Lunacy Weight Distribution

[Rick TYler]

One of the first things I thought when reading about this game is that high polar moment of inertia -- while good for directional stability -- is going to be very bad for maneuverability in this game. I thought that keeping the robot's mass centered and only judiciously adding weight at the ends would be the ticket and then I remembered The Trailer. How are teams going to keep the tail from wagging the dog? How do you distribute mass on the robot to counteract the action of the trailer? I'm not in FRC this year, and so haven't really worked on this, but now I've got me curious. How are you all going to handle this?

Of course, I could just wait until March when All Will Be Revealed. :)

[gorrilla]

driving with the trailer is almost easier(for me),
than just driving the robot

[Vikesrock]

One theory is to use the tail to wag the dog, as the dog is a bit difficult to wag on it's own :p

[gorillamonky]

One theory is to use the tail to wag the dog, as the dog is a bit difficult to wag on it's own :p

with no traction to make the tail do anything, how r you going to make the tail wag the dog?

[Vikesrock]

I was referring to using the trailer as a driving aid rather then a detriment.

As you get used to driving with it the trailer can actually make many maneuvers on the "Regolith" much easier to carry out (especially 180 degree turns).

I have a feeling driving practice will be key in this game. My prediction is that teams with practice robots and teams that compete at multiple regionals will stand out even more than usual this year.

[meastman]

The more wagging, the better. The more the trailer moves around, the harder it is for other teams to score.

[DonRotolo]

One theory is to use the tail to wag the dog, as the dog is a bit difficult to wag on it's own :p
We have also found that the trailer, when used properly, can greatly assist in controlling the direction of the robot.

[Cyberphil]

We have also noticed a big difference with the trailer. It is much, much easier to do 180's, and easier to go in strait lines, which i think will be key.