Basic Rules
When building your own robots the only limiting factor is your imagination. There are a few basic rules or laws that should be followed when designing and building your base to make it strong.
Center of Gravity - Ideally, you want it to be centered between the axles of your wheels. This way there is even weighting on each wheel and you will get good traction with the surface you are running on. When your robot it imbalanced, the wheels may not get good traction, the robot could stray left or right, and accuracy of the robot driving is reduced drastically.
Weight - LEGO individually are very light but when building a robot the weight start to build up. The heavy a robot or part is, the harder the motor has to work to move it. To get the most efficiency from a motor, keep the weight on it light.
Electronics Management - The NXT has a very limited number of slots for sensors and motors so each one that you used must be important. Consider making multi-use motors and sensors in creating your robot.
Accessibility - You will have to select programs and interact with you during your program. This means you will need to be able to see the screen of the robot and easily press the buttons.
Center of Gravity - Ideally, you want it to be centered between the axles of your wheels. This way there is even weighting on each wheel and you will get good traction with the surface you are running on. When your robot it imbalanced, the wheels may not get good traction, the robot could stray left or right, and accuracy of the robot driving is reduced drastically.
Weight - LEGO individually are very light but when building a robot the weight start to build up. The heavy a robot or part is, the harder the motor has to work to move it. To get the most efficiency from a motor, keep the weight on it light.
Electronics Management - The NXT has a very limited number of slots for sensors and motors so each one that you used must be important. Consider making multi-use motors and sensors in creating your robot.
Accessibility - You will have to select programs and interact with you during your program. This means you will need to be able to see the screen of the robot and easily press the buttons.
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