White Paper Discuss: Team 188 Woburn Robotics 2004 Gearbox Design Report

[Tristan Lall]

I've noticed some renewed interest in gearboxes lately, especially the multi-motor variety. With that in mind, this is a copy of my 1A (first-year, first-co-op-term) work report, written as a requirement for a co-op work term in the mechanical engineering program at the University of Waterloo. In it, I describe my design for the 2004 robot's six-motor, two-speed drivetrain that was used successfully by Woburn Robotics (team 188) during the competition season.

Please note that, while lengthy, this report wasn't intended to guide a team through all the ins and outs of building the gearboxes it describes--rather, it was intended for an academic audience (a co-op program co-ordinator), so it discusses the design process and illustrates it with several drawings and diagrams. Even so, I hope it's helpful; I welcome comments, questions and even criticism, constructive or otherwise....