Wheel Placement

[rjohnson]

Our team was having a debate on wheel placement today. Will wheels that are farther apart (right to left) give the robot more control/traction/turning ease? Or should the wheels be closer together? I think that on the low traction floor more distance between the wheels would be better.

Not that it is really going to change our design, but I was wondering if all the other experts out there could give me a confirmation on this. Thanks.

[thefro526]

A longer wheel base is more stable front to rear but will sometimes have turning issues. A longer track (Width) Will usually result in better turning and better lateral stability but will tend to tip a bit from front to back.

If you're going for good turning it's usually best to have the wheels as far apart as possible. (Width-Wise)

[Paul11]

I agree, our robot was designed with a short wheelbase and it turns much better than if it were the length of the bot.