to be successful, we would need to have a summer and fall development project before we could even consider putting a crab drive onto a competition robot.

We were evaluating our options and had studied several successful designs – looking closely at the Team 111’s (WildStang) drive and two of Team 118’s (Robonauts) designs. We intended to learn from these and create our drive. ("we stand on the shoulders of giants", as the saying goes)

A few weeks into our project, Anthony Lapp (Team 221 LLC) posted information about his Wild Swerve drive. We talked to Anthony and reviewed the information on his drive system.

Then we met and talked about our options as a team. In effect, we worked through a process which is common in product development companies, called “Make / Buy”. We evaluated the “pros” and “cons” of each of our options (design and make vs. buy and integrate). After continued discussions with Anthony, we agreed on a purchase of 4 “pre-production prototype” Wild Swerve drives. Through this summer and fall we will be designing a chassis system around these drives and working on programming and control.

During this process, we will provide regular feedback to Anthony so that any issues or concerns on the drives can be addressed before he begins full-scale production.

We are also going to document and publish a white paper on our work, starting with our initial review of designs this spring and following though final integration of the drives and the controls and programming to create a total system. We think this will be a significant benefit to other teams.

We will do mini-updates along the way, sharing what we are learning.

We also realize there is ongoing debate on the merits of “make / buy”, especially on a system such as this. As is often the case in FIRST, this debate is echoed in product development companies as well. Each new project involves decisions on what components to buy and use “off the shelf”, what components to buy and customize, and what components to design from a clean sheet of paper. Each option has merits based on cost, schedule, capability, intellectual property protection and corporate knowledge. There is never an absolute right or wrong answer. Each organization makes their own decisions based on their final situation, vision and strategy.

For now, we have selected this path and will share what we learn along the way.

[ajlapp]

Cyber Blue's work on the Gen 2 Wild Swerve is coming along nicely. They have completed assembly on at least one unit and are created detailed assembly instructions. This is truly invaluable work.

That said....

Eight Gen 1 modules were created during the pilot build. Four of these units are now available. They lack a few small refinements that made it into Gen 2, but they are fully assembled, motorized swerve modules.

Gen 1 Wild Swerve Prototype

Despite their prototype nature, these units are well built, using production intent process'. Team 221 is keeping the remaining four units for demonstration purposes.

Please Team 221 LLC. if you or your team are interested to purchase these prototype parts for testing.

[Chris Fultz]

Well, it has been several weeks since the initial post, so here is a status of our project.

We have built 4 of the swerve modules. We created detailed build instructions and have incorporated CAD models and part photos to help make things clear. We wnated to make the instructions "work" for someone who had never seen a finished module, so here was our approach.

1. Four students and two mentors assembled a swerve, using drawings and an assembled unit as a guide. We documented every step - the parts used, orientation, any specific details, and took pictures as we worked. We then took our notes and inventor files to create step by step instructions that included our text and exploded views of the assembly as it was put together.

2. Four other students and a mentor took the instructions and a box of parts, with no other visual aids, and assembled a swerve unit. We were trying to simulate a team that received the kit of parts and instructions and had not seen a finished unit. This group provided comments and feedback and asked questions as they went. We had a mentor from Group 1 there to oversee, but not help unless asked a specific question.

3. The instructions were updated and this process was completed with two more groups. Each time, none of the students or mentors building had been a part of a previous build group.

(Our groups were a mix of students from all of the sub-teams (Manufacturing, CAD, Communications, Web, Electronics) and with different levels of FRC experience. Mentors were from the various sub-teams also.)

4. We made notes of some suggestions for the design and/or fabrication of parts to simplify assembly or make an improvement based on our experience. These were put into a list and passed on to Anthony.

5. We have given the instructions to a few other non-234 mentors to review and provide feedback and suggestions.

6. After we receive feedback from these mentors and review any design changes with Anthony, we will 'publish' our instructions so that they can be included with the module kits when shipped.

[Chris Fultz]

Part of this project is also creating a chassis, so we have made a simple design that will be beneficial when we begin testing.

We received some special support from 80/20 Inc. and have designed and built a "cube" chassis (28" x 38" x 9") from 1" square 80/20 material. We selected 80/20 because we knew it would be strong and a solid structure, and would also let us make changes and modifications easily if needed.

The chassis assembly is almost complete and then we will be mounting the four swerve modules.

We are almost complete on the design of the swerve directional control and are planning on using 2 Globe motors for the swerve control, with one motor controlling 2 swerve assemblies.

The electronics team has the control components identified and will begin their work soon.

The programming team has also been working. They have consulted with other teams that have used swerve / crab drives to get ideas on the controls to use, and have also been testing some new control / prgramming features on our 2009 robot.

Over the next few weeks we will finish the chassis assembly, mount the globes and control chains, install the electronics and then begin the programing and controls checkout activity.

[Rich Kressly]

Chris,

Thanks to 234 for taking this on for the community and I hope all teams, not just those that are interested in swerve/crab, are taking notice. This meticulous process that you are following certainly isn't the easiest team path toward having a swerve drive, but it is full of product development and engineering design integrity and is an incredible example of partnership among "competitors" that will have far reaching effects.

Our team has no immediate plans to do any work with crab/swerve, but you can bet your butt that I'm going to use the work of 221 LLC and 234's process and documentation as an example of what it really means to partner, persevere, and share for the good of the global community.

I look forward to hearing about the progress.

namaste,
rich

[JVN]

This is yet one more example of how Cyber Blue is at the pinnacle of FRC and remains a program for all others to emulate.

[Katie_UPS]

What was the original state of the Wild Swerve prototypes? Did they come with instructions, or was that 234's job? And does team 221 make these, or are they being manufactured by a company such as IFI or AndyMark?

So many questions! I apalogize!

[ajlapp]

And does team 221 make these, or are they being manufactured by a company such as IFI or AndyMark?

The modules are produced by Team 221 LLC., a company. www.team221.com

What was the original state of the Wild Swerve prototypes? Did they come with instructions, or was that 234's job?

frc234 purchased Wild Swerve modules to do off-season development. During the assembly process they graciously developed a set of instructions!

Questions are good.

[Katie_UPS]

I feel pretty stupid for not knowing team 221 was a company. >.<

Thank you though!

More questions then!

What came first, the product or the company?

What was the causation to the Wild Swerve being produced and sold?

[ajlapp]

What came first, the product or the company?

The company.

What was the causation to the Wild Swerve being produced and sold?

Swerve technology is complex to design and manufacture. Many companies, individuals and competitive robotics teams are interested in the advanced maneuvers capable using a swerve/crab/coordinated steering mobile base.

The Wild Swerve module itself was adapted from designs created by frc111 Wildstang. Modifications were made to utilize off-the-shelf parts, including Andymark components, notably the Toughbox FIRST kit gearbox arrangement.

[MGoelz]

Originally Posted by JVN

This is yet one more example of how Cyber Blue is at the pinnacle of FRC and remains a program for all others to emulate.

Thank you. We hope to continue serving the FIRST Community in any way possible.

[Chris Fultz]

Things are progressing on the Cyber Blue Swerve.
I posted 4 pictures that should be viewable by Thursday.

We have completed the chassis build and installed all four Team221 modules.
The drive chains connecting the left side modules together, the right side modules together, and the rear modules together are installed.

We are using 2 globe motors, one left side one right side, to provide the module rotation.

We decided to connect the left and right sides together to provide added assurance that each module would turn left or right together with the other three. Redundant - Yes. Error proofing - Absolutely.

We are considering installing some type of mechanical "stop" to make sure we do not over rotatate the modules during the software development phase. We don't want to rip wires or pull one of the tensioners into a sprocket if something goes wrong.

The electronics board is mounted (completed after these pictures) and the team is completing the wiring. Next step is programming.

The programming team has been writing code and doing some experimenting with our 2009 robot. Right now we are using a game controller instead of the joysticks and plan to develop the swerve robot controls with this game controller.

First runs could be next week and we will take some video.

The Inventor model of the assembly is also progressing and should be done soon.


Oh, and we think we may add some bumpers....

[ChuckDickerson]

Uh, is the intent to market the Wild Swerve modules to FIRST teams? Maybe I’m missing something but at $999 each that means a total of about $4,000 a set for a typical set of 4 modules. Does everyone else somehow know something I don’t about the cost accounting rules for the 2010 FRC season? That pretty much violates every rule about FRC cost accounting that I have ever known about. I’m not knocking the product. They look really nice but geez, at a grand each what exactly is the market? I sure don’t see these being FIRST legal at that price and even if they are how many teams could possibly afford to shell out that kind of money just for the base modules not even including the motors, wheels, etc.?

[Chris Fultz]

AJ can jump in here, but i think the target price is under $300.

I don't know where that $999 figure came from, except if someone said that for a set of 4????

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

AJ can jump in here, but i think the target price is under $300.

I don't know where that $999 figure came from, except if someone said that for a set of 4????

The $999 comes from 221's web site but I believe it's just a placeholder for future pricing.