I did a project on finding a better way on moving around the driver’s station while using it in the practice arena or just carrying around at competition. I just wanted everyones input in getting some expert opinions on what everyone did. Did you carry it around? Did you build something? Is it even a relative problem?
I’m guessing you mean the operator’s controls? We planned ahead this year and made our as small as possible. We had massive OIs the previous years, and they were a pain to do anything with.
Are you talking about the Operator Interface?
If that’s the case, I suggest a few different things.
- Make handles to carry it by, everyone knows how much harder those grocery bags are to carry when they do not have handles. Same thing applies to OI boards.
- Do not make them 60" long if possible. If they have to be 60" long, make them able to fold up into a box. (like 233’s this year)
- In the practice area, i say put the controls on the ground or just use your cart if it’s high enough.
Just a few ideas, there is so much more then what I just listed. Get creative!
I forgot to mention my project is already completed, i made a mobile driver’s station with castors and velcro on the top, it wasn’t the full 60’’ but it was pretty close. All i need is some expert opinions verifying that it was a reasonable problem and what everyone did to solve it (if they thought it was a problem worth solving.)
How about some pictures or more details as to what you are talking about?
At wisconsin, I saw a team (sorry, can’t remember what number) with a very long board with skateboard-like wheels on one end and a handle on the other to they could wheel it around.
As for us, in the past years, we had made a folding board that was pretty long, but could be folded like this:
|__ _____ __|
| ____ |
sorry i don’t have any pictures. This Year, we made a two-level OI with the IFI OI and radio on the bottom, and the joysticks and easy button on the top.
We’ve always used Lexan with angle aluminum around the edges to reinforce.
I’l get some on first thing tomorrow morning when i get to the school.
Awesome! Thanks for the input!
the whole skateboard control panel was us (Team 171). its pretty sweet. like he said wheels on one side and on the other and also velcro on the bottom.
http://img2.putfile.com/main/4/9309134456.jpg
Team 1742’s driver’s station.
Team469 usually has huge control boards that take up almost the whole shelf. We put two wheels one one end and a handle on the other, and the mobility problem is solved.
On a related note, our practice control board consists of 1/2 thick ply wood as the bottom, plus 80/20 extrusion running along the edge, plus lexan on top. It weighs at least 30 pounds… darn the person that put the plywood on!