Gimbal Mount: PDR One

Owned by
Gavin Mesz
Last updated: Nov 05, 2022
2 min read

Relevant Competition Rules:

  • <1.2m from GND to top of rover. Make sure all parts under that

  • <50kg total with arm or science on, <70kg total for all parts

Constraints:

  • <1.2m from GND

  • Can hold the weight of the gimbal, antennas (negligible), black box, and LED matrix stable [define weight]

  • Need to mount Camera, at most 6 antennas, black box (receivers to antennas), LED matrix

  • Camera needs proper sight of the front of the rover

  • Antennas placed 7-8cm apart (min 1/4 wavelength and not exactly at each wavelength), website on doc

Criteria (in order of significance):

  • Minimal vibration

  • Low Weight (possibly lower weight of the aluminum tubes)

  • ability to vary angle of antenna to 2.5 degrees for calibration

  • Possibility to make sight line higher that 1.2m during game (equipment can be 1.5m up)

  • Easy to make (minimal parts, simple machining)

  • Low cost

  • Possibility to change antenna direction in case we have directional antenna on rover (not likely)

Risk:

  • The higher you go, the better you see around you

    • Tradeoff: could lose 40% of the points instantly for miscalculating height

  • Not adding easy way to get 2.5 degree incline, less power to transmit data better way to cope with interference.

    • Tradeoff: will have less accuracy in calibration. Billy says “5%” difference and battery is large enough

  • Trying to make weight lower in aluminum rods

    • Tradeoff: Reduces strength of tubes, increases manufacturing time

Mitigating Risk:

  • Making a hard cap at 1.1m height, nothing can go above this. Gives 10 cm of wiggle room.

Design Concepts:

Chosen Design

Other designs (freestyled from the top of my head)

 

Proposed design timeline:

  • Hopefully done in 2 months.

    • (CAD → present) cycle

    • Draft

    • Manufacture everything