DESIGN NOW WHAT Ken Hilke CAD Instructor Butler County Area Vo-Tech School

The Rule of Budgets Design Process Weight Power Cost Miscellaneous TimeKnowledge

The Great 8 Select the Best Ideas Visualize the Ideas Understand the Problem Develop Ideas Evaluate Build and Test Create Drawings Integrate Mix and Match the Steps, but Understand the Problem

Design Considerations  What competition tasks will your robot do?  Blocker  Simplest  Consider a very simple autonomous mode  Power  Able to work with other robots  Maneuverable  Setter  Control  Manipulator  End game  Ramp  Lifter

Design Considerations. How will the robot move?  One or two wheel steer  Four wheels ( each side connected )  Two wheels with casters  Tracks  Other

Design Considerations..  What will the robot be required to do?  Lift Arm  Telescoping  Electric or pneumatic  Shoulder elbow type  5 basic arm types

Articulated Robot

Design Considerations…  What will the robot be required to do?  Sensing  Positioning  Stops  By operator  Grasp  Clamp  Suction  Conveyer  Lifter

Design Considerations….  How much will it weigh  How will I weigh it.  How big can it be  See size in rules  Can expand after comp. begins  Pay Attention   Sharp corners   Edges   Protrusions   Pinch points

Design Considerations…..  Shields  Covers for difficult areas  Bumpers and pads  Not covered in weight restriction  Pneumatics  Better linear movement  Better variable pressure  Slower moving  Single acting cylinders require less air

Things to remember.  Working Stand  Keep It Simple Stupid  Flags  Team Number  Operation Light  ( waved last year in Pittsburgh competition )  Weight is the enemy  Aluminum is your friend  8020 the industrial erector set 

Things to remember..  Put all sensitive parts inboard  Keep weight low and balanced  Accessibility ( batteries, on/off switch )  Build strong  Build light  Change is OK

Documentation Documents and Updates Competition Manual and Related Documents ( more when it comes available ) Team Resources Technical 3D Drawing FIRST Cad Library Archived Game Docs and Event For Teams, By Teams Print

The KIT a box of parts  Separate the kit into sections  Electrical  Pneumatic  Mechanical  Go through the checklist  What is missing?  Nothing and Everything

Power Distribution Drawing

Controller Connection Diagram

Test Bed  Two roles of wire ( black & Red )  Spade terminals to start  Make sure of polarity  Does not show control connections  Set team number  Use basic control program

Pneumatics Kit – what you get

The BASE  Check the manual for size.  Assemble base

Wheel Design ( Last Year )

Programming  Choices  Labview  RobotC  EasyC  MPLab

Shipping Create  Build to the maximum size ( 4’x4’x70” )  Wood is easiest ( 400 lb max weight )  Consider opening and closing  Battery compartment  Signs  Decorate it  Ship it (Feb 19, 2008 )  Save it

What do you do with last years robot?  Test Bed to work on all year  Make it into something fun