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GEMS OF WISDOM
- Get a solid drive train to minimize gear lash. Ask for help.
- If you use a set screw coupler to attach your motor to your wheel axle, go out and buy some set screws that you can torque with a screw driver. The extra holding power from those set screws will save you a lot of headaches.
- Get keyed shafts, or use JB weld to fix your wheels/wheel rims to the shaft.
- Design for flexibility and variability. We changed the types of motors used on the arm three times but fortunately, we had CADed up different versions.
- Keep your mechanical design modular and easy to access. When we needed to take our bot apart, it was great that we had adjustable shelves. Next time, we might make our drive train more accessible.
- Label everything, especially since you will be taking your bot apart all the time.
- Our team worked best when we paired up to do different tasks. It really helped in debugging to have another person there to bounce off ideas. In the end, all of us had a pretty good understanding of the entire design.
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