Name: Mechanical Foundations with REV DUO
Brand: Mechanical-Foundations-W8-9
SKU: Mechanical-Foundations-W8-9
Price: 1169.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Mechanical Foundations with REV DUO

Camper's Age: Ages 13-18

Camp Topic: Robotics

Camp Week: Weeks 8-9 (July 20-24 & 27-31)

Gaming: No gaming

Mechanical Foundations with REV DUO

Ages 13–15 | 5-Day Full-Day or 10-Day Half-Day

Design load-bearing structures, calculate gear ratios for speed vs. torque, program motors through the REV Control Hub, and build a custom drivetrain that can climb obstacles. Curriculum developed by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (SMART Robotics Technician Program).

Full-Day Schedule (5 Days, 4 sessions/day)

Day 1 — Strength, Stability & Balance

Session	Project
AM 1	Inventory REV DUO kit — channels, brackets, bolts, nuts, standoffs; tool safety and proper fastening techniques
AM 2	Build a basic beam structure; load-test it to failure; identify weak joints and stress points
PM 1	Redesign with cross-bracing and triangulation; re-test and measure load improvement
PM 2	Project: Cantilever Challenge — build a structure that extends the farthest horizontally while supporting a weight at the tip

Day 2 — Gears & Power Transmission

Session	Project
AM 1	Gear fundamentals — mesh spur gears, calculate gear ratios, predict speed and torque output
AM 2	Project: Motorized Fan — build a geared fan; swap ratios (speed-up vs. torque-up) and measure RPM changes
PM 1	Compound gear trains — design and build a multi-stage transmission; calculate overall ratio
PM 2	Alternative power transfer — build with belts & pulleys and a linear slide mechanism; compare efficiency to gears

Day 3 — REV Control Hub & Motor Programming

Session	Project
AM 1	Set up the REV Control Hub and Driver Hub; wire motors; write code to control speed and direction
AM 2	Read motor encoder feedback — program precise position-based movements (rotate exactly N degrees)
PM 1	Combine gear ratios with motor code — program a geared mechanism to lift a specific weight to a target height
PM 2	Project: Programmable Arm — build and code a motorized arm with controlled raise, lower, and hold positions

Day 4 — Drivetrain Design

Session	Project
AM 1	Build a basic 2-motor, 4-wheel tank drivetrain on a REV DUO chassis; program forward, reverse, and point turns
AM 2	Add gear reduction — swap ratios and test impact on top speed vs. obstacle-climbing torque
PM 1	Build and compare alternative drivetrain configurations (6-wheel, different wheel types); measure turning radius and traction
PM 2	Performance evaluation — time trials on flat ground and ramp tests; record data and identify tradeoffs

Day 5 — Custom Drivetrain Challenge

Session	Project
AM 1	Design phase — sketch a custom drivetrain optimized to climb obstacles; select gear ratios, wheel type, and chassis geometry
AM 2	Build the custom drivetrain from the design plan
PM 1	Test and iterate — run the obstacle course, identify failures, redesign and rebuild weak points
PM 2	Final Obstacle Course Competition — timed runs over ramps, bumps, and inclines; teams present their engineering rationale and tradeoff decisions

Half-Day Schedule (10 Days, 2 sessions/day)

Days	Content
Days 1–2	Strength, Stability & Balance (Full-Day 1 content)
Days 3–4	Gears & Power Transmission (Full-Day 2 content)
Days 5–6	REV Control Hub & Motor Programming (Full-Day 3 content)
Days 7–8	Drivetrain Design (Full-Day 4 content)
Days 9–10	Custom Drivetrain Challenge (Full-Day 5 content)

What You'll Build

Load-tested beam structures with cross-bracing and triangulation
Motorized fan with swappable gear ratios
Compound gear train and belt/pulley transmission
Encoder-controlled programmable arm
Tank drivetrain with gear reduction
Custom obstacle-climbing drivetrain (design, build, test, iterate)

Tools & Technologies

REV DUO Building System (channels, brackets, gears, wheels)
REV Control Hub & Driver Hub
REV HD Hex Motors with encoders
Spur gears, belts, pulleys, linear slides
FTC/REV programming environment