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Starting the Chassis

If you are building your robot based off of a completed KitBot, you do not necessarily need to read this section of the manual. This section of the documentation is intended to aid teams that have little or no experience with the Kit of Parts chassis or those that are having problems following the AndyMark instructions.

Chassis Type​

The AndyMark AM14U5 chassis is part of the Kit of Parts and is well-tested and reliable. The included 6 inch rubber treaded wheels have good traction with the field carpet and the center wheel is 1/8” lower than the front and rear wheels to make it easier for the robot to turn on the spot and make small adjustments when trying to pick up and score game pieces (this is called a “drop center” drive because the center wheel is dropped down slightly).


note

The Everybot’s mechanisms can be adapted for a variety of drivetrain bases including an omnidirectional “swerve” drive, but the changes required to properly adapt an Everybot or KitBot mechanism to a drive base other than the AM14U5 are not officially supported by this documentation. Please visit the Everybot Discord if you have specific issues or questions about using a different drive base.

Chassis Size​

The AndyMark “long” chassis configuration was chosen primarily to retain compatibility with the FIRST KitBot. The long chassis also has plenty of room to mount mechanisms and electronics.


Chassis Assembly​

Required tools:

  • 1/4” socket and ratchet (preferred) or flat blade screwdriver or bit

  • 1/2” wrench

  • 9/16” wrenches or sockets

  • 7/16” or similar size socket

  • 3/8” socket or ratchet

  • 5/32” allen wrench or t-handle

  • Bandsaw, chop saw or hacksaw

Adjustable wrenches can be used in place of the 9/16” and 1/2” wrenches

A cordless drill and 10-32 tap are optional but can make assembly faster and easier


All required parts for the chassis are from the AndyMark AM14U5 Kit of Parts chassis box except for four CIM (or CIM-replacement) motors. Two CIM motors are included in the standard Kit of Parts, with four additional CIMs included in the Rookie Kit of Parts. The chassis assembly section of the manual refers to Andymark part numbers, so keeping the Andymark manual open to the parts checklist may help you when following this manual.



Before beginning to assemble the chassis, the two Chassis End Plates will need to be cut down to 27” by removing 4” from one end. The two 24” churros will need to be cut down to 18.25”. If the size of your team allows for it, have someone begin making these cuts while another group begins assembling the wheels. Measure out your cuts and mark them with a combination square to make sure your cuts are perpendicular and cut the plates in a bandsaw or chop saw, making sure to account for the width of your blade. Save the end plate cutoffs for later.