Team 1640 Robot Cart

There are some pretty cool and very functional robot carts out there. Our current cart is effective and easy to transport, but a pain to deal with and limited in its additional features. Part of our Fall 2010 pre-season mission is to address this issue.

Project Details & Deadlines

Supervisor:
Collaborators: Clem, Siri, Foster, Sasha, Andrew...

• Deadline for Final Functional Specifications: ? 15 August, 2010
• Deadline for Final CAD Design:
• Deadline for Fabrication:

Benchmarking

We obtained numerous photos of other teams' carts at IRI 2010 and other events:

User Needs & Functional Specs

• The robot cart (RC) is safe to operate
• The RC allows 2 people to place the robot safely within 10 seconds (marginal: 15 seconds or 3 people, time starts from robot held above the cart)
• The RC has room to securely hold 2 full sets of bumpers as it traverses a normal event venue (marginal: 1 set)
• The RC has room to securely hold 2 spare batteries as it traverses a normal event venue (marginal: 1 battery)
• The RC has room for immediate access tools and parts (target: , marginal: )
• The RC allows easily visible (well lit) and safe under-robot viewing and maintenance for the pit crew (target: 3 people, marginal: 2 people)
• The RC is easy to transport in the team trailer or a minivan (target: 60 seconds to insert, marginal: 150 seconds)
• The RC makes it easy to transport the robot in the team trailer or minivan (target: 60 seconds to insert, marginal: 150 seconds)
• The RC makes it easy to move the robot to & from the trailer (target: robot and RC stored as one, marginal: 90 seconds after removal of RC)
• The RC has a minimal in-use footprint (target: fits through standard door, marginal: still fits through standard door)
• The RC has a minimal storage footprint (target: 2'x4' sideways, marginal: 3'x5' sideways)
• The unloaded RC can be safely lifted by 2 people (target: 50lbs, marginal: 100lbs)
• The RC is easy to steer through normal event venues (target: 1 person and no cursing, marginal: 2 people or cursing)
• The RC has a place to safely store the driver's station (target: 3.5'x6" with electricity, marginal: 2.5'x6" no electricity)
• The RC reflects Sab-BOT-age spirit (target: everyone knows who's cart it is, marginal: everyone on the team knows who's cart it is)
• The RC is easily adapted to fit each year's robot (target: no modification, marginal: 1 hour)
• The RC is durably and easy to maintain (target projected lifetime: 10 years, marginal: 6 years)

Brainstorming

• The loaded RC works like an ambulance stretcher who's legs fold up when they run into the trailer door lip, and unfold on the way out (without powered actuation)
• under robot lighting & padding for maintenance
• small, clear plastic coverable boxes for parts/tools needed on hand
• PVC endcaps to hold wheels (note: need to be easy to move to accommodate successive robots)