Choosing the Right Robot Chassis for Your Project: A Beginner's Guide

The chassis, the base upon which your robot is built, is its foundation. It determines your robot's size, weight capacity, manoeuvrability, and overall functionality. Selecting the perfect chassis is crucial for the success of your project. This guide will equip you, the aspiring roboticist, with the knowledge to choose the right chassis for your robotic creation.

Understanding Robot Chassis Types

The world of robot chassis boasts a diverse range of designs, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Here's a breakdown of the most common types-

Differential Drive

This is the classic robot chassis, favoured for its simplicity and effectiveness. It features two independently powered wheels that rotate in opposite directions, allowing the robot to move forward, backwards, and turn. Differential drive robots are excellent for navigating flat surfaces and are commonly used in line-following robots and basic exploration bots.

Omni-directional Drive

Imagine a robot that can seamlessly move sideways, diagonally, or rotate on the spot. That's the magic of omnidirectional drive. These robots employ mecanum wheels or omnidirectional wheels that allow for movement in any direction. This makes them ideal for tasks requiring intricate manoeuvring, like search and rescue operations or robotic waiters in restaurants.

Tracked Drive

For conquering rough terrains, look no further than tracked robots. These robust machines utilise continuous tracks instead of wheels. Tracks provide superior traction and stability on uneven surfaces like sand, mud, or snow. They're perfect for robots designed for exploration, disaster relief, or agriculture.

Legged Robots

Taking inspiration from the animal kingdom, legged robots boast incredible agility and manoeuvrability. Bipedal robots walk on two legs, while quadrupedal robots have four. Legged robots can navigate complex environments with obstacles and uneven terrain, making them suitable for search and rescue or inspection tasks. However, they tend to be more complicated to design and control compared to wheeled robots.

 

Choosing the Right Chassis

Now that you're familiar with the main chassis types, let's delve into the factors that will guide your selection process-

Project Goals and Functionality

What do you envision your robot achieving? A line-following robot needs a simple differential drive chassis, while an exploration robot venturing outdoors might require a tracked chassis. Define your project's purpose to narrow down suitable chassis options.

Environment

Where will your robot operate? Indoor environments with flat surfaces favour differential or omnidirectional drives. For outdoor adventures, consider tracked or legged robots that can handle uneven terrain.

Payload Capacity

How much weight will your robot carry? A chassis designed for a lightweight gripper arm won't handle a heavy object like a camera. Choose a chassis that can support the weight of your robot's components and any payloads it might carry.

Maneuverability

How agile does your robot need to be? If intricate movements and turns are crucial, an omnidirectional drive chassis might be the best option. For simpler movements, a differential drive might suffice.

Budget

Robotics can get expensive, and the chassis is a significant part of the cost. Simple differential drive chassis is generally the most affordable, while complex-legged robots require a higher investment. Consider your budget when selecting a chassis.

Skill Level

Be honest about your robotics experience. If you're a beginner, a simple differential drive chassis is easier to build and control than a complex-legged robot. Choose a chassis that aligns with your skillset to ensure project success.

5 Advanced Robotics Kits From ThinkRobotics 

Beyond the chassis, the internal workings of your robot are made possible by an advanced robotics kit. The kits are as follows-

1 MaxArm Open Source Robot Arm Powered by ESP32

 

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MaxArm is an open-source robotic arm powered by an ESP32 microcontroller. The linkage mechanism designed body is equipped with high-quality bus servos and a suction nozzle. Using inverse kinematics technology, MaxArm can execute a variety of tasks such as object sorting, picking, transporting and stacking.

Supporting Python and Arduino programming and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communications, MaxArm can also be controlled by APP, PC software, wireless remote controller and mouse control. It also supports a variety of sensors to turn your creative AI ideas into reality!

2 ArmPi FPV AI Vision Raspberry Pi ROS Robotic Arm

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Looking for your first FPV robotic arm that teaches you machine vision? ArmPi FPV is everything you need to start and continue your adventure with the Raspberry Pi 4B controller! Processed images with OpenCV, loaded HD 120 degrees camera, it has ROS operation system, built-in MoveIt and supports Python program. AI vision games such as Facial Recognition, Goods Picking etc and open source are provided for your learning!

3 TonyPi Hiwonder AI Intelligent Visual Humanoid Robot

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TonyPi intelligent visual humanoid robot uses Raspberry Pi as the central controller. OpenCV is the image processing library, which uses Python language programming. The robot is equipped with a 2DOF high-definition camera to realise Al many games. It is equipped with a high-voltage bus servo and voltage display. With built-in action groups, TonyPi can complete many challenging motions like push-ups.

4 JetHexa ROS Hexapod Robot Kit with Jetson Nano

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JetHexa is an open-source hexapod robot based on the Robot Operating System (ROS). It is armed with high-performance hardware, such as NVIDIA Jetson Nano, intelligent serial bus servos, Lidar and HD camera/ 3D depth camera, which can implement robot motion control, mapping and navigation, tracking and obstacle avoidance, custom prowling, human feature recognition, somatosensory interaction and other functions. Adopted novel inverse kinematics algorithm, supporting tripod and ripple gaits and with highly configurable body posture, height and speed, JetHexa will bring the user ultimate using experience.

JetHexa not only serves as an advanced platform for users to learn and verify hexapod movement but also provides solutions for ROS development. To help users embark on a new journey in the ROS hexapod robotic world, ample ROS and robot learning materials and tutorials are provided.

5 JetAuto Pro ROS Robot for Jetson Nano

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JetAuto Pro is a comprehensive 2 in 1 ROS robot tailored for ROS learning. It is loaded with NVIDIA Jetson Nano, an AI vision robotic arm, a high-performance encoder motor, Lidar, a 3D depth camera and a 7-inch screen, which opens up more functionalities. Robot motion control, mapping and navigation, path planning, tracking and obstacle avoidance, autonomous driving, intelligent picking, MoveIt simulation, somatosensory interaction and voice interaction all can be achieved!

A diverse combination of the hardware makes JetAuto Pro an ideal platform where you can learn and verify robotic SLAM functions, as well as get the solution to ROS development. Massive ROS learning materials and tutorials are provided to help you get started quickly!

Conclusion

Selecting the perfect robot chassis is a crucial step in bringing your robotic dreams to life. By understanding the different types of chassis, considering your project's requirements, and following these helpful tips, you'll be well on your way to choosing the ideal foundation for your robotic creation. Remember, the perfect chassis is the one that empowers your robot to fulfil its purpose efficiently and effectively. Now, go forth and build amazing things!