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Just Big-Boned

Category: Rolling
Progress: Completed
Cost: $100
Time to Build: 12 weeks

PDXBot.01 Summary:
Just Big Boned was the massive overhaul of the robot Junk. Unlike Junk which I primarily constructed myself, Just Big Boned was the collective effort of my dad and I (the frame was mostly his work). Its frame, made out of steel, was actually soldered together in places. The gears rarely stayed aligned and its scoop, which was attached to a kick-stand that held the robot up prior to the match, actually hurt its balance and torque. We had only an analog scale to measure weight. It read 25 grams overweight. We figured we might be able to shave the weight off or get away with the extra heaviness at the contest. It turns out it weighed over 100 grams too heavy. It was denied competition at PDXBot.01. In practice matches at the event, it both lost to a Mark I kit and RAM, the then Seattle champion. I consider the robot a complete failure.

A fun side note: I bought its gears off an eBay auction from a company that did nothing but sell Lego gears. They were a steal in price. The robot, orginally named Junk, was renamed for its weight problems.


Components:

Engineering Successes:

  • Powerful motors
  • Cheap (only new servos were purchased)

Engineering Failures:

  • Robotic kick-stand just didn't work
  • Lousy scoop
  • 100 grams over weight
  • Bad metal choice (stainless steal)
  • Recycled Botboard 1 board from Mark I kit
  • Gears often slipped
  • Non-trivial to disassemble

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