3D Printed Body
The body of the Dimebots is 3D printed using Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic. PLA is one of the most popular materials used in desktop 3D printing. It is the default filament of choice for most extrusion-based 3D printers because it can be printed at a low temperature and does not require a heated bed. PLA is a great material to use because it is easy to print, very inexpensive, and creates parts that can be used for a wide variety of applications. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly filaments on the market today. Derived from crops such as corn and sugarcane, PLA is renewable and most importantly biodegradable. As a bonus, this also allows the plastic to give off a sweet aroma during printing.
The tires of the Dimebots uses 005 sized o-rings. The o-rings are slightly flattened using high-grit sandpaper in order to provide more surface area resulting in more traction for the robots. The drive wheel of the Dimebots is 3D Printed using PLA and with a .69mm diameter hole that allowed the motor shaft to be press fitted into the hole for fastening.
The freewheel of the dimebot robots consists of a 005 sized o-ring tire with a slightly flattened edge to allow for more traction. The wheel is comprised of a 681 Metric 1mm x 3mm x 1mm Deep Groove Ball Bearing. To allow for freewheel spinning of the wheel, a M1 x 5mm screw is used as an axle shaft.
To connect and fasten the three primary PCB boards of the robots together, a 1.27mm pitch right angle header is used. This allows for quick assembly and provided a reliable method for interconnecting the PCB boards together.
