[ajlapp]

After seven competition seasons and countless pre-seasons builds it has taken us years to perfect drivetrain designs.

#1 -- rookies should concentrate on simplicity. two or four wheel designs offer plenty of mobility for most teams. teams that use swerve or omni-directional designs have usually spent lots of time between seaons perfecting the systems. don't try to over complicate a drivetrain. if its your first season i suggest the most simple design that satifies your needs.

#2 -- treads look cool but are often hard to get working properly. four wheels can almost always do as good a job as an entry level tread system. (team like the technokats have years on you newbies.)

#3 -- pins and set screws are a no no. always try to use couplers that are more robust like keyways, of hex shaped shafts.

#4 -- finish it early. if you settle on a simple drivetrain, get it built soon. Have it running by the end of week two or three. the most successful robots in FIRST are usually a product of great drivers. students who have had four weeks of practice time on simple drivetrains can do things that others with less practice and more advanced systems can't match.

good luck! and remember, don't be discouraged by complex systems that look polished and refined........our new drivetrain ideas have been on the drawing board for months now, and many other teams have had them for years!

Anthony Lapp
Team 221 --> 857
Superior Roboworks