RoboReach Hex Key Attachment

The Robo Reach is a 3D printed invention I designed & created. I wanted to help my teammates using the VEX V5 hex key to insert screws in small or tight areas on C channel or U channel. When our robot was assembled, I noticed that my teammates had to secure many screws that existed in small spaces or would be in difficult locations on our bot. This was problematic for my teammates who wanted to use the hex key because they had larger hands and faced challenges with the tool size. The design for my project was inspired by my teammates on my robotics team known as Team 17505A. My teammates would encounter difficulties when they would attempt to build the robot because certain screws existed in tight or hard to access areas of our robot. My teammates will always call me over and ask me to help them tighten screws because I have smaller hands than them, meaning that I could reach those small or tight areas. I realized that my teammates should not have to rely on someone else just because of their hand size when my teammates just want to get the bot done as soon as possible. I wanted to design a tool that would allow everyone to complete this task independently. The Robo Reach functions as a tool which enables users to tighten screws located in narrow areas through its design. The Robo Reach enables users to extend their hex key so that they can have the ability to reach screws that sit between robot parts, and the hex key can be interchangeable horizontally and vertically. This invention can be used for all robotics teams, since it can be 3D printed and is fairly cheap and easy to make. The Robo Reach demonstrates how a simple idea can solve a real problem.

To design the RoboReach you will need:

1. A working 3-D printer EX: Poly Printer 299N LINK, Ender 3 v2s LINK, or Flashforge AD5X LINK
2. PLA LINK LINK LINK
3. Tinkercad
4. Cura (for slicing) LINK
5. Sand paper preferably 80 grit or lower LINK
6. Needlenose pliers and side cutters LINK
7. Drill and battery LINK
8. 964 drill bit LINK
9. Table vise LINK
10. A bot

I drew out my initial design idea before ending up with my final design in tinkercad. I knew I wanted my design to have a base that the hex key could go in and out of and I wanted the base to be big enough so people with big hands could hold it. I also realized that the hex key is roughly the same size as a C channel, which would be a great factor because I was trying to make the robot key more accessible for people with large hands to use. This is the drawing I went off of when making my design.

Go to tinkercad and click create 3D design!

To start, you will need to place down a 23.00 mm long, 54.14 mm wide, and 20.30 mm tall polygon placed on the work plane. The color does not matter only if you are using a dual color 3D printer. Bevel the polygon to 1.42mm and make it have 8 sides.

Then, you will need to place down onto the back of the polygon you just placed a 18.00 mm long, 13.00 mm wide, and 14.15 mm tall polygon. Bevel the polygon to 1.42mm and make it have 8 sides.

Add a cylinder having dimensions of 29.00 mm long, 22.00 mm wide, and 20.00mm tall. Bevel the cylinder to 1.624mm and make it have 12 sides.

Add another polygon that is connected to the cylinder. The dimensions of the polygon should be 25.00 mm long, 8.00 mm wide, and 7.00mm tall. This should have 6 sides and should not be beveled.

Add a cylinder in the middle to connect the pieces together. This will cause a problem later on in the process or more so a design flaw. The cylinder should be 11.00 mm long, 12.00 mm wide, and 33.00 mm tall.

Add a polygon shaped hole so the hex key can fit into the contraption. The hole should be 57.00 mm long, 4.00 mm wide, and 3.00 mm tall.

In my first prototype, there were many design flaws. I printed my first prototype on the Flashforge Ad5x. I realized that I needed to make the width of the hole smaller but the length of the hole bigger because there was too much room for the hex key horizontally but not vertically. One advantage I got from this is that the size was perfect for anyone who had big hands so that is one thing I did not have to change. STL for the print is down below.

I realized from the first print that I needed holes into this contraption! I needed to add a cylinder hole in the middle so that the 2 individual pieces can snap together easily. I also needed to extend the length of the polygon hole so the hex key can snap in and out of the RoboReach. The dimensions of the cylinder should be 33.00 mm long, 11.00 mm wide, and 12.00 mm tall. This should not be beveled but it should have 48 sides. The dimensions of the polygon should be 131.00 mm long, 3.00 mm wide, and 3.00 mm tall. This also should not be beveled but it should have 6 sides.

i decided to add two cylinder connectors on the side with holes in them. This is so the two individual 3D peice's can snap together into one. I wanted to print two in case one of the cylinders messes up while printing. The cylinders should be 11.00 mm long, 12.00 mm wide, and 33.00 mm tall. There should be 48 sides and no beveling. The holes are the same polygon dimensions I used on the last step. Make sure the holes are centered.

Add a name to your invention. It doesn’t have to be the RoboReach, you could name it whatever you would like or prefer. Dimensions are 21.00 mm long, 3.00 mm wide, and 5.38 mm tall.

Prototype II was printed on the Ender 3 v2s and was a complete fail. I printed this by converting new STL file with the fixed dimensions into G code on cura. Some things that went wrong was that the PLA got stuck in the holes where I could not even get it out with pliers. The print overall was very rough, and was not something I could work with. I decided to use the same STL but use a different printer after printing on the ender 3 v2s.

Prototype 3 was printed on the poly printer 299N. I used the same G code for slicing, even though tipcally you would use the KISSlicer. The print came out really well but my only complaint is that the back of the print was a little bit rough, but that can always be fixed with sanding. The hole was a tad bit too small for the hex key, but that will be fixed later on.

I decided I wanted to move on with the third print because it was the cleanest print out of all of them and showcased my idea the best. My only problems with the third print is that the hole was too small for the hex key and that the cylinder connector was too big and it couldn’t fit in the holes. So how can we fix this?

I used sandpaper that had a grit of 80 to sand down the cylinder size and the holes of the 2 other pieces. I sanded them down until they could fit without budging.

I fixed the size or got filament that was stuck in the hole by using a 964 drill bit connected to a Black & Decker drill and battery. My 3D print was held onto with a vise while being drilled into. This drill bit size was exactly the size I needed for the hole without breaking the plastic.

This is the finished 3D printed RoboReach! There are pictures that show how it works on the bot and comparison photos that show all 3 of the prototypes side by side. The RoboReach is a functioning 3D printed add on for a hex key that allows the tool to extend vertically into tight spaces. It can also be changed to a horizontal position, making it easier to reach screws located in difficult or confined areas on a robot. The link to the RoboReach can be accessed here.

Designing the RoboReach helped me better understand the engineering design process and how real problems can inspire useful innovations. While working on the design, I had to consider durability, size, and how the tool would function in tight spaces on a robot. If we’re to go back and edit this, I would change the hole size and make it a bit bigger where the hex key lays so I wouldn’t have to drill a hole. A challenge that I had during this project was having to create a design that could extend the hex key while still keeping it stable and easy to control. Through designing and refining to be best of my ability, I learned how important testing can be when making a helpful tool. I hope this tool can help other robotics teams work more efficiently and become a widely used tool for VEX V5 teams in the future.

Thank you so much for reviewing my project for the Let There Be Speed Contest!