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Unread 20-04-2012, 10:48
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thefro526 thefro526 is offline
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AKA: Dustin Benedict
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Re: 6/8 Wheel Extra Features

Quote:
Originally Posted by topgun View Post
I am confused on this. Can someone explain why having drop down casters would help with defense? Also, what do Drop Down Outer Wheels provide? Some pictures would help if possible.

Thanks.
Traditional Skid Steer Drive trains are very susceptible to 'T-Bone'* pins. Because Most Skid Steers rotate around their center, or somewhere close to it, they cannot simply spin out of the pin - if you draw a simple sketch, you'll see that while you're rotating one end of your robot away from the defender, you're also rotating a side into the machine.

Dropping a caster/omni-wheel/skid on one end helps to move the pivot point of the drive to the opposite end, which allows the robot to simply spin out of the pin.

*T-Bone Pins usually refer to an instance where a robot is hit perpendicular to it's drive train's motion - these usually happen on open field, essentially pinning a robot without needing a wall/object.
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