1. FTC Basic Design By Andrew Rudolph

2. What are we designing? STRATEGY DRIVES ROBOT DESIGN NOT THE OPPOSITE!

3. What are we designing? The Road to Reality

4. 2012 – 2013 Robot Rules Not the same as it used to be

5. Robot Rules 2012-2013 18” x 18” x 18” – No weight limits No mechanisms which: Damage Playing field Damage or flip other robots Entangle Sharp edges Use hazardous materials

6. Robot Rules 2012-2013 Only can use preformed robotics components from: Lego Tetrix Matrix

7. Matrix? Designed to bring costs down of FTC overseas Designed off standard lego grid Different motors Different motor controllers Different Gears and wheels Possibly thinner metal Belt system CV Axles Check some of the offerings at: http://matrixrobotics.com Observed at World Championship exhibit

8. Matrix http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forum s/showthread.php?t=106017

9. Robot Rules 2012-2013 Only COTS (Custom Off The Shelf) items allowed: Linear Slide Non-motorized Turntables and Lazy Susan Lead screws and threaded rod plus compatible nuts Servo Blocks #25 Chain and connector or half links

10. Robot Rules 2012-2013 Unlimited in quantity or size of the following: Raw material available to all teams from standard distributors Standard bearings or bushings Fasteners Rope, Cord, Cable, monofilament, … Rubber bands Latex tubing Zip ties Nonslip pad without adhesive backing Electrical solder, tape and any type of glue/cement Any COTS lubricant as long as it doesn’t get on stuff

11. Low Resolution Design You’ll get HDTV later

12. Low Resolution Design Drawings

13. Low Resolution Design Cardboard Mockups

14. The game piece What can I do with this game piece? What is the raw data on the game piece? Size Weight Center of Gravity Hard / Soft / Bouncy Are there any unique features I can use to my advantage?

15. Sample Analysis The Crate from 2011-2012 9" L x 7 7/8" W x 6 1/8" H Covered in.75” dia. holes Hard Plastic Ideal for organizing CDs, DVDs or smaller items in the office, bathroom or college dorm room.

16. What tasks within my strategy do I need to perform? Are you going to… acquire it? manipulate it? store it? lift it? position it? release it?

17. The game piece Think like a robot about the game piece: What does the game piece look like from the robots POV? What are all the ways the game piece could lay? What is the most usable or stable position? How does the object react?

18. Break time!

19. Drive Trains 2wd Casters / Omni wheels on end Difficult to drive Highly maneuverable Easy to get pushed Low payload

20. Drive Trains 4wd Easy to drive Can be low maneuverable Good pushing Easy to balance weight

21. Drive Trains 6wd Drop center gives best of 2wd and 4wd Easy to drive Can be low maneuverable (w/o drop center)

22. Drive Trains Holonomic Maximum maneuverability Difficult to code / drive Easy to be pushed around Complex design

23. Drive Trains Tread Lower Center for maximum maneuverability FTC treads tend to slide Snap easily with side load

24. http://www.youtube.com/user/FTC5454

25. Mobility Analysis

26. Speed Reduction Slower Speed Higher Torque Higher Speed Lower Torque 221 robotics systems chain breaker

27. Mechanisms Linkages http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/ http://www.mechanisms101.com

28. Mechanisms Lifts

29. Mechanisms Complex stuff

30. Medium Resolution Design Prototypes

32. CAD No surprises when you build your real robot Make changes quickly Package your electronics! Inventor SolidWorks Creo (PTC) Use online tutorials, or take classes at Community College http://www.catalogds.com/db/service?domain=fi rst&command=showProduct&category=FTC_KOP &product=FTC%20Kit%20of%20Parts http://www.catalogds.com/db/service?domain=fi rst&command=showProduct&category=FTC_KOP &product=FTC%20Kit%20of%20Parts Google Tetrix CAD

33. Paper Towers Make the tallest tower you can Must support at least 1 golf ball within 3” of the tallest point 3” bonus for every ball extra in top 6” of tower 1 Newspaper sheet 1 Strip of Tape Must be freestanding (i.e. cannot be taped to floors, walls, etc) Must pass a whoosh test Must spend 4 minutes minimum planning

34. General Design Tips Maximize your “Acquisition Zone”

35. General Design Tips Alignment Devices

36. General Design Tips Use Nylock Nuts

37. General Design Tips Keep your Center of Gravity low

38. General Design Tips Will stray objects interfere?

39. General Design Tips Make it easy to drive

40. General Design Tips Design is an iterative process

41. Other Design Mantras Really, simple IS better Assume Nothing Sometimes wild ideas lead to champions You don’t have to prototype everything… …just the parts you want to work.

42. Resources Alro Metals Plus - Orlando www.alro.com 1101 Oak Lane Winter Springs, FL 32708-2323 (407) 339-2576 Metal sheet, extrusion, Aluminum, steel, brass, some plastics Can get new cut or from “drop” Laird Plastics www.lairdplastics.com 4240 LB McLEOD RD ORLANDO, FL 32811 407-316-0042 Full sheets of plastic, lots of options, might have to order in parts, much cheaper than most places. McMaster-Carr www.mcmaster.com Everything (i.e. bearings, bushings, hardware, tools, raw materials). Easiest website to find things on, fast shipping from Atlanta Warehouse, decent prices on most things. Fastenal www.fastenal.com Multiple Orlando Locations Hardware, in bulk, some tools, great prices. Grainger www.grainger.com Like McMaster but much more difficult to use catalog / Website. Has a few local storefronts that can help find part or even stock. MSC www.mscdirect.com Like Grainger Skycraft Surplus www.skycraftsurplus.com 2245 W Fairbanks Ave Winter Park, FL 32789 If you’ve never been you’re missing out. Great place to get wires and other ideas. www.hansenhobbies.com Great kit for building your own PWM cables

43. Thank you.