CAD
11
Feb
2010
CAD is a fast and cheap way to prototype parts and whole bodies of an invention. We use this program because we only have six weeks and whatever money we can scrounge up during them. This also helps us utilize the Technological Design Loop more efficiently With it we can quickly analyze designs and think about advantages and disadvantages. Basically, we do not want to be a team that says “oh hey that's a great idea, now lets go waste all our time and resources on it!” We want to be a team that says “Oh hey that's a great idea, lets CAD it up, plan it out, and make sure its number one! Then, and only then, will we waste all our time and resources on it!”
Since the staring of build season CAD has been a key component of the team. With the program Autodesk: Inventor, we designed a chassis. We had to deal with:
the placement of the kicking mechanism
the placement of the transmissions
the roller
going over the bump or under the tunnel.
Since we chose going under the tunnel, we had to think about keeping our robot under the 18 inches and able to move through the 36 inch width. This of course was all work on the chassis, meaning that the drawings, once finished, were to be sent to the team welder.
Everything we have done this year:
taught the newcomers how to use inventor
made a robot on inventor
used drawings on CAD to help out with welding
