Optimized BOM (Ali Express too expensive ;-;)

As requested I searched for the parts on Ali Express, I could not find acceptable Aluminum 6061 plates, most of them were too small, with extra charges for shipping (making them more expensive than Amazon). I did find a coupler for $0.99 with free shipping, but right after that I found one on Amazon for $0.79.
I also added a BOM.csv file to the Github.

New BOM

• Aluminum Plate (1)
• Ethernet Coupler (1)

Total: $25.78

Ali Express Alternatives (Too Expensive)

Another issue with Ali Express is that even if it was cheaper, there is no guarantee I will be able to order the parts before the Black Friday Sale is over, meaning I would have to pay full price and shipping.

Ethernet Couplers (Amazon is cheaper)

Aluminum 6061 Plates (Way too small to use, slightly less thick, same price as amazon for much less material)

Here is if I wanted to buy the same amount of Aluminum from Ali Express instead of Amazon (Amazon is $24.99)

BOM Update

Sorry I forgot to remove the bolts from the BOM, here is my updated BOM:

• Aluminum Plate (1)
• Ethernet Coupler (1)

Finished Assembly and Organization

I finished the assembly along with example boxes on the peg board to display the two methods of mounting holders onto the board.
*Note the aluminum holder tubes in the assembly are placeholders for tubes my team already has in the workshop, that do not have an available CAD model online

Onshape CAD Link

I also organized all of the files into folders, along with naming the files and folders accordingly.

The layout sketches and parts studio was super-in-detail so I don't have much to say for the final assembly :)

Final Assembly:

Here is something cool! I made an aluminum-polycarbonate sandwich! .25" of polycarbonate would be too weak to support the laptop, and .25" of aluminum is too heavy...So why not both.

Organization:

I almost forgot:
I added a slot for an ethernet coupler, so when plugging in the ethernet cord it can just go to the side of the driver station, rather than having to go on top of it and around to the computer.

BOM

• Aluminum Plate (1)
• Ethernet Coupler (1)
• Bolts (1/2")
• Bolts (3/4")

My team's workshop has everything else necessary!

Fixed Master Sketch, Part Studio Completed

Master sketch (top and side layout sketches) have been completed!
I left enough space for the computer, along with a side plate allowing for easy storage of the x-box controller.
I came up with the concept of making the whole side plate sort of like a peg board, so if we want to attach any holders or boxes we could easily 3D Print them with holes to screw them in, or pegs to friction-fit them into the peg board. An example of this would be the x-box controller holder, I will extrude two pegs off of it to easily friction fit it into the peg board.
After fixing the geometry and deciding where to put the computer, I also had to include a way to organize the wires, which is why below the computer plate and on the side of two tubes I have holes allowing for easy access of the space below the computer for storing wires.
I also made a wing on the side of the tube to be able to hold up the tube we are going to be using as the holders.

CAD IS ANNOYING

CAD IS SOOO annoying. Basically I imported the NOMAD x-box controller holder, but as you may have seen in the screenshot below it was wayy too big, so I had to make a sketch tracing it, then transform it to be 10x smaller. The only problem is that for some reason the sketch WOULDN'T BE DEFINED after transforming it, meaning I had to redo all the geometry, without knowing how it was done I had to manually dimension each part if I wanted a defined sketch. Of course I could have just extruded an undefined sketch, but that's bad practice :/

This looks so cursed :/

Requirements, Master Sketch, and Design Ideology

After some tinkering with potential designs, through sketching in Onshape and looking at our needs list, I have come up with the following needs for the driver station,
Securely Carry:

• The team laptop (~14"x11") [note to self: make laptop holder 16"x13"]
• At least one X-Box Controller
• Cables (lengthy ethernet wire, laptop charger)
• Storage space for excess tools (flush cutters, hex tools, etc.)

*An additional bonus would be for it to mount on our robot cart, however that is something I will work on once it is completely built!

Below is my first concept of a master sketch, and simple block CAD, based on previous CAD attempts on making the driver station. The idea is to hold the laptop in the center, with storage space being on the left and right. However, after seeing the Robonauts' driver station (in my previous journal), along with seeing how much space gets wasted having two sides, I will probably opt for a more asymmetrical design.

Finally, I have also found a suitable X-Box controller holder from FRC Team 6995, NOMAD, I will be modifying this to mount to the driver station somehow.

Preliminary Master Sketch

Block CAD (not polished + without proper parts)

X-Box Controller Holder CAD (taken from FRC Team 6995, NOMAD)

Originally I wanted to go with a printed controller holder that looks like the one below, but after discussion with my team, we wanted something easily accessible, no matter how cool this holder would look :(

Research and Design

My first step was to look into open Driver Stations from other teams, I found an open source one made by team 118 The Robonauts that seemed to work really well, so I decided to take inspiration from that one. However, one design constraint my team has is to work with minimal custom plating, as it can turn out to be expensive, and even out of the price range of this project. To combat this solution, my design will have simple aluminum plates able to be manufactured in-house, along with 3D printed add-ons and polycarbonate plating.