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Mechanical Design of the Robot Vehicle
Mechanical Design of the Robot Vehicle
*Fig 1. Overall View of the Robot Vehicle
*Fig 1. Overall View of the Robot Vehicle
Overall Design
The design of the robot consists of three main parts. The chassis, steering mechanism, and propulsion system. The main objective of this robot vehicle is to travel within a distance of approximately 30 ft from its starting point. There are some rules that the robot must complete to be concluded as a successful product. The first rule is that the robot must stay inside the designated track. If the robot crossed the track's line, it will be considered a failure. Secondly, the robot must be able to automatically steer itself during the run to maintain its position inside the track. Last, the robot cannot be touched or pushed during testing.
*Fig 2. Chassis of the Robot Vehicle
*Fig 2. Chassis of the Robot Vehicle
Chassis Design
The robot will have a chassis made out of wood. For the dimension, it is required that the height of the robot must not exceed 20 inches and the width of the robot must not exceed 14 inches. For the robot chassis design, the robot has a width of 12 inches and a height of 16 inches which both satisfy the dimension restrictions. In the robot chassis, there can be found a pneumatic cylinder holder which will be used as its housing. At the top of the robot, there is a tire holder to keep the tire intact with the robot during testing. At the bottom level of the robot, the dimension of the board is designed to fit all of the required components for the robot, while also following the design requirements.
*Fig 3. Rack and Pinion Steering Mechanism
*Fig 3. Rack and Pinion Steering Mechanism
Steering Mechanism
The robot uses a rack and pinion mechanism for its steering. Some of the main reasons why the robot is utilizing rack and pinion are due to its compact design and also a relatively simple mechanism. The control rack and pinion steering method are easy to control and precise. However, some cons that can be found in this steering mechanism is that it may wear out easily due to friction.
*Fig 4. Propulsion Design (Hoppers)
*Fig 4. Propulsion Design (Hoppers)
Propulsion (Hoppers)
Utilizing a "hopper" mechanism as the propulsion system allows the robot to have a more consistent force pushing the robot. In addition, its simple mechanism allows the engineer to modify the pneumatic cylinder and repair the errors quickly. The only cons this mechanism has is that hoppers are not as efficient as the other possible propulsion mechanisms such as crankshafts and one-way bearing. Hoppers tend to take a lot of air to power, and the air supply for each robot is very limited.
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