Rover platform

myminifactory

This is a modular rover platform that can be assembled by choosing from various blocks that fit into the same mounting points, allowing users to adapt the design to suit their needs. You can find the main page of the project with related links and articles here. I aimed to make this design as symmetrical as possible, enabling users to reuse many parts in different spots. For example, the front and back shells have the same mounting points, making it easy to print the Shell - RPi Camera for the front and the Shell - Blank for the back part unless you want a camera in the back too. You could also print the Shell - Switch for the back to control the power source of your rover. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to designing this platform. I am designing this project in Sketchup, and the files will be uploaded soon so that users can design custom blocks themselves if they want to. In a recent video, you can see in detail how to mount a track frame (one side of the robot) here. Please let me know if you find any issues with the parts or if you would like me to create a specific block for any hardware you think could be useful. Files description: InnerTrackFrame - DCMotor v0.3.stl: This is the block that holds DC motors, and you need 4 of them. CenterTrackFrame v0.3.stl: This block is used to hold two InnerTrackFrames together, and you need 2 of them. OuterTrackFrame v0.3.stl: This block locks into the CenterTrackFrame and covers a wheel, and you need 4 of them. Shell - Blank v0.2.stl: This block locks into the InnerTrackFrames, is the front and/or back of the rover, and you need 2 Shell blocks of any type. Shell - Switch v0.1.stl: This block locks into the InnerTrackFrames, is the front and/or back of the rover, and it's designed to host a switch to control the power of your rover, and you need 2 Shell blocks of any type. Shell - RPi Camera v0.3.stl: This block locks into the InnerTrackFrames, is the front and/or back of the rover, and it's designed to host a Raspberry pi camera module, and you need 2 Shell blocks of any type. Shell - RPi Camera Support v0.3.stl: This block locks inside the Shell - RPi Camera, and you only need it if you are also printing the Shell - RPi Camera. Track v0.1.stl: This block is one link of the track chain, and you need to print 27 per side (54 in total). Cog - Drive v0.1.stl: This block moves the track, and you need 4 of them. Spindle - DC Motor v0.3.stl: This links a motor to its Cog, and you need one per each InnerTrackFrame - DCMotor, and you also need to use M3 Screws for assembly. Cover Mounting point: The Covers are the top and bottom of the rover, and you can choose the cover block that fits your needs the best. Here is the list of covers that exist right now: Cover - Blank: As the name says, this is a basic cover block, and you could use this if you don't want your rover to have holes you will not use. To assemble this rover, you will need some M3 Screws, which I bought from here. I used M3x10, but you can use something a little shorter too. I did not use nuts, but if you could, if you find the screw is not fasten enough. InnerTrackFrame Mounting point: These blocks support the motors and act as main chassis for the rover. Right now, I designed one for a 6v DC motor, but I'm planning to create another based on a standard continuous rotation servo like these. Shell Mounting point: The Shells are the front and back of the rover, and you can choose the shell block that fits your need the best. Here is the list of shells that exist right now: Shell - Blank: This is a basic shell, and you could use this if you don't want your rover to have holes you will not use. Shell - Raspberry Pi Cam: This Shell was designed to accommodate a Raspberry Pi camera, and you can find the camera here. Shell - Switch: This Shell was designed to accommodate a switch so you can turn on/off your rover without using the main area for the electronics. The hole has 7mm, and it was designed for the switch you can find here.