[ale] robots

[Jeff Hubbs]

> I'm curious about something here - I may have missed some of the discussion -
> but it seems to me that the issue of bot collision and kidproofing you describe
> seem to contradict each other - the bots are tough enough to not be harmed by
> a leg getting into the cutter, but the cutter is not going to cut the nose off
> a curious dog?
> 
> -- 
> Pete Hardie                   |   Goalie, DVSG Dart Team

Pete -

I haven't devoted a whole lot of brain power to specifics, but I'm
envisioning an S-shaped blade about 3" across that turns against a
stationary bypass blade at a speed in the range of maybe 0.5 to 2 RPM.
The moving and stationary blades could be shaped such that it
dramatically favored cutting grass and little else.  

Remember, photovoltaics are highly power-limited.  If your power source
is limited, your power output must be limited too.  Biology illustrates
this in deep-sea animal life that depends on undersea "smoker" vents for
energy and nutrients; things move slowly down there.   In a bot such as
the one I'm envisioning out loud here, you need most of your available
power to turn the motors and you have to gear them way, way down in nice
low-friction trains so that you get usable torques in the end.  

- Jeff


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