View Single Post
  #1   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 01-04-2012, 22:39
icyplanetnhc's Avatar
icyplanetnhc icyplanetnhc is offline
The infamous Haoch
AKA: Haochuan
FRC #0846 (The Funky Monkeys)
Team Role: Alumni
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Rookie Year: 2009
Location: San Jose, California
Posts: 7
icyplanetnhc is an unknown quantity at this point
Moment of inertia and turning performance

Smooth turning has been a challenge for our robot this year. We noticed that unlike our 6-wheel tank drivetrain, several teams have been able to create 6WD with butter-smooth turning. We recognized that our off-center CG degraded our turning abilities. However, I feel that there should be another cause that adds to the "jumpiness" of our turns. My prime suspect is the moment of inertia, both about the turning axis and the middle wheels. Suppose that you have a robot with a fairly well-centered CG. Will large or small moment of inertia about the turning axis result in smoother turning performance?
__________________
"Do the math, save the world." - Mark Leon
FRC #846 -- 2009-2011

Last edited by icyplanetnhc : 02-04-2012 at 18:27.