Subject:
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Re: Robot base
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics.handyboard
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Date:
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Fri, 12 Feb 1999 23:47:43 GMT
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Original-From:
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Chuck McManis <[cmcmanis@mcmanis]Spamless[.com]>
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Viewed:
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1192 times
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This is why "economy" robot base builders go broke. I'm not picking on Phil
here, I'm using his message to make a point that a lot of people miss ...
Phil here built a base with one of a kind (aka surplus) parts, didn't
charge for his own labor and sees himself as having gone from not having a
base to have one for $50.
Unfortunately, if Phil charged for his own labor (I'm guessing he put in
probably 8 to 10 hours on this thing, and only paid himself $10 and hour
(which is not a wage you can get contract labor for), bought his motors
from a source that could reliably deliver motors day after day, and tried
to sell this base, his cost would have been more like $300 ($100 motors,
$100 assembly, $100 for battery, structural materials, and a high current
motor driver.) Then he'd have to sell it for an MSRP $900 in order for
there to be any chance at all of his business succeeding.
And he would have to compete with people like himself who don't charge
anything for their own labor and thus complain that his prices are too high.
Its not a profitable business to be in and we've seen many people on this
mailing list die on the barrier reef known as financial viability.
--Chuck
(Note, example of a motor you can buy off the shelf for robotics:
http://www.evercom-ind.com/gm54.htm
Cost per motor in qtys < 1000 = $78.00
At 04:21 PM 2/12/99 -0600, Philsky wrote:
> I built a base for $50, including tools. It was made out of L-channel metal
> girder. It had 2 drive motors, bought surplus, from those kid-cars ($12
> apiece). There's a caster as the third wheel ($4), and I have a 12v 4a
> battery ($10) plus metal ($10) and blades for my dad's hacksaw ($2). Cheap
> and easy base WITH power to boot!
> Oh, and if I could put in a good word for those motors: they are
> *really* nice and extremely powerful. Haven't tried it yet, but it should be
> able to push a fair-sized vacuum around.......
>
> --phil
>
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Robot base
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| I built a base for $50, including tools. It was made out of L-channel metal girder. It had 2 drive motors, bought surplus, from those kid-cars ($12 apiece). There's a caster as the third wheel ($4), and I have a 12v 4a battery ($10) plus metal ($10) (...) (26 years ago, 12-Feb-99, to lugnet.robotics.handyboard)
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