Posted by Ms. Chalsma.
Other on team #362, M.U.S.E.S., from The Archer School For Girls.
Posted on 10/21/99 4:44 PM MST
Please send us any useful information on how to build the cart/crate. (i.e. dimensions, materials ect.) We’re new to this competition, so we need all the help we can get. Thanx!!
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 10/21/99 8:13 PM MST
In Reply to: Help on crate/cart building posted by Ms. Chalsma on 10/21/99 4:44 PM MST:
Some things to think about:
Nests for your robot wheels – a robot that falls off the cart is often a broken robot.
A method to get your wheels off the ground so you can work on it.
A tool bin location for tools
A place for an extra battery
Big wheels go over bumps better
Locking wheels are sometimes nice.
A removeable handle lets you ship it easier
Think about shipping
30 inch wide robots are probably here to stay.
Put some character into your cart (sound systems, logos, etc.)
Easy of steering is something to think about.
McMaster -Carr (McMaster.com) sells a great plastic base cart with a removeable handle 30’ wide that if I were a new team I would seriously think about using as my base cart.
A drink tray to hold water can mean the difference between a drive team that is ready to go and one that is on its way to the hospital for heat exhaustion. Think about refreshments (especially at EPCOT).
This is a start.
Joe J.
Posted by Greg Mills.
Engineer on team #16, Baxter Bomb Squad, from Mountain Home and Baxter Healthcare.
Posted on 10/22/99 6:19 AM MST
In Reply to: cart stuff posted by Joe Johnson on 10/21/99 8:13 PM MST:
:
: One more for Joe’s list: Remember that the cart with a four foot tall robot must go under a standard door. I agree with Joe - consider just a purchased dollie this year - and then you can put your efforts elsewhere.
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Posted by Tom Wible. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #131, chaos, from central high school manchester and osram-sylvania.
Posted on 10/22/99 1:55 PM MST
In Reply to: cart stuff posted by Joe Johnson on 10/21/99 8:13 PM MST:
Our cart is made from modular aluminum material called ‘80-20’. We like it because we can disassemble the cart and tuck it into a smaller area in our crate. We use large pnuematic tires which can handle all of the strange terrain that we encounter getting to the fields. The front wheels on the cart steer, and the rear wheels are fixed, the pilot pushes the cart from the rear handle which is waist high. This configuration seems to work well in crowded areas (the pits), and is easy to drive. The first year we were at the American Pavillion in EPCOT, we had to cross a cobblestone walkway, and we had solid plastic caster wheels. I think we nearly shook our robot apart!
Good Luck!
Tom Wible
Team C.H.A.O.S.
Posted by Joe Johnson. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 10/21/99 8:35 PM MST
In Reply to: Help on crate/cart building posted by Ms. Chalsma on 10/21/99 4:44 PM MST:
How are you going to get your crate around?
If you are shipping it, then you will need to follow FIRST rules about weight & fork truck fork provisions. They will be very strict about this this year I am told because they had some very HEAVY crates last year in Florida and as a result damaged the very neat but very expensive floor cover they have in the pits at EPCOT.
You will have to make provisions in your crate for repeated openings and closings. Also, if you screw it closed, then you should remember to bring the power screwdriver with you on the plane to FL. We missed this one year and had a very difficult time getting our box open.
You will need room for your control station (operator interface). You will need room for all your tools (unless you ship them separately or bring them with you).
You may wish to consider have at least one vehicle drive down just so that you can load up all your robot repair goodies and your spare parts.
I have spoken elsewhere about the possibility of driving your own robot to the competitions. I will try to find that message and make a link to it.
If you do this, then you will likely want to have a lockable door on your crate and wheels on it as well Also you will have to build it so that you cannot take off panels from the outside once th door is locked so that ‘locked’ has some meaning.
Good Luck.
Joe J.