The final product will be an assembly of three main sub systems
1. Drive train sub assembly system
2. Wheel drop sub assembly system
3. Sub assembly system to hold the electrical system
Drive train sub assembly system must be designed such that the robot can move forward, backward, turn. The mechanical system for drive train must be robust. We decided to use a system comprising of two motor driven wheels and one free castorwheel. We wanted to make a design that ensures that motor's shaft is protected from the bending stress. We decided to mount the wheel on a shaft supported by bearings on both sides. We used a spider coupler system to couple motor's shaft and the wheel's shaft. The motor was mounted onto a base frame that is connected to the main assembly. We used set screws to prevent axial motion. The bearings used to support the shafts were connected to the main assembly using press fits. The detailed part drawings can be found in the final report.
Wheel drop sub assembly contains a stepper motor, slotted wheel and a slide to guide the ball drop motion. The system should be robust. We decided to mount the stepper motor onto a housing which is mounted on a plate that is connected to the mainframe. We decided to 3D print a slotted wheel along with a shaft so that it can be mounted and coupled easily. We decided to mount the slotted wheel onto a bearing which is connected to the mainframe and use a spider coupler to couple the shaft of the wheel with the shaft of the stepper motor. The detailed drawings can be found in the final report
We decided to use bread boards to hold the electrical system together. We decided to solder wires onto the breadboard and glue the breadboard onto a plate which is connected to the main frame.
The sub assemblies are assembled and connected to the main system using metal fasteners. The part drawings, sub assembly drawings and the assembly drawings can be found in the final report.