6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Alright my team is thinking about using either are original 6 wheel tank drive or we are thinking about using tank tread, so any any opinions, info, and possible places to get matterial or acually treads would be helpful.
Thanks

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

We are having the same thoughts. Though, our decision would be 6 wheel tank drive or 4 wheel skid. (Same thing, only 4 wheels) 6 wheels would be easier to move around though going over the bump in the center leaves us in more danger of flipping. We have thought of ways around it though we have decided to go a route in which we can do either. A switch between 4 wheel and 6 wheel in 20 minutes or less.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Run a few searches and you find a lot of info on tank treads here on CD. Brecoflex was a popular manufacturer used by several teams a few years ago.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Really comes down to your design constraints and resources at hand. A few teams ran systems by outback a two years ago with much success.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/35293

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Our team used a tank tread one year and we kept stripping off our drive chains, so we also had it set up to where we could take off the treads and quickly and easily put wheels onto it, also a good idea might be a halftrack which is two wheels in the front and short treads in the back, link related, its a halftrack

http://www.antiaircraft.org/aaimages/M16.jpg

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Tank treads can be cool but there are difficulties associated with them. I would recommend they not be attempted durring build season without previous experience. Save them for an off season project.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

This x1000. Drive train experimentation should whenever possible be limited to the offseason, unless you're extremely confident you have the resources and know-how to pull it off.

Tank drives are notorious for an inability to turn due to insufficient torque. This can be overcome, but it's not trivial.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

i would say go for 6 wheel tank drive over tank tread because with the treads would be difficult to go fast and the treads could get stuck on the hump (if your going over it)

high school sophomore, second year mechanical

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

If you are trying to get 3 robots on a bridge, the having 6 wheels might allow you to have two wheels hanging over the edge and be able to stay on the bridge. Being to turn sideways on the bridge would help also.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

I'd recommend 6 wheels. Tank treads do not take side loads very well...

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

I'm pushing my kids towards wide-frame 4-wheel skid, probably 8" wheels with a little lift. Though about tank tread, but lack of experience is holding me back.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Stright tank tread =).

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Just curious, we weren't sure if there was anything in the rules requiring that wheels be used, or are tracks allowed within the rules
Part of our design was hinging on the availability of tracks just making sure we didn't miss something in the rules

Thanks for the help

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

When it comes to what kinds of wheels, treads, etc. you use FRC does not restrict what you can use beyond the size, weight, and price restrictions that apply to the entire design. Generally this is true for any materials on the robot other than pneumatics, electrical systems, and certain sensors. However, when looking to do something entirely new for your drive train in the build season, keep in mind that if your robot doesn't move well, it won't do much else well (unless you've built around a strategy that doesn't require mobility). If you choose to do something new, proceed with caution.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

All right thanks for the feed back. I think that our team has decided not to use treads, but the response was much appreciated:)

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

The tank tread idea sounds interesting enough. When my team and I were brainstorming my robot idea involved a Tank tread.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Compromise. Do a half-track with turning front wheels.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

ok thanks for the responses, i did look around and saw some different designs. But if i could get like a list of pros and cons on the two based on experience and reaserch, i think we may be going with a wider robot this year so any types of drive train that would be good for that would be helpful.
Thanks again

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Tank Treads
Pros:
-Constant platform of support
-Can go halfway off bridge, assuming central or rear center of gravity
-Hard for opponents to push around
-Good traction
Cons:
-Very expensive
-Complex
-Narrow range of uses
-Torque issues

6wd
Pros:
-Good support platform
-Can go halfway off bridge, assuming central or rear center of gravity
-Fast turning
Cons:
-Typically on 4 out of 6 wheels
-Complicated


There are just my team's observations of other teams in the regionals (Boston) over the past few years. We've always stuck with 4wd Mecanum, so no first-hand experience.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

6WDs are on 4 out of 6 wheels, but the drop is so negligible that it never seems to matter with sticky traction wheels.

If 6WD is mechanically complicated, you've got a problem.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

It's not so much intrinsically complicated as it is more complicated than a typical 4wd setup and might have more potential points of failure (it depends on how power is transmitted from the gearboxes to each wheel).

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

[font="Book Antiqua"]This is almost purely opinion, but I hate the idea of tank treads: last year my team had a painful experience trying to use tank treads for our drive train- it was horribly slow on the carpet and we didn't do enough research before deciding on the treads. It drained our batteries like mad and affected our gameplay. This year we'll most likely be using a 6 wheel tank drive with an offset center wheel. It all depends on which design we decide on in the end. I did notice, however, that the KOP wheels this year are a lot sturdier than past years with more grip. So they may wind up being sufficient for something like scaling the mid-field barrier between the bridges.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Hey, so i'm on a rookie team working on the drive train with a 6-wheel tank drive (drop center) for our robot. drive train team isn't exactly sure of an efficient way to distribute the motors power to all 6 of our wheels. any ideas? we were thinking of perhaps keeping both the CIMple boxes in the back and extending the chain to run down the entire chassis, or we were planning to buy additional sprockets to reach down the wheels at the opposite ends of the motors. Any suggestions? :o

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Get an extra sprocket on the middle wheel and a sprocket on the front wheel that lines up with it. Run chain. Done.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

My team thought about the tank drive idea but I know for sure we're going to use the 8"in mecanum wheels. ( I know I probably spelled that wrong.) I think the tank idea is great because I think it would help to get over the bridge or railing.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Our team has used tank treads since we started, and they work very well and have won us a lot of games. when force is needed. and it gets over the bar in the middle easy as pie.

Re: 6 Wheel Tank Drive or Just Stait up Tank Tread?
 

Ok thanks for all of the replies I think I have enough info to make my case, but feel free to keep discussions open.