I got the idea to build my after watching a show on the discovery channel about an ancient Chinese style of bridge that used a series of interlocking polygonal subsections in order to form the rounded substructure of the bridge. It is an incredibly efficient means of weight distribution that seemed like it would be perfect for the application of a robotics project base.
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As you might be able to tell I had an idea, a full bottle of Elmers glue, and a bunch of bamboo skewers. Despite these humble and err.. low cost.. origins the design deceptively strong and rugged. The base was built around a TAMIYA Kit and supported a Sony NPF960 battery at its core. |
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For the detectors I built armed SPDT switches into the robotics chassis. For the front detectors I used wire wrapped rods to connect the switches to a bumper covering the front of the tank. The switch arms in the rear were left uncovered. |
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A better view of the front bumper shows that it provides coverage in between and below the tank treads. This was only done on the front of the chassis as the tank will primarily be driving forwards. The detectors in the rear of the chassis prefer to work when the tank is backing up and turning. This is a much simpler design and I certainly preferred it but without a bumper the chassis tends to be blind when backing straight back. |
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In the rear of the chassis I built a small shelf to house the motor driving electronics. I used two H-Brides to drive the motors. This picture also does a good job of showing how the polygons in the frame interlock to distribute the weight applied. A large version of the picture is available here. |
