Our team focuses an incredible amount on the design of the robot. The first two weeks were pure brainstorming and creating CAD models of each part of the robot. This served incredibly useful for the dimensions of the robot and allowed us to work out kinks with the various subsystems and check if they interfere with each other before we even went into the prototype stage. Without CAD, our catapult would have been so long that it wouldn’t have allowed feeding. Using CAD was also key for creating drafts; we could make several different versions of a part within an hour to see what would work best with the overall design. Even after working out a plethora of problems with the CAD, our prototype had plenty left! Even after we built the prototype, CAD was a way to create a quick fix before we rebuild an entire part.
CAD translated into the physical world as well with the tools and machines we had access to. Many of our parts needed precise holes. The feeder arm needed the axle to be perfectly straight and if our catapult was even slightly off our shot would be compromised in a huge way. This is where our CNC mill comes in. We simply cut the tube, block, or channel we need down to the correct length using our ban saw or circular saw (making sure to measure twice) and place it in the mill. From here we can import our detailed CAD model to the CNC mill and get the most accurate holes possible.
While the CNC is great for the modification of parts, sometimes we need something created that doesn’t even exist. 3D printing was perfect for this. We were able to create a continuous wheel that fit to the contours of the ball for this specific competition. We created spacers that were the perfect length for the feeder wheels, the winch, and the motor that runs the feeder. We found that the camera wasn’t stable enough
at the right angle, so we designed and printed a mount for it that worked beautifully. The same problem occurred with our router, so we designed and printed a mount for that too. CAD was a huge factor in this as well; we can’t print what we can’t design in 3D space.
Then there’s the laser cutter. This became insanely useful when we created the belly pan. We cut a sheet of wood into a diamond pattern that allowed us to Velcro and zip tie the electronics down in a very organized fashion. We also cut ends to the catapult to test what height of post would produce the best firing angle. The laser cutter could also engrave metal, which we utilized to emblazon our team name onto the support bar for the feeder. Lastly, we cut our catching mechanism with the laser cutter. The plexiglass now bears the Vitruvian bots logo and rounded edges for aesthetic appeal while maintaining functional ability.
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