CAD Design
I started CAD assembly of the robot today. I experimented with several different configurations, particularly with regard to the IRC5.
Initially, I wanted to mount the IRCC5 horizontally, low in the frame of the robot on a shelf that could slide out of the frame. I designed a frame around this, but found that it required many cuts and wasn’t allowing the space I wanted for other components. I tried mounting the IRC5 vertically, with the PC next to it, but this was unwieldy and wasted a lot of space.
Ultimately, I decided to mount the IRC5 horizontally, low in the robot, but with the shelf it mounts on fixed (the IRC5 itself can still slide out to be serviced or replaced). The arm is mounted on vertical rails, which allow the height to be adjusted for different experiments. At the top of the rails, the Kinect is mounted, looking down at the arm. The cRIO is mounted low on the robot, under the IRC5, since it only needs to be connected to the drivetrain. The inverter is also mounted below the IRC5 (for weight reasons). The power distribution board will be mounted on the front of the robot.
The center of gravity is currently about 14 inches in front of the drive (rear) wheels, roughly centered between the drive wheels and casters.
[caption id=”” align=”alignnone” width=”300” caption=”Robot (Rear Right View)”]
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- Robot (Isometric Front View)
