Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspiring students, one robot at a time.

Pneumatic Tank Supports

0

NYITBears
Entry ID #: 5440
Created: Wed, Jan 10, 2018 11:02 AM


Actuators are a critical part of any robotic design. In the VEX Robotics kits, two types of actuators are motors and pneumatics. Motors are used in nearly every mechanism, and there are different methods and structures for effectively securing them. Pneumatic systems are just as powerful, but there are few methods for effectively securing and mounting pneumatic tanks - arguably the most important component of a pneumatic system. Common methods of securing pneumatic tanks include rubber bands, large zip ties, string, and a standoff or metal cages; the first options are prone to breaking resulting in tanks that fall off the robot while the standoff or metal cages are too bulky. To address this issue, it was decided to develop a custom part for the Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge and integrate it into an existing robot design. As stated in the challenge description, the part should be useful, efficient, simple and elegant, and that is the premise of the Pneumatic Tank Supports.