FTC Motors and Minibot
 

Our minibot team says that if we gear the motors to the wheels 3:1, the minibot won't have enough torque to get up the pole. Doesn't the motor gain torque by gearing it down like that, 3:1? Shouldn't the minibot climb the pole better if it is geared down than if the motor is attached directly to the wheel?

Re: FTC Motors and Minibot
 

Most likely a misunderstanding on which way the energy is being transferred.
Or they think you need to gear it down more.. :P

Re: FTC Motors and Minibot
 

Gearing 1:3 from the motor to the wheel does, indeed increase the torque, doesn't it? Or is my thinking wrong alltogether?

Re: FTC Motors and Minibot
 

It depends on direction and counting method.
For the following, the direction is assumed to be motor to wheel.

1:3, counted in revolutions/time: the wheel spins 3x faster than the motor. (Or: for every revolution of the motor's gear, the wheel's gear has 3 revolutions.) More speed, less torque.
1:3, counted in gear teeth: the motor spins 3x faster than the wheel. (Or: the wheel's gear has 3x as many teeth as the motor's gear.) More torque, less speed.
3:1, counted in revolutions: motor 3x faster than wheel.
3:1, counted in gear teeth: wheel 3x faster than motor.

3:1 in gear teeth is roughly equivalent to 1:3 in revolutions; 1:3 in gear teeth is roughly equivalent to 3:1 in revolutions.

I think it's a counting method miscommunication--they're counting the gear teeth (lightning fast wheel), and you're thinking revolutions.

Better get together and figure out your counting method...