Robotic Chassis (Rev. 2.0)

After reevaluating the first Robotic Chassis’ power supplies and finding better alternatives for the components, I decided to start anew with a completely separate, fully functional and semi-modular robotic chassis. This chassis is made of 12-gauge aluminum sheet metal and contains 5 main sheet-metal components: a bottom plate, a top plate, a motor controller plate, and two side plates. The power supplies have a contained duct with two fans in a push-pull configuration, which push air through 5 heatsinks attached to the power supplies. There is a human-machine interface onboard in order to allow for quick debugging and performance checks. The battery is designed to last the robot for thirty minutes, and it is high-voltage, with an average amp-hours rating. Contained is also a 4D LiDAR module, which is able to rapidly and effectively map the environment around the robot. The robot is also able to attach a close-range depth camera: the Intel Realsense D405, which is useful for close-object manipulation and higher-detail control than the LiDAR allows. The system has an external development board- the Teensy 4.1- which controls motors and external components, while the onboard computer- the Jetson Orin Nano- runs an AI software, and dictates the robot’s movements. There are 4 high-torque, 120RPM motors on the chassis, which allow the robot itself to weigh a theoretical 40 kilograms while still moving at a top speed of 0.63 metres per second, albeit with less acceleration. The robot itself has a large top plate which can hold many different designed attachments, including cameras, arms, or other manipulation systems. Each of these motors is controlled by an individual BLDC motor controller. These 4 controllers are mounted underneath the main plate of the chassis, on a dedicated piece of sheet metal that shields and holds the components. The robot is a capable jumping-off point, designed to be suitable for most attachments and competition types. It is approximately 1.4 feet wide and 2 feet long, and is 7 inches in height without wheels.

Quote cost for components:

Sheet Metal

Main Plate: $121.19
Top Plate: $30.40
Side Plate (R): $90.48
Side Plate (L): ~$80 (Requires Manual Quote)
Motor Controller Plate: $139.95

Total: $462.02

Electronics

Jetson Orin Nano Super Development Kit: $348.60
Teensy 4.1: $93.51
BLDC Motor Controllers: 4x $29.02
Motors: 4x $57.30

Total: $787.39

Power Supplies

RDH60072WS24: $351.66
RDF15072S12: $190.74
RDF5072WS05: $126.45

Total: $668.85

Cooling/Other

Bolts, Nuts, Washers: ~$20
Cooling Fans (80mm): ~$40
Heatsinks: ~$65
Battery: $551.67
(NRQ) HMI Touchscreen: ~$125
(NRQ) Unitree L2: $577.87
(NRQ) D405: ~$450

Total (Min): $676.67
Total (Typ.): $801.67
Total (Max): $1829.54

Final Cost

Total (Min): $2594.93
Total (Typ.): $2719.93
Total (Max): $3747.80

(Costs for mecanum wheels are subtracted as they are in the class)