Gears

Code

General term for any command or group of commands in a program.

Linear motion

Motion in a straight line

Pros to Chains, sprockets, pulleys and belts

Work better when torque needs to transferred over long distances

Gyroscope

a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. [a device for measuring or maintaining orientation]

Acceleration

A change in speed over a period of time is described as an acceleration; the higher the acceleration the faster the change in speed.

Gear Train

A connected source of rotating gears

Idler Gear

A gear between the driver and follower that is used to change the driver and follower gears to the rotate in the same direction.

Robot

A machine that is able to interact with and respond to its environment. characterized by three central capabilities: the ability to Sense, the ability to Plan, and the ability to Act.

Speed

A measure of how fast an object is moving. It describes a change in position with time (or more simply put, how far an object will travel over a given period of time.) This measure is given in units of distance per time (i.e. miles per hour, or feet per second.)

Torque

A turning force, defined by a linear force at a distance from some center of rotation

Drive Wheel

A wheel to which power is transferred and is used to propel the robot forward. Not all wheels are identified as this type of wheel, some wheels do not help to move the robot.

Comment

A written note in the program that explains something about that portion of the program.

Force

An influence that causes a change of movement, direction or shape.

Behaviors

Anything a robot "does," including both observable actions (e.g. move forward for 10 cm) and internal actions (e.g. add 1 to a variable in the program).

Rotary Motion

Circular movement.

Driver Gear

Drives or turns the follower "driven" gear; it is usually connected to a power source such as a motor.

Rack Gears

Gear mounted to a straight rod so it moves in a linear fashion when torque is applied

Driven (or follower) Gear

Gear that gets driven by the driver gear.

Coefficient of Friction

How "grippy" the surfaces are

Normal force

How hard the two surfaces are being pushed together

Gearing Up

If the driver gear has more teeth than the follower gear, the follower gear turns more quickly than the driver which means the gear train is gearing up resulting in more speed and less torque.

Gearing Down

If the follower gear has more teeth than the driver gear, the driver gear turns more slowly than the follower which means the gear train in gearing down resulting in less speed and more torque.

Friction

The force that opposes motion when two surfaces rub together. It is a reaction force only. It occurs when two surfaces are in contact and a force is applied such they slide along one another.

Static Friction

The frictional force between two objects that are NOT moving relative to each other. It is the initial force that must be overcome in order for things to move. If the force trying to move the object is less than the force of static friction, the object cannot move.

Kinetic Friction

The frictional force between two surfaces that ARE moving relative to each other (sliding along each other).

Chassis

The structure of a robot which holds the wheels, motors, and gear-train in place

Engineering

The study and application of science, mathematics, and technology to find solutions to real-world problems.

Sense-Plan-Act

The three characteristic capabilities that define a robot

Stall

The unexpected or unwanted stopping of an engine or motor.

Load

The weight supported by a structure or part.

Cons to Chains, sprockets. pulleys and belts

There isn't any reverse direction of motion

Belts and Pulley Ratios

They don't have teeth but can be calculated by comparing their diameters

Gears

Wheels with teeth that mesh together and make things turn; used to transfer motion or power from one moving part to another.

Zero Turn Radius

When a robot turns in place without moving forward. With this, the turning point of the robot is at the center of the robot.

Compound Gear Reduction

a design may require more mechanical advantage than a single gear ratio can provide or is otherwise impractical. For example, if a VEX Robot Design requires a 12:500 gear ratio it is a problem; there is no 500-tooth gear available. In this situation, a designer can use multiple gear reductions in the same mechanism; this is called a compound gear reduction.

Oscillation motion

a periodic motion that repeats itself in a regular cycle

Rack and Pinion Gear

a rack gear is a gear mounted to a straight rod, such that it moves in a linearly fashion when torque is applied to it by a spur gear (known as the pinion gear.)

Lever

a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third.

Assembly Drawings

a set of working drawings used in engineering that depict complete details of all components.

Autonomous

allows the robot to perform desired tasks without human guidance.

Reciprocal motion

back and forth linear motion

Worm Gears

comes in pairs (worm gears and worm wheels); power is transferred between perpendicular shafts w/ axes of rotation offset from each other

Bevel Gears

conically shaped; power transmits between shafts with intersecting axes of motion

Epicyclic (Planetary) Gears

consists of one or more gears moving along the outer ring or

Control System

coordinates all aspects of the robot.

Specifications

detailed description or assessment of requirements, dimensions, materials of a proposed product.

Light Sensor

device that uses a photo cell which allows the robot to detect and react to light. [device that uses a photo cell]

Sensors

devices that collects input from the environment and provide information that the CPU can respond to. [collects input]

Gear Pitch

in order for two gears to mesh, they need to have the same size (and shape) teeth on the same spacing.

Bill of Materials

is a list of the parts or components that are required to build a product. The BOM provides the manufacturer's part number (MPN) and the quantity needed for each component.

How to increase Speed with gears

less rotary force in torque

Spur Gears

most common type of gears; motion transfers between two shafts running parallel to each other

Compound Gear

multiple gear pairs; each pair has its own gear ratio; a shared axle connects the gears

Helical Gears

resemble spur gears but the teeth are curved in the shape of a helix; can transmit power between two parallel axes of motion or two perpendicular non-intersecting axes of motion

Microcontroller

the computer component that controls all of the robots systems. [Controls all of the robots systems]

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

the computer that filters the information collected from the sensors and responds by making decisions using logic. [computer that filters the information]

Manufacturing Plans

the detailed set of instructions that are needed to make or process raw materials into a completed product.

How to increase Torque with gears

the gear needs to spin more

Prototype

the original or model on which something is based or formed.

Innovation

the process of making something better

Design

the process where the preliminary sketch or the plans for work to be executed is prepared.

Mechanical Advantage

the ratio of output force to the input force applied to a mechanism.

Transmission

the transference of force between machines or mechanisms, often with changes of torque and speed.

Iterate

to do something repeatedly until a specific result is achieved.

Crown Gears

type of bevel gear where the teeth project perpendicular to the gear face; can mesh with other bevel gears and spur gears

Gear Ratio

Number of teeth in follower or "driven" gear/ Number of teeth in driver

Block programming or coding

Programming Software where each "block" can be connected to another "block" in order to program an electronic to perform specific functions . Blocks perform their operations in order along the Sequence.

Rotational Speed

Refers to how fast something is moving in a circle. It is measured in units of angular-distance per time (i.e. degrees per second) or rotational cycles per time (i.e. revolutions per minute-RPM.)

Firmware

Software that has been permanently placed in a hardware component.