16 May 2026MechanicalERDEN ScoutComplete
Inside the chassis
Full teardown and inventory of the base platform before anything was added to it. Every fastener, connector, and cable run was photographed and catalogued. The drivetrain is well made for the price; the encoder mounting is the weakest part of the mechanical design and was flagged immediately as something we would replace. Serviceability is good — the platform can be opened and closed with hand tools in a few minutes, which matters on a unit that will be rebuilt repeatedly.
What we learned
- Photographing the platform before touching it has already saved reassembly time twice.
- Encoder mounting was identified as the weak point on day one, and it is exactly what failed two months later.
- A platform you can open in five minutes gets opened. A platform you cannot, doesn't — and stops being understood.
Next steps
- Trace and measure the power paths before adding compute.
- Design replacement encoder mounts.
Hardware referenced
- WAVE ROVER 4WDWaveshare4WD skid-steer base, integrated ESP32 driver board
- Motor and encoder mounts (custom)Designed and printed in-housePrinted brackets, revision 2 in design
Images
Photography pending
Teardown layout
Chassis components laid out and catalogued.
Photography pending
Stock encoder mounting
The arrangement flagged for replacement.