Quote:
Originally Posted by ErvinI
Team 254 was 27.75"x28". Technically wide, although it was pretty much square.
Is there a specific reason why you believe that WCD's are run in a long configuration? Is it just what you've seen, or is there an underlying design advantage for a WCD that is best seen in a long configuration?
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At least for the past 3 years I've been on the team, usually the primary driving (pun not intended) force behind the shape of the Drivebase frame is due to what we predict the superstructure will require. In 2012 we needed a long bot to fit a large hopper in the back, in 2013 having it be square made us more compact and thus easier to climb and drive under/through the pyramid. In 2014 we had to be a little wider to fit the ball inbetween the superstructure tubes on the sides.
So I guess my point is this: While your driver may prefer a specific shape of chassis, at some point you'll have to differ from previous years to fulfill design requirement and rule changes so I recommend prototyping lots of shapes of frames and getting your drivers used to all of them over time!
While I am not a driver, I have heard that our drivers prefer driving square 6WCD over long 8WCD because it easier to get out of T-bones.