
How to build SUV Box Robot for LEGO Competitions
There are a few main challenges with box robots and in the following tutorial we would like to resolve them. Read on and let's see how we could do this.
- #971
- 19 Aug 2018
There are a few main challenges with box robots and in the following tutorial we would like to resolve them. Read on and let's see how we could do this.
We've recently received a number of question on how could the SUV box robot be charged. The answer is simple - you detach the back pane. The question and topic of detaching modules from a robot and attaching them again is really interesting and powerfull and yet not very often implemented in many robots.
Here is an example of Four(4) active LEGO Mindstorms attachments built-in the frame. Two by two they work asynchronously since all of them are connected to the two separate middle motors of the SUV robot via the frame.
The left attachments work synchronously, and the right attachments are also synchronized couple.
These specific attachments are meant to do nothing in particular, but to serve as an example. Their purpose is to demonstrate different ways in which one could add an attachments to the frame. Experiment. Think and invent better frame with real world attachments that could actually do efficient work and accomplish a mission. Take a video then and share it with us.
This is a frame for the SUV Box Robot. Tis frame is an adapter between the robot and the attachments. You can add-in several attachments on it and mount them on the robot simultaneously with one movement.
The frame has two locks that make the attachments stick to the robot. Also the front Knobs must not be used for very powerful activities due to jumpings, unless the frame with attachments become heavy enough to prevent any jumping of the frame.
This is a simple pinless active attachment for the SUV Box Robot.
In this attachment we use "(32498) Technic Gear 36 Tooth Double Bevel". There are four pins added to the wheel and it it this pins that engage with the "(32072 ) Technic Gear 4 Knob". The more important thing is that the knob wheel and the gear wheel are parallel to each other.
While the motor rotates the attachment has 4 points of contact (instead of one or two when two Knob Wheels are in contact) with the robot knob wheel. There are no forces that drive the attachment to jump and lose engagement with the robot.
In this attachment two knob wheels "(32072 ) Technic Gear 4 Knob" engage at 90 degrees angle. One of the knob wheels is a part of the robot and the other is a part of a pinless active attachment. This attachment is an example of how not to build an active attachment. These are some of the reasons why:
Build the attachment and experiment. See for yourself how it "jumps" up and down when the knob wheels are rotating and you hold the lever by hand.
After the great success of the previous two Box Robots Courses (Box Robot 1 and Box Robot 2) we are improving the construction even further showing one more way to build Box Robots and to resolve some of the challenges that we all had with the previous robots.
Of course attachments are a great topic of the robots. We show the general way in which one is to build attachments with the Knob Wheels and Gear Wheels mechanisms.
The Sports Utility Vehicle box robot is the new marvelous box robot that we've created. It is designed for teams that would like to learn how to build balanced, stable and working robot chassis following our box principle. It is smaller and easier to build than box robot 1 and it is more simple than box robot 2.
The main advantages of this robot compared to previous box robots are
- motors in the right direction, so when rotating the motor forward, the robot moves forward.
- it is much easier to attach attachments. There are 4 different gears on which you could attach attachments.
- it has a large clearance - which means that it could move over obstacles.
Of course, it has a Gyro and two Color Sensors. Not only that, but we have all the cables shown in the construction.
Attachments:
- [How NOT To] Build An Active Attachment For SUV Box Robot
- Simple Pinless Attachment for the SUV Box Robot
This attachment uses a connector ("(98585) Technic Connector Circular With 2 Pin Holes and 3 Axle Holes") with 4 pins to connect with a knob wheel ("(32072 ) Technic Gear 4 Knob") of the robot. Because both elements are parallel one to another there is no jumping effect.
The attachment uses two pins, but it is easy to attach and detach because it uses "(6558) Technic Pin Long with Friction and Slot". When you attach or detach the attachment the slots are keeping the pins strong on to the attachment.
Also an attachment connected to the robot in this way, can be move to the rigth knob wheel or to the left knob wheel.