Build Quality

Build quality is the most important factor in robot construction. It doesn’t matter if you have a kick-ass design or a great transmission design. If your robot falls apart when you need it to work, you’ll lose.

What constitutes good build quality?

Build quality is defined as how robust and solid a robot is built. Without good build quality, you will end up with a bot that has a lot of clicking, skipping, and is generally bad.

• Screws need to be tight
• Make sure to use unstripped screws
• Use unstripped tools
• No metal on metal or plastic on plastic grinding
• Limbs of the robot need to be sturdy, not wobbly
• Make sure rubber bands are not in danger of being cut
• Wiring needs to be tidy and zip-tied down
• Always use bearing flats when using axles
• Make sure axles are straight
• Pieces that need to take a lot of load need to be strong enough to support that load.

Things to watch out for

• If motors are loose, you will end up losing a lot of torque → Clicking and an underpowered bot
• If bearing flats are loose, the axles will wiggle and you’ll lose torque → Clicking and an underpowered bot
• Make sure motors are of good quality, and there isn’t clicking or friction between the internal gears
• When using axles, make sure they are supported on both sides, otherwise axles will slowly bend.