Ground Effects...Legal...Helpful?

[dangell]

Anybody thought about using ground effects to increase traction? You could use a fan or a vacuum to create a low pressure area under the robot creating more weight on the wheels thus more traction. There is potentialy over 1000 square inches under a robot, wouldn't take much of a low pressure area to make a huge difference. Works for F1, Indy cars etc...

[Billfred]

This post (http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/2009/01/more-details.html) by Bill Miller (FRC Director) indicates it's probably a Bad Idea. There was another post on CD with more of the physics, but suffice to say that you're begging for field damage.

But yes, before I found out the harsh realities of physics, I thought a lot about it.