Speed Test

Early this morning I completed the main goals of the Sparky prototype build: to answer critical architecture questions about speed, weight, and size of the to-be-built competition robot.

Sparky achieved autonomy and completed several test runs across a 248cm distance, the maximum span of the firefighting contest arena. The video below shows Sparky's buildup and performance test.

I can now make a drivetrain selection--motors, gears, wheels--and the rest of the pieces of the complex architecture puzzle--motor controllers, power supply, computer systems--are rapidly starting to fall into place. Good thing because the clock hasn't stopped counting down the days and hours until the showdown on March 8.