New FW database (new robots)

[knightrous]

The electronic route is certainly a lot easier while allowing for invertibility Will you be going 3 wheels as per the Y-pout/Y-not designs?

[Metal Demons]

The electronic route is certainly a lot easier while allowing for invertibility Will you be going 3 wheels as per the Y-pout/Y-not designs?

If and when I end up doing one, it will use that 3 wheeled design...and brushless! I've figured out a hack which should allow them to be workable...

[geoff]

@ Knightrous, yep the full Y-Pout replica, I have been in touch with Terry to get his permision to replicate his design and am awaiting his reply.

@ Metal Demons, thought about the burshles option, but discounted it because of the obvious problems. Tell me more about this hack of yours, sounds interesting.

[Metal Demons]

@ Knightrous, yep the full Y-Pout replica, I have been in touch with Terry to get his permision to replicate his design and am awaiting his reply.

@ Metal Demons, thought about the burshles option, but discounted it because of the obvious problems. Tell me more about this hack of yours, sounds interesting.

Rather than designing my own custom controller to handle the faster update rates that would be required, I've been planning to just hack a brushless control board to split the power leads to the controller section and H-bridge - and then stick an IGBT in series with the main power to the bridge, so the H-bridge section (and motor) is only powered when the IGBT is ON - then I would be able to stick the brushless motor controller at one set throttle level and modulate its duty cycle via switching the IGBT, just like switching a normal motor.

I can already see a few problems though - wouldn't be ideal, but may work as a bit of a hack until I end up designing a custom, encoder-driven brushless controller for the machine.

It's just an electronics design project really... once I've got all that out of the way, the robot itself won't exactly be a particularly complicated beast - just a big chunk of hardox, A123s, and brushless motors.

[geoff]

@ Knightrous, yep the full Y-Pout replica, I have been in touch with Terry to get his permision to replicate his design and am awaiting his reply.

@ Metal Demons, thought about the burshles option, but discounted it because of the obvious problems. Tell me more about this hack of yours, sounds interesting.

Rather than designing my own custom controller to handle the faster update rates that would be required, I've been planning to just hack a brushless control board to split the power leads to the controller section and H-bridge - and then stick an IGBT in series with the main power to the bridge, so the H-bridge section (and motor) is only powered when the IGBT is ON - then I would be able to stick the brushless motor controller at one set throttle level and modulate its duty cycle via switching the IGBT, just like switching a normal motor.

I can already see a few problems though - wouldn't be ideal, but may work as a bit of a hack until I end up designing a custom, encoder-driven brushless controller for the machine.

It's just an electronics design project really... once I've got all that out of the way, the robot itself won't exactly be a particularly complicated beast - just a big chunk of hardox, A123s, and brushless motors.

I like your idea, a very neat technical solution, but the main issue I have with any brushless soloution isn't the control side, that I'm sure could be solved with a system based on your idea, but given the physical abuse this design of machine places on the drive motors, I'm not sure how reliable any brushless set up would be. I'm yet to be convinced that any brushless motor is as 'robust' as a good quality PM DC motor.

That aside, I have just had a reply from Terry giving his blessing to the project so watch this space!.....

[knightrous]

I'm looking at going to 3 wheel brushless in the future with MBX, but I'll be looking towards a wobbly wheel setup like Y-Pout has. The reason I want to use a mechanical method for the translation is that with the pulse based electrical method of turning the motor off to translate, your reducing the motors duty cycle and degrading the power you get from the motors. I want to run a solution where the motor run at full speed all the time to provide the maximum power and torque. Also, the faster you go with the electronic method, the slower the translation speeds due to the smaller amount of time off time you can produce, the mechanical method should produce close to proportional faster translation as you increase the RPM.

The mechanical version does have the draw backs of coming up with a reliable way of doing it

[craig_colliass]

Ian (from Team Weird Alice) the feather Chassis is looking good is this your first feather, what type push robot or flipper?
I am making a feather too, I expect it to break into bits the first event it goes but if you don't try you never know!
I have decided to go down the Heavenly or Angelic naming route so my new robot is going to be called Seraphim. Got a name for Little Alice.

[ian_humphrey]

Craig,

Yes, it is the first feather for me. I'm making this to learn how to work with polycarb, so it's initially it's going to be a push bot but if it works okay I'll modify it and add a weapon of some sort. Hopefully, I'll have it ready for Swindon. As for a name, since I have partly built this for Sarah, my daughter, to use she'll be naming it.

Ian

[Metal Demons]

I'm looking at going to 3 wheel brushless in the future with MBX, but I'll be looking towards a wobbly wheel setup like Y-Pout has. The reason I want to use a mechanical method for the translation is that with the pulse based electrical method of turning the motor off to translate, your reducing the motors duty cycle and degrading the power you get from the motors. I want to run a solution where the motor run at full speed all the time to provide the maximum power and torque. Also, the faster you go with the electronic method, the slower the translation speeds due to the smaller amount of time off time you can produce, the mechanical method should produce close to proportional faster translation as you increase the RPM.

The mechanical version does have the draw backs of coming up with a reliable way of doing it

I'd be inclined to say that by reducing the duty cycle you allow yourself to overvolt the motor even more, thereby getting the same average power output ;-)

[froggy]

NEW FOR 2009
Name : King Rat
Weight : ????
Drive: 2 X 35w boshe with metal gears
Power : 2 x 3700 tornado @12v
Weapon : Electric flipper / lifter
Control : Scorpian XL
Armour : 2mm stainless steel
Constuction : 6mm aluminium plate

Basicly a scaled up version of johnnos pay to drive ratz

Cheers Froggy