Construction guide
9
Texas Instruments Robotics System Learning Kit: The Solderless Maze Edition
SEKP164
1.4 Tire and wheel installment
The following steps will be used to show how to assemble the tires onto
the wheels and insert the wheel assembly onto the motors.
The rubber tires first need to be installed onto the wheels as shown in
Figure 10. This can be a challenging exercise since the tires must be
stretched greatly to fit onto the wheels.
Figure 10. Tires properly installed onto the wheels. Notice the “D”
shaped hole in the center of the wheel.
Before installing the wheels, please notice the “D” shaped hole in the
center of the wheel. This shape aligns with the “D” shaped metal motor
shaft on the motor assembly. Also notice that the plastic immediately
surrounding the “D” shape on the wheel protrudes out on one side, while
the other side is flat. The protruding side of the wheel should face the
robot to create space away from the robot chassis and reduce any
possible friction.
With the protruding end of the wheel pointing towards the robot, align the
“D” shapes on the wheel and motor shaft, and then begin pressing the
wheel onto the motor. It may require significant force to press the wheel
fully onto the motor shaft while ensuring proper alignment. One
technique to apply the required force is to put the chassis on its side and
press the chassis down against the table to insert the wheel fully onto the
motor shaft (Figure 11).
Figure 11. Applying force to insert the wheel onto the motor shaft
