FRC Robot Mower Maker

FRC Robot Mower Maker

Design a robot lawnmower around FRC parts: CIM, Mini CIM or NEO motors with planetary gearboxes, a roboRIO control system and an FRC battery. The chassis and body are cut into tiles that fit your 3D printer and bolt together.

Chassis
Body
Colour (preview and filament hint)

Drive
Drive motors (×2)
Wheels

Cutting deck
Blade motor

Robot-mower style: a printed disc with three pivoting razor blades, direct driven, inside a printed shroud. Deck position is measured forward from the chassis centre.

Front casters (×2)

Measure your caster: height from mounting plate to ground and the plate's hole spacing. A printed spacer makes up the difference to the ground clearance.

Electronics
Battery
Power distribution
Motor controllers (brushed motors)

NEO motors always get a SPARK MAX. The roboRIO, radio, power module and controllers are placed automatically on the floor; the 120 A breaker sits on a tower under a window in the lid.

Sensors
Ultrasonic distance sensors
Camera
Gyro / IMU

Ultrasonic transducers push through holes in the shell; the camera sits on a printed wedge under a printed hood on the flat top; cliff sensors look through windows in the floor. Every sensor is wired into the port table below.

Printer
Loading geometry engine…
Speed– 
Mass– 
Runtime– 
15° slope– 
Cutting– 
Overall size– 
Printed parts– 
Tiles– 
Every printable part as STL in print orientation, plus BOM (CSV), settings and build notes.
Bill of materials
GroupQtyPartSourceNotes

Bought-part sizes are nominal. Check your gearbox face bolt pattern, caster plate and electronics against the vendor drawings before you print.

Wiring and ports
PortDeviceNotes

CAN IDs and roboRIO ports the generated layout assumes. Set the CAN IDs with Phoenix Tuner X / REV Hardware Client before the first run.

Printing and assembly
  1. Print in PETG or ASA (ASA for sun and rain), 0.2 mm layers, 4 perimeters, 30 % gyroid infill. Tub tiles print floor down; body or lid tiles and the deck shroud print upside down (flat top on the bed, every slope at most 45°); the zip has each part in its print orientation.
  2. Bolt the tub tiles together through the seam ribs on the walls (M4 × 20), then screw the splice plates under every floor seam with countersunk M4 bolts; the nuts sit in the hex traps.
  3. Bolt each gearbox face to the inside of the side wall (#10-32), add the wheel shaft through the wall, then strap the motors into their cradles.
  4. Fit the casters with the printed spacers, the deck shroud and the blade motor mount, then the blade motor. Fit the blade disc last, with the razor blades on shoulder screws so they can swing.
  5. Mount the battery with a strap through the floor slots, and fix the electronics in their corner fences with zip ties or hook-and-loop tape.
  6. Wire: battery → 120 A breaker → PD; 40 A breakers on the PD channels to each motor controller; roboRIO and Radio Power Module on their own PD outputs; CAN from roboRIO through the controllers to the PD.
  7. Bolt the body (or lid) tiles together through their seam ribs. Lower the body over the tub so its inner lip drops inside the tub walls. Pod shell: drive the four self-tapping screws through the front and rear of the shell into the bosses in the tub. Classic lid: screw through the tub walls into the lip.
  8. Sensors: push the ultrasonic transducers into their holes from inside and fix each board with a dab of hot glue; feed the leads through the notch in the inner wall. Screw the cliff sensors over their floor windows. Bolt the camera wedge to the top, mount the camera, then screw the hood on from below.
  9. Sand the seams and finish the shell: filler primer and a coat of outdoor paint hide the tile joints.
Safety

A spinning blade can cause serious injury. This tool designs a hobby robot, not a certified mower.

  • Test drive and software with the razor blades removed. Keep people and pets well away when the blade runs.
  • Stop the blade in code when the robot tilts or is lifted: the roboRIO has a built-in accelerometer. Add bumpers or a lift sensor before running unattended.
  • The 120 A breaker in the lid window is the power switch: trip it before touching the deck.
  • The FRC control system only drives motors while a Driver Station enables it, and the radio link is your stop button. Keep the laptop in reach.
  • Printed plastic gets weaker in heat and sunlight. Check the deck, disc and motor mount for cracks before each run and replace them when worn.