Mods for robotic VX

[Dallas4u]

Don't count out the Yokohama Geolander AT+II's!!!

[StinkBug]

i know the tire of choice for all the desert racer guys is the BFG Baja T/A, very tough, good in the desert, but also fairly expensive and somewhat stiff for some vehicles. Good luck.

Dallas

[Moncha]

http://www.austinrobot.com/

[GoIsuzu]

I'd go with laptops. TuffBooks for starters are designed for harsh operating environments and are probably tops when it comes to resisting damage caused by excessive vibration/impacts. From there I'd mount the laptops on anti-shock plates. A good home-made solution is to place a metal plate on top of a sealed bag of motor oil. The oil in the bag dampens vibration. The metal plate on top will sway/wave rather than vibrate.

I use an older Dell laptop as the "brains" of the DashPC/sound system in my Mits 3000GT and the suspension on it is pretty tight. Haven't had a problem with the computer so far.

So again, I'd definitely go with some laptops for your on-boards.

[Art]

A good home-made solution is to place a metal plate on top of a sealed bag of motor oil. The oil in the bag dampens vibration. The metal plate on top will sway/wave rather than vibrate.

We have chosen our computer systems, but not our shock isolation strategy. Thank you for your suggestion for shock plates. We will give that a try!

[Swordy]

Unless you are using an Ai type system, I think I'd skip the front locker. The steering is soo much different when the front is locked. It won't just go where you point it. Plus it may or may not imediately disengage when turned off. It sure would help get out of being stuck though. The solid state hard drives would be sweet too, but those are some pretty pricey little drives. Last time I checked a decent size one was like 4 to 5 grand. I guess it would cure about 95% of your vibration concerns though.

And yes, those are the correct ARB part numbers.

[megadan]

I don't want to sound like a downer, but your choice of vehicle for the DGC is largely irrelevant. It's not an off-road vehicle problem - it's a computer vision and mapping problem. I know, I was a software engineer on one of the original teams and spoke AT LENGTH to the DARPA people during the kick-off meeting at the Peterson Museum here in LA. We built a vehicle with dynamics that would pop the front windshield out of a VX at speed, so I am quite familiar with the development tree. And out weak point was software, not the "airframe."

80% of the 2nd gen teams out there thing they can solve this comp with a super off-road machine. What you need is some super software engineers in the areas of digital vision, path planning, fast control systems, etc. As a basic litmus test, if you can pretty much ignore GPS positioning in your Kalman filter, then you have a shot at getting into the course. (If you don't know what a Kalman is, then don't start cutting up your VX!)

Email me if you want, dan.danknick@gmail.com

Dan

PS: If you're just doing this for fun and don't have any serious intent of doing well, then ignore all of this and enjoy the ride!

[Swordy]

So wheres the pics Bubba?!?!

[newthings]

I have use a wheelbarrow inner tube with a board on top for damping heavy objects like microscopes.
If the bag burst with motor oil you would have a mess. I would use water with gelatin packages from the grocery and add a few drops of bleach to stop alge growth. Water cleans up easier.
Cheers, Roy

[Art]

Thanks for all the good wishes and advice!

We have been busy the last few days preparing a 5 minute video with the status of our vehicle, this video is due at DARPA a week from today. Will get some pictures to share with you soon.

Based on the feedback provided here (thanks!) and reading an interview with Bob Land a few years ago (thanks for the pointer) here's our initial take on tire requirements:

Diameter: around 31 inches
Tread width: 8-10 inches
Plies: at least 6
Load Range: "C" or "D"
Wheel radius: R16 (stock '99 VX)
Tire pressure: 25-30 psi
Puncture resistance: tire sealant

Opinions?

Art

[Maugan_VX]

As it relates to mods for a automated VX, I'd definitely put selectable lockers in both differentials. They can really get you out of a jam if the need arises. You just have to come up with the programming and hardware on how to activate them.

[Swordy]

I think after you try the tires you'll find that 25 lbs is still pretty stiff. I would suggest trying them at 25 and at 15 and notice the difference in traction and handling on rough dirt roads.
If you are using those internal beadlocks you could actually run at 0 psi if for some reason you chose to. As for the tire sealant, I'm not sure about that brand, but some brands will cause aluminum oxide to form inside the rims making them brittle. I'd also find out from staun if tire goop will hurt the internal locks.

just thoughts

By the way, is this thing gonna be able to shift in and out of 4 Lo? or will you just leave it in 4 Lo? With a top speed of 40 it wouldn't be out of the question.
Most importantly,, when you run this puppy across the desert, let me know. I'd reallly like to watch.
Andy