Design Rationale 23-24

This year a complete redesign is done hardware-wise. When we started the year we found after some moments that the hardware didn't work reliably enough. Some examples were that the kicking varied from 0.5 and 3.5 m/s on a robot and it was random which speed it kicked. Also, not every PCB was working the same on all the robots, where there was a lot of variance. Another thing we noticed was that there was not a lot of space in our robot, so putting something new and innovative into the robot was hard. This all led to the decision of the mechanics and electronics subteam to redesign the robot. Inspiration to change certain modules is done by taking a look at TDP Search Engine

Two years back, described in design rationale 21-22, they focussed on modular design. This idea is still kept by having the same modules. However, some things are moved into different modules, like the ball sensor is moved to the dribbler module. Also, the electronics increased the modularity in electronics design by having every PCB its own microcontroller and the usage of CAN-bus. This will help in replacing the boards with also be adding upgrades without the need for a complete redesign of all the PCBs.

One of the biggest space savings we had this year was the switch to direct drive. The new motors are significantly smaller compared to the previous motors. Also by putting the wheels directly onto the motor shaft, the wheel angle could be changed creating space at the correct space for the solenoid assembly. It is advised to add interal gears to the wheels to reduce the current needed for acceleration, which is concluded after testing.

Due to the space savings of the switch to direct drive, we were able to switch flat solenoids. This design is again smaller compared to the previous design. With this, we could switch the purpose of the solenoids by using the lower solenoid for chipping which is more convenient. In the previous design, the highest solenoid was used for chipping. This prevents hitting the dribbler PCB with a chipping solenoid. Also, the kicker PCB can now be placed close to the solenoid assembly allowing for more space in the middle assembly and having it close to its purpose.

Also, the dribbling module is changed. The structure of the assembly has been simplified, this gives a better grasp of its working principle. Also, the replaciblity has been improved as the dampers could wear over time. This helps to have the dribbler working more reliably before a match (less time to swap gives more time to debug what was the root cause of the change in functionality). Also, a ball sensor is added to know more accurately if we have the ball. This helps in better dribbling and having fewer kicks without a ball.

Also what was noticed during the Shubert Open was that the shirts curl up at the solenoid assembly, this could lead to possibly exceeding the size requirements or generating vision problems. Also, the shirt did not help prevent damage to the robot. Therefore a PETG shirt was designed which is stronger and couldn't curl. Also, a slot is added to change more easily the team colour during matches.

To look at what changed specifically per assembly you could take a look at the Robot 23-24.