Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrian Clark
I'd be worried about the strength of using pocketed 1/8" wall tubing to support the weight of the robot and the forces from the wheels. Most swerves I've seen with a similar coaxial setup use 1/4" plate.
I like the originality of you module packaging, why did you choose to do it this way?
Why have the modules on the outside? It would seem like your frame would be stronger and you'd have more electronic placement space with the framerails on the outside.
-Adrian
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Last year, in the off-season, we ran a coaxial swerve drive made from 0.1875" wall aluminum extrusion. It didn't have any problems with structural integrity, and it had a much harder job to do. The reason I believe this design will also not have any issue is that the modules are cut from a single piece of extruded aluminum, and they are closely supported by the 0.125" welded frame on both top and bottom.
The packaging was chosen to minimize the distance that the modules will have to carry the weight of the robot, before distributing that force to the frame. As well as to minimize weight and maximize space in the center of the robot.
If the frame were on the outside, there would have to be an extra inch of space left empty in the belly pan around the modules in each direction. This space would be necessary to remove the swerves, because the frame is C channel that raps around the top and bottom of the module.
Thanks for your questions and feedback!
