Hello, this year our team is planning on building a crate that serves some functional use beyond just transporting the robot. Our plan is to include a toolbox in the crate, and to make a the crate re-assemble into our robot cart. We are still in the preliminary stages of designing and building this and we were wondering if any other teams may have built something simlliar to this in the past? If you have any advice we would really appreciate it.
Thanks
Carter Schultz :]
Our team built our crate back in 2008 and it opens up into our pit, which would be a bit more doable than a robot cart.
Our team has a cart with multiple drawers on the sides for tools, wrenches, ratchets, and all of those shenanigans. Our cart also has four posts that come up to hold the robot. We bring it to the field to transport our robot, and we use it for when we need to fix mechanical problems for elimination matches. It comes quite in handy.
A tall cart that can hold the robot on the top should do fine. The bottom portion of the cart could be for drawers to hold various tools.
I am not quite sure if I directly answered your question, but I hope this information is helpful.
Most teams hinge their crate in half with shelves that open up to provide storage in their pits. Reconfiguring it into your cart will probably take too much time/effort rather than just purchasing/making your own cart.
Our major concern this year is that it is very difficult for our team to transport any cart because we are flying to our FRC events. It does seem a little bit of a wild idea, but i was hoping that someone might have done it already. Thanks for the input!
Carter Schultz
We are in the process of making our crate convert to 2 worktables for use in the pit. Will post pictures if it works.
Post some even if it doesn’t wok. Another team may be inspired by your design and get it to work.
Is there a reason that the cart can’t be shipped in the crate? (Besides overage charges, I mean.)
Yes, the cart could be shipped in the crate we just need to find a good way to integrate everything into a crate design. I am sure we can figure it out; thank you for all of the support!
http://rollingthunder.smugmug.com/2009-2010-FIRST-Robotics/Competitions/Atlanta-Championships-414-418/11880078_kkyGq#844251898_ao9e7-A-LB
(Crate is on the far right… this is at Championships last year)
Here is our crate that we’ve used since 2008. It shipped the robot and inside had shelving units so we could use it in our pit. It folded open and we just threw the shelve boards in it and voila! Instant use. We were still also able to put our tool case in the pit as well.
Obviously it’s a little bit different with bag and tag =\
Easiest solution is a very simple plywood cart with four casters on the bottom that can fit between the robot and the wall.
If you didn’t use the 2010 Kitbot, that makes a surprisingly good cart. Disassemble it, ship the pieces, throw it together in like a half hour at the event, then put a robot on it and pull it around.
If I could like this post, I would. XD