On CD we talk about drivetrains a lot. Straight line metrics are pretty common in these discussions: top speed, acceleration time to top speed, max pushing force, time to distance, etc. But what about describing turning?
I have thought about how to quantify turn quality on and off for several years and never came to any conclusions on my own. The discussion in the thread on
CoF testing has me thinking I need to turn it over to the larger community.
The crux of the thinking is what metrics can be used to define chassis A turns 'better' than chassis B. I have heard comments over the years of software improving drivability, but I am not sure what that means. Ideally identifying the correct metrics and the sweet spots for them could become design targets. Even if these targets are driver specific.
Things that I have thought about over the years include, but are not limited too:
What is the current required to maintain a given turn rate?
Where is the center of rotation of the robot?
How much 'stutter' is in the turn? (Irregularity in the turn rate over 360 degrees of turn at some constant target rate.)
So I ask the community to brainstorm, what is important in characterizing how a robot turns? Feel free to suggest things even if you don't know how to measure them as someone else may jump off your idea or fill in the blank.