Laser cutting example: Calculator robot chassis
Back to more laser cutting examples.
Norland Research (www.smallrobot.com) manufactures a robot based on a graphing calculator, the chassis of which is a good example of what can be made with a laser cutter. The dimensions of this chassis are designed to fit a Texas Instruments graphing calculator on the top level and the electronics, batteries, and servos on the bottom level. A similar design could be used for any basic robot.
This custom, two-level chassis is propelled by two radio-control hobby servos modified for continuous rotation. The chassis uses our plastic ball caster as a third contact point. There are eleven laser-cut parts, with eight different shapes; all parts are made of 1/8" acrylic (plexiglass), except for a 1/4" spacer also made of acrylic. The pieces interlock tightly enough that the chassis (barely) holds together on its own; in this particular design, the parts are glued together. A similar design could instead use a few screws or bolts should the possibility of disassembly be desirable. The design has since been changed to an ABS chassis that uses a "snap together" design with tabs with small feet that snap into a smaller slot. (This would not be possible using acrylic since acrylic is brittle.)
Pricing
| One set (minimum order applies): |
$25.00 |
| Two sets (discounted cutting rate for longer cutting time): |
$35.00 |
| Shipping cost for USPS priority mail: |
$5.00 |
| - ONE of this robot chassis shipped to you for: | $30.00 |
| - TWO of this robot chassis shipped to you for: | $40.00 |
