As part of the construction of the robot we were tasked with designing an attachment that would keep the robot upright even if the self balancing feature failed. For inspiration to base my design off I looked at car designs.
Firstly I looked at the Reliant Robin this is a three wheeled car that had one steering wheel at the front and two drive wheels at the back
This design would be easily achieved by adding a caster to the front of the robot however this design is notoriously unstable and is prone to turning over
My second concept was to build a front axel attachment with two wheels that turn independently. This will create a base with four corners therefore giving a very stable wheel base while allowing the wheels to turn independently during cornering
After finalising the design parameters of the attachment I used solid works to create the part and add it to the assembly.
When the robot arrives I will further modify the design in order to create the most stable robot I can while still having it look aesthetically pleasing.
To construct this attachment there are many processes and materials that could be utilised. The two most reasonable options are to heat and bend PVC into the desires shape or I could use the tools i have at my disposal and make the attachment out of thin metal using a combination of saws, grinders, break bends, riveters and welders to achieve the desired outcome.
Thank you for reading my blog and I will update you further on this desing when the robots arrive
