WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 Mobile Robotics Collection

The 2022 Collection features new technology at a lower price. All components are now in metric, stronger, and blue. However, all new components are compatible with the old structure. Tools, such as zip ties, and management items are also included.

Structure:

• Channel:
  • Two types are available: U Series Channel and Low Profile Series Channel
  • Enhanced Pattern allows for easy connecting of structure, gears, sprockets, and motors.
  • Larger Centre Hole to allow for bearings and for rotating components to pass-through
  • All mounting holes fit new metric M3 Hardware.
• Flat Beams: Beams are on the compact side of the structural elements with a simple to use 8mm linear pattern. They are also easy to bend for customization.
   
• Flats: The plates have the Studica pattern down the length of the plate. Use them to add support, as a bracket to attach something to, or as a trim panel to get just the right look for your build.
   
• Brackets: New brackets with faces on more than one plane.  Many of the brackets allow you to build off from your main structure at an angle.  Others have a more specialized common uses such as to hold a trailing wheel or drive-wheel for a mobile chassis.
   
• Mounts: These are cornerstone pieces to the major framework of your project. Mounts allow you to create solid junctions, add support, and open up mounting possibilities.
  • Motor Mount Plate
  • Updated Servo Mounts
  • Updated Motor Mounts
     
• Gears, Chains, and Sprockets: Updated straight-cut spur gears have a 14 mm bore with the Studica pattern in order to mount to hubs and other rotating components. New bevel gears for gearbox design and enhanced drive system design.

Motion:

• Motors:
  • DC Gear Motor: The Maverick Series Planetary Gear Motors offer efficient and robust power for the robot. M3 mounting holes on the Studica pattern offer a new and quick and convenient way to integrate with other components. The 6mm D-shaft, 61:1 Gearbox, and 470mm long power wires combined with the Powerpole connectors offer a high quality, high current connection in a compact motor.
  • Servo Motor : The Studica Robotics servo is updated with new features including an ultra stout steel gear train, more torque and a new top case This angular programmable Servo can fill a variety of roles on your robot or project. In the default mode, the servo can rotate 300 degrees while having positioning feedback. In this mode, the PWM signal will determine the position of the servo. Using the Servo Programmer the servo can be toggled into continuous rotation mode. In this mode, the servo will have proportional speed control based on the PWM signal that you send with your servo controller.

• Wheels:
  • Omni Wheels: Our new Dual Omni wheels are single piece with enhanced have rubber rollers around the perimeter, perpendicular to the drive-direction so your robot chassis can move laterally with ease. Each steel sleeved roller rides on a polished steel axle in order to minimize friction. This new design means that as the wheels rotate the load is transferred seamlessly from one roller to the next.

Electronics and Control System:

• VMX: The powerful robot controller:
  Supports Java and C++, future support for ROS
  • The VMX integrates the navX-Sensor and via the Linux based controller, it has much more memory, processing power, Gigabit Ethernet, USB3 ports and built-in Wifi/Bluetooth.
  • Supports Open CV, Tensor Flow, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping )

• The Studica VMX leverages five recent key technology developments:
  • Highly-integrated, inexpensive, WiFi-enabled, multi-core Linux computing platform with lots of USB IO for expansion
  • 32-bit ARM Microcontrollers incorporating sophisticated I/O and digital communications engines
  • Low-cost MEMs Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
  • Powerful software providing rich libraries and tools for developing robot software in C++, Java
  • CAN bus for high-speed, real-time communication between devices

• Titan:
  A powerful, 4-channel CAN-based motor controller with built-in fuse-box (for DC motors up to 20A)
  • 4 x Hardware encoder ports – one for each motor
  • 2 limit switch ports for each motor
  • Fuse box to set manual current limits
  • 2x Power extension ports to power other 12VDC devices. I.E.
    • VMX
    • Servo Power Module
  • Built in LED Controller
  • 6A power supply for LED's
  • i2c communication port to control LED Controller
  • USB ports are updated to USB-C to better support todays cable standards
• Servo Power Block:
  • Power up to 8 Servo Motors

Programming Tools:

• Supported:
  • Visual Studio Code is the supported development editor for C++ and Java, these are the supported languages used for programming a 2021 robot. Visual Studio Code is a free source-code editor made by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. Features include support for debugging, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, code refactoring, and embedded
  • Free license use of the WPI Robotics library (WPILib) - a set of classes that interface to the hardware, the control system and your robot. 
  • Libraries and Tools for developing lower-level Raspberry Pi-based robot applications.
• Non Supported but available:
  • LabVIEW
  • Python 
  • The VMX- ROS Node is currently under development

Optional Accessories:

• Mecanum Wheels:
  • The Standard Studica mecanum wheels are packed full of conveniences you won’t find in other brands.  The blue anodized aluminum side plates sandwich a beefy plastic wheel-center. The wheel-center has an interchangeable hub, his makes it easy to mount to a standard shaft  or other component of your choice.   This set contains two Left Slant Mecanum Wheels and two Right Slant Mecanum Wheels. 
  • An enhanced option is available where wheel has rollers which are supported by ball-bearings so that they rotate with ease.
• Aluminum Extrusion
• Motion Assemblies
• All Terrain Tires
• Tools