Robot Carts

[emhw1994]

I was wondering where we could get a robot cart. I am kinda an amateur at this whole robotics thing so if someone could help me out that would be great!!!!!!!

[EricH]

Originally Posted by emhw1994

I was wondering where we could get a robot cart. I am kinda an amateur at this whole robotics thing so if someone could help me out that would be great!!!!!!!

Simple: Go to your local hardware store. Find a furniture dolly. When you get it back to your build area, add a handle.

Better: Garden supply store, get a cart. Bigger tires and a raised workbed. Better for going over those pesky cable covers.

Best: Custom cart that can go over said cable covers, with rails for the robot, toolboxes, etc.

I'd go with the garden-type cart, at least for now. You could modify it later.

[Akash Rastogi]

Or if you guys want some help with materials for a cart just PM or IM me. We have a ton of 80/20 sitting around if you need it.

We're in Mount Olive.

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

As far as I know your supposed to make your own, but I guess you could find something big enough somewhere...Try home depot or something but I recommend you build your own. There like 10x cooler

Nope

[emhw1994]

Akash Rastogi- cool, how should i IM you?

[Brandon_L]

heheh...I just had an awesome image of a cart with pneumatic cylinders on the wheels....low rider robot

[/offtopic]

look in his user profile it has AIM and Yahoo contacts.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by emhw1994

Akash Rastogi- cool, how should i IM you?

IM me at lilstogi if you wish.

[Tom I]

I'd highly recomend pneumatic wheels. It makes going over bumps such as cables very easy, and your bot has less chance of keeling over. I'd also recomend rails to get the robot off its wheels... This makes testing easy, specially autonomous. A place to put an O/I also helps a ton! Everything else is just for show, (although flashy lights are pretty!!!)

[writchie]

While it's best to do this as an off season project, we find the cart to make a big difference in the pit. We built this one last build season and it's being motorized for this year.

The cart shown lets us work on the robot at convenient work height and then lower it to clear doors. We have a deep cycle battery and 3000W inverter for power tools and charging up to 3 batteries in the cart on the move.

[Andy L]

Our cart was thrown together one day when we were bored, ours is pretty much all 2x4s and plywood. Although when we go to Atlanta or other far away competitions we go with the simpler four 2x4s bolted together in a box and four casters, which works very well.

[R.C.]

We got our sponsor Valley Iron to donate 2k for our new 2009 cart. The main reason was because it was the freshman project. That's why they donated so much money. A pic of our can be found on cd just search frc1323 in the media section. The cart is almost done.

[spazdemon548]

If your looking for ideas, here's ours from last year...

[synth3tk]

Originally Posted by spazdemon548

If your looking for ideas, here's ours from last year...

And I still envy that cart.....

[amariealbrecht]

i know this year we worked on a cad design for our new cart...last year we had a cart that had a removable handle and that failed ... epically... you can engineer your own or you can buy one and personally focus on your robot at hand right now and then later or if you have time make a cart....or just go and buy one at a garden center or home depot

[Steven Sigley]

Originally Posted by spazdemon548

If your looking for ideas, here's ours from last year...

If I'm correct you guys were blasting "Sandstorm" on that thing in Atlanta. Other might not have found it awesome, but it made my day.

[jcatt]

I still love our old cart that I and two other teammates built during the off season!

It featured:

• 2500 Watt amplifier
• 1.5 Fared capacitor
• 2x 12" Subs
• 4x 4x6" Woofers
• 2x 8" Woofers
• 4x 5 1/2" Woofers
• 2 Tweeters
• DVD Head unit
• 2 LCD Monitors
• Built in Robot battery chargers
• Steel hardware store cart
• Aluminum and Plywood Frame

I still feel that it was us that caused the addition to the "no music on robot carts" rule. Mainly because of the cart party we held at nationals 2006.



But we don't use it anymore, mainly because it was sooo heavy, and bulky. Not to mention that after 3 seasons the batteries didn't hold a there charge for more that a hour, and getting new ones would been expensive and not worth it. So now we use a simple cart that actually fits threw our shops doors.

A good thing to remember that what ever you put on you cart you have to move it around and get it through doors. So don't make it too heavy or too wide. Don't forget that you also have to get it to the competitions, so make sure it is either collapsible or modular otherwise it will be difficult to get it the competitions without a trailer. Also pneumatic wheels are a must, otherwise you might have everything fall off as you go over bumps and cable runs. Just keep to good ergonomics and you'll be fine.