VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE:

Micro Blender

By: Natalie Stromberg

Published: 06.30.2023

Project Overview

Micro Blender is a 1lb, plastic antweight robot that was started in June 2023. It is a prototype and learning platform for our planned 12lb full combat robot, Mini Blender. Mini Blender and Micro Blender are continuations of the Blender project, which you can read about here. Micro Blender was given the internal code name X2. Micro Blender is a kiwi drive, which is typically 3 omni directional wheels at equal angles from each other, as pictured below. By powering each wheel a certain amount, the robot can move in any direction without needing to turn. Micro Blender also uses rollers instead of a central bearing point on top of the robot like many shell and overhead bar spinners use. We believe this is a very durable design because it is supported very close to where impacts will occur. Because the only thing holding the shell is friction, it is also able to slip past the rollers without damaging any gears.

Rev. 1

Revision 1 is the first CAD Prototype for Micro Blender. R1 was an important learning tool for designing this robot for several reasons. Firstly, a full body spinner like Micro Blender must be carefully designed to ensure that the top shell and body can be seperated in order to be manufacturable and servicable. R1 did not take into account any special features for taking it apart or putting it together, making it difficult. Secondly, electrical paths were an after thought. Because of the awkward layout of the kiwi drive system, proper planning for wire channels and electrical component mounts is important. What R1 did show promise in was drivetrain. The drivetrain for R1 was the focus from the very beginning of the design process, and therefore the most robust portion of the robot. In the end, CAD bloat made us start from scratch.

Rev. 2

Revision 2 was created due to many issues around the R1 CAD. R2 improves in nearly every category compared to R1, including weight, manufacturability, drive, durability and weapon power. There are 3 weapon rollers in Micro Blender, 1 powered and 2 idle. R2 features spring and hinge idle rollers. This keeps constant pressure on the shell, and lets us lock the idle rollers in a retracted position inside the body. This disengages them from the shell and allows the shell to come off easily. Another change that may be evident is the reduced shell volume. By using less material in the shell, we can reduce the spinning mass of the robot. Our entire design philosophy was also quite literally turned upside down for R2, since the body is the 'top' with a bottom panel instead of the 'bottom' body with a top panel as in R1.

Next steps

Micro Blender is just the first step, once the R2 CAD is fully completed, we can begin 3d printing and prototyping the assembly. Most of the electronics are shared with our other Plants. After we have thoroughly learned from Micro Blender, work will begin on Mini Blender. Mini Blender will likely be kiwi drive as well, but at 12lbs. NHRL and many local competitions support this weight class, and because it is the next size up from beetleweight (3lb), we believe this is the right choice for our next project. Expect a dedicated blog post on Mini Blender in the future.

Report abuse