Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeTwo
It depends on how high you lift the omnis, or more likely push the traction wheels down. If the omnis aren't above the line between the bottom of the traction wheel and the bottom of the rear frame or bumper, then yes, you can be pushed onto the omni. Many (most?) butterfly/grasshopper designs do not articulate this far. With the traction wheels on the corners, you have a longer wheelbase, making it harder for another robot to lift your traction wheels through pushing. You also reduce turning ability while in tank mode, which is probably why most butterfly and grasshopper designs I've seen have the traction wheels near the center and the holonomic wheels on the corners.
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The problem I see with having the omnis in the middle is that it requires having a piston on the center wheel to keep it level with the omnis. As it is the current Square-I pistton is $80 and all the load is going onto the thread.
Another idea is to push the tank wheels just far down enough so that the drivetrain has all 9 wheels touching the ground instead of resting on just the 4 tanks. The omnis wouldn't reduce maneuverability compared to 4 tank and it would have the longer wheelbase and stability of having the tanks on the outside.
Personally, I'm more worried about the way I mounted the gearboxes. I'm afraid that the weight will bend inside plate of the drivetrain. That's why there's a plate attached to the 8020 that supports the CIM. Same worry goes for the strafe gearbox and CIM. Another worry is that the 8020 crossbars aren't enough support for the chassis.
This entire project was worked on by 3 students, no mentors have helped yet. We want it as a relatively low budget drivetrain for the off season to prepare for a strong start next build season.