I heard someone use the term kitbot.
What does it mean?
Is it simply a drivetrain using basic KOP parts?
The kitbot is a simple, well-engineered drive train created by the folks at Andymark that utilizes the parts in the kit. It’s a popular drivetrain, and is often used by teams with some custom modifications, the most common being different wheels, speeds, etc.
Yes. The Kitbot is the AndyMark C-Base chassis, a pair of CIM motors running through CIMple Boxes to 2-4 wheels via chain, and the control and power system to run them (cRIO, Jaguars, PDB, Digital Sidecar, main breaker, D-link router, and battery, all mounted on plywood.)
You can build it completely from the KOP and a piece of plywood.
The “Kitbot” was the name for the IFI designed basic drive system that was first included in the 2005 KOP. This was a basic 4WD robust drive train with single speed gearboxes and was designed by JVN and Paul Copioli.
When the AndyMark C-Base started to be included in the KOP people started refering to that as the kitbot as well, though this is technically incorrect.
I’m trying but can’t remember what year the switch happened.
2008 was the last year that the IFI Kit bot was supplied in the KOP. I believe that in 2005 and 2006 it was supplied with the Copioli Single Speed and Skyway wheels, 2007 switched to Banebot Planetaries and AM wheels, and 2008 used Toughboxes and AM wheels.
2009 was the first year for the C-base and it’s gone through 4 iterations since then. IIRC, 2009 was 2 Motor 4WD with Slick wheels, 2010 was 2 motor 4WD with 8" wheels and the lift kit, 2011 was 2 motor 6WD (though only two wheels were powered) with 6" wheels and CIMple boxes and 2012 is 2 motor 6WD with 6" High grip wheels.