Chassis
The chassis of a robot is the overall bare frame of the robot. The chassis supports the drive train as well as the electronics installed on the robot. How well built the chassis is can affect the durability and reliability of a robot. If the chassis is built too big, then the robot would have a hard time maneuvering around. The chassis would not be able to support the robot if it is constructed out of fragile material. Starting off with a simple chassis with four wheels that are ungeared can help you get a feel for what is right for your robot. This chassis is easy to build and provides strong support for robot. This type of chassis is stable and durable, ensuring that the robot will not randomly break apart.
Here are some tips that you should keep in mind as you build your robot chassis:
- Create Modular Structures
- Try to make sure that the chassis is as symmetrical as possible. Ensuring that the chassis is symmetrical, can reduce the amount of problems in the future such as:
- Having an unbalanced robot- The robot may be unbalanced if the chassis is not kept as symetrical as possible. This can cause difficulties in programming and making sure that the robot runs in a straight line
- Difficulties in installing wheels- The chassis is attached to the wheels. If the wheels are not installed in a proper fashion, there may be difficulty in running the robot
- Clearance
- Having unwanted pieces geeting stuck under the robot can be such a hassle. You can prevent so much trouble by making sure that there are side guards around your chassis or you have high clearance. This way, unneccessary accidents can be prevented.