new from IFI

FIRST General Forum
#33

Teams complain about everything (We want 4 wheel drive! The chassis is flimsy! etc. etc.). How would this be new?

Why do they send out any wheels at all in the KOP? And yet, they still do each year. Every KOP gets the same type of wheel, and, if going by last year’s example, you can pop then on the kitbot frame and have a working drivetrain. If teams don’t like it, they go make their own or buy different versions, just like it’s always been with Skyway. Again, how would this be new?

That said, the thought of an ordering system a la pneumatic cylinders crossed my mind, but if these end up in the KOP, I just expect everyone to get the same 2 or 4 wheels. And if we don’t, I’m still getting them. :smiley:

#34

As has been said above, noone will complain more than about anything else, and if they do, as usual, they can shove it in their pie holes. The fact is, First just has to say, the frame takes 3/8" standard. So thats what you get. The skyways are 6" wheels, so you get six inch wheels. We think wedgetop wears better ( just an example!), so you get wedgetop. End of story. If you want something different, get it yourself, or buy it from us.

And the costs lower, but still close to as high for the kit bot as I said. At IFI,
http://www.ifirobotics.com/kitbot.shtml, the price for the kitbot frame is $190.
Revision 1, the frame should cost IFI $95 to make. I was a little high.

I was however, astronomically high for the gearboxes. IFI retails 'em for $150, so they’re prolly about 60-80 dollars to make. Should’ve done my homework there dang’it. Sooo…a revision is in order.

$150 for the CMU
$150 for two gearboxes (estimation)
$ 95for the kit frame
+____________________
$395 added on by FIRST to the cost of the kit. At least. So, $40, which would be a 10.13% increase in the kitbot’s cost this year still seems like a walk in the park. My argument remains:IFI will try to improve their platform in the kit this year. The wheels are where to start.

#35

All,
Yes, I designed them.
IFI will begin selling mechanical products for the 2006 FIRST season. These wheels & aluminum sprockets will be one of our flagship products.

We will be posting them for sale, ASAP. Definitely before Christmas.
There will also be more details posted shortly including weight, cost, & CAD drawings.

Non-Quantitative Answer:
(They are light as a feather, and strong as a brick.)

The tread is riveted in place with 1/8" aluminum rivets or held on with screws (no hardware for attaching tread is included). This is the same method used by 229 (and many other teams) in the 2005 season.

Each of the side plates extendes beyond the wheel-rim a small amount (.08") to provide reinforcement against side-loads on the tread.

#35 Aluminum sprockets will be 1/8" thick, in a variety of tooth counts (ranging from 22 to 96).

The contents of the 2006 kit will not be released until January 7th. No information can be released until that date.

“This is how we roll…” :wink:
-JV

#36

Continuing the trend of reading way too far into anything posted by someone who may or may not have insider info…

Clearly John is trying to say IFI will be producing Omni wheels :rolleyes:

#37

A set o’ wheels for Christmas! What a nice present for any team to receive!

#38

Is it just me or does anyone else see IFI eventually turnining into an all-out robot parts supplier with motors, gearboxes, drive components, etc sort of like RobotMarketplace (robotcombat.com)? That would be awesome!

#39

Ha, I have the sinking feeling that I lose this debate, regardless of my argument…:rolleyes: Still, I look forward to being able to have some more robotics suppliers dedicated mostly to FIRST.

#40

This isn’t battlebots :stuck_out_tongue: (robotcombat.com), but I love these new wheels, you have less chances of tiping over too since it’s so wide.

#41

Those two things have less to do with each other than you may realize. :slight_smile:

#42

Hmm… well now that I think more in depth, depends more on the shape of the robot, plus it’s still has a fulcrum point.

#43

hmmm well, if the title was 2006 kit of parts it would be very ovious giveaway and people would be looking for 2006 stuff on websites :stuck_out_tongue:

i think maybe we have to push heavy boxes up a hill or something this year… we all know its gona be squares.

#44

Did John just drop a hint!!!

Yippee! Someone else that can have their every word over-analyzed, mis-read, inverted, converted, perverted, misinterpreted, reverted, and garbled besides just me!

OK, now on three, everyone go back through every post John has made in the last seventeen months, and you will find clues to at least half of the upcoming game. Ready - 1 - 2 - 3!!! :slight_smile:

-dave

#45

??? The wheels are delivered without the tread attached?

#46

The wheels come unassembled, as a kit.
The tread will be cut to length, and included in the kit.

We did this to:

  1. Make packaging/shipping easier.
  2. Reduce Labor Costs

We figured, teams have lots of cheap labor they can use. These wheels are simple enough that anyone can build them.

#47

Are you referring to the S.P.A.M. sweat shops again? Am I going to have to send Arefin over to “discuss” this with you?

#48

Guess who’s wheel this is from 2005 competition?

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/pics/bin/113397174722.jpg
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/pics/bin/113397183997.jpg

#49

Is the outside ring sheet-metal as well?
Or is it a tube, cut to width?

#50

The outside ring is made of stacked sheet metal rings. You may want to try that.

#51

Does anyone want to see [somewhat] destructive testing of the new IFI wheels? :wink:

http://www.vexlabs.com/video/IFI-Wheel_test.wmv

EDIT: I thought I was the first person to find the video on VexLabs, but Adrienne E. had posted it in this thread last night. :o

#52

Wait…so does that means that the hint is true? Or maybe this is a hint in and of itself.

The 2006 game will obviously have some sort of countdown. And there’s also going to be some kind of ambiguity to the game. I suspect some sort of non-rigid, possibly fluid scoring object.