Page 67 - Toucpad robotics C11

Design Considerations: The frame’s design must account for the weight distribution of the components, ensuring the
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robot is balanced and stable. It also needs to be strong enough to handle the stresses of motion, especially for fast or
heavy-duty robots.
Materials: The Robot’s Skin

The materials used to build a robot’s frame and other components are chosen based on a trade-off between strength,
weight, cost, and ease of manufacturing.
Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF)

Description: An engineered wood product made by breaking down wood into fibers, combining it with a wax and
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resin binder, and forming it into panels.
Characteristics: It is dense, smooth-surfaced, uniform in texture, and easy to machine or shape.
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Advantages: Inexpensive, easy to cut with simple tools, and good for rapid prototyping. It’s often used in educational
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robotics projects.
Disadvantages: Heavy, not very strong, susceptible to water damage, and not suitable for high-stress applications.
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Acrylic
Description: A type of clear plastic, also known by the trade name Plexiglas.
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Characteristics: It is lightweight, transparent, and can be easily cut using laser cutters.
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Advantages: Visually appealing, strong for its weight, and widely used for educational robots and aesthetically driven
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projects.
Disadvantages: It can be brittle and prone to cracking under high stress. It also scratches easily.
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Aluminium

Description: A lightweight, silvery-white metal.
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Characteristics: Strong, durable, and has a very good strength-to-weight ratio.
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Advantages: Excellent for constructing the frames of high-performance robots, drones, and robotic arms where low
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weight and high strength are crucial. It is also easy to machine and does not rust.
Disadvantages: More expensive than plastic or MDF, and welding it can be more complex than welding steel.
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Steel

Description: An alloy of iron and carbon.
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Characteristics: Extremely strong and durable.
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Advantages: Unmatched for structural strength, making it ideal for large, heavy-duty industrial robots, large-scale
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manipulators, and mobile platforms that carry very heavy loads. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to weld.
Disadvantages: Very heavy, making it unsuitable for most mobile and aerial robots where weight is a primary
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concern. It is also susceptible to rust.

Wheel Types: The Robot’s Feet
The type of wheels a robot uses determines its mobility, manoeuvrability, and ability to
traverse different surfaces.

Standard Wheels
Description: Simple, non-steerable wheels that can only roll forward and backward.
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They are the most common type and are often used in pairs on a drive axle.
Characteristics: A robot with standard wheels can only move forward, backward, and
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turn in an arc (by spinning the wheels on opposite sides at different speeds).
Advantages: Simple, inexpensive, and efficient on flat surfaces.
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Disadvantages: Lacks advanced manoeuvrability.
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Mechanical System