Hardware Completion

I finished the hardware on the chair. I added the bottom 2 drivetrain cortexes and connected everything to the master with smart cables. I added the batteries for them too. I figured out that the master cortex doesn’t need it’s own battery as it can be powered through the smart cables on p19-20 which connect to the drivetrain nodes. The batteries are shared across the whole system (3 cortex -> 2 lower bats powering wheels and controls + health checks). I added a small potentiometer and a gear to act as a speed controller but I have not determined exactly how I want to do that yet. I zip-tied all cables and such and tested that each one works and powers the device it connects to. All systems seem to be good in that regard.

Added some bad off-center racing stripes lol and also fixed the sag on the steering wheel by adding an additional support screw. I also dusted and cleaned it because it was SO DIRTY from literally nothing.

I temporarily moved it to my house so I can debug and program it at home. Bringing it back Sunday.

TODO: Software & QA + Validation

Master node will turn on first and wait for a connection from the two DT nodes. Then the DT nodes will recieve commands for voltages and will send back temperature and health records to ensure nothing breaks. If it gets too hot or too much tourque, it will initiate an emergency stop to ensure the saftey of the driver. Controls are TBD but it will also support a vex controller to drive it remotely. If a motor disconnects it will also shut down.

I’m so excited this project is becoming real!!