Horane Daley
Professor McDonald
Writing for Engineer
9 February 2020
Technical Description: The Clawbot
The Vex IQ Clawbot is replicated in over a thousand classrooms in the United States. The claw bot as the name implies is a robot with a claw in front. With the use of the brain, the controller and the smart motor. The claw bot is able to move in different directions while being able to lift it’s claw up and down as seen fit. The claw is also able to open and close allowing it to pick up small objects and carry them across a set distance. The claw bot has been improved in the past few years by Vex because of new developments in technology. Like setting up a table set or furniture the claw bot comes with instructions. In these constructions, it has all the little parts that make it up along with the brain, and etc. In order to fully understand the claw bot, a student has to understand and the little pieces that come with it first. The diagram below shows all the materials needed to build the claw bot. https://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/V5-Clawbot-BuildInstructions.pdf
The Base
In building the Vex Clawbot you have to come to understand the various materials needed to actually build this robot. It is easy for students to understand this for the simple fact that in the box comes all the different parts and construction for the parts. In the diagram, you can see there are bumper angles, chassis rail, and c-channel. With these two along with screws you make the base that is shown in the image under this paragraph. This makes the base for your robot where you can then attach the motors and wheels. After attaching the motors and wheels you will turn the robot over where the brain and Vex key will be installed. This finishes the bottom of the robot where after you start on the top which includes the actual claw.
The claw
The claw requires two-motor, the first is placed on a c-channel that will be screwed to the back part of the robot. You will see this in the image below. They then attach the gears on another c-channel that will be placed under the previous one. The motors and gears establish how the claw is moved up and down. With the help of another c-channel, the claw is attached at the end with a motor placed on top of said claw which allows it to open and close at will.
https://www.vexrobotics.com/v5-architecture.html
The brain
Perhaps the most important asset of the robot, the brain is where information for how the robot acts go in and out. The brain uses smart ports to connect to the robot and program its movement. It uses the Vex code blocks to programs how the robot operates and moves. The brain stores all this information through its interface. That isn’t all the brain is capable of though, On the front, the brain uses an LED screen that makes changes to the program easy. With the new VEX improvements, the brain can now run practices match through its interface. It also has an internal memory with a screen refresh of 60 Hz. The brain dashboard is flexible enough to show you data from each program, the battery, and the motors. The brain also connects to the different sensors for the robot (line sensor, light sensor, limit switch, etc.) The sensors can plug into one of the smart ports where the brain helps the sensors to operate alongside the other components on the robot.
The smart motor
The smart motor is what keeps the robot running. But Inside the smart motor is where the real magic happens. The internal gears can withstand all the power that the claw bot uses to move. It uses both plastic and metal gears for the robot to run smoothly. The gears also use a chargeable cartridge inside of it. Inside of the gears are also a microcontroller that controls its velocity, position, and speed. Moreover, it is designed in a way that you can adjust the values for your specific purposes. Each gear is programmed an angle in which each wheel will be rotated. This determines if the wheels will move forward, backwards, are does a curve.
The motors have so many different applicable uses for users to customize how their robot runs and with different power outputs, the smart motor is able to withstand it without the trouble of breaking down.
The controller
The controller gets all of its information from the brain. With the new advancements in VEX V5 technology, it is now a touch screen allowing users to stop and run programs effectively. The controller is what you would use to control where the robot goes unless you have an automatic system already programmed in the brain.
There are automatic systems done on the Vex code blocks create different programs that are downloaded to the robot. These different programs can be a difference in the angle each gear is assigned. This allows for the robot to have more range and options to complete a task. If you want to be in charge of your robot’s you would then use the controller where you can control the wheels, the claw and the outputs and inputs you put in the robot’s very own brain.
Conclusion
I wanted to write this technical description to help students to better understand the robot they are building. This robot has so many parts that when building it without a description it may be hard at first. The different chassis and small screws that are used can be very important to accurately building this robot. In building the Clawbot just using the wrong chassis can be an obstacle in building the robot as presented in the pictures. When I built my first claw bot, I had to restart many times just because I used the wrong chassis or screws. In doing this technical description I wish to inform students of what sets the different materials apart. The importance of the brain, motor, and controller, and how all materials work to create the claw bot and the importance they all have in their own small way.
