Quote:
Originally Posted by GeeTwo
There are plenty of whitepapers and such on CD about robot drive system design. As you look at them, be aware that your vehicle will need to support a heavier payload (200 pounds vs a game piece or two), and that FRC robots are designed for a flat floor and carpet as the primary surface, with an occasional well-defined platform, ramp, or bump. The 6-wheel skid steer most typically used in FRC has the center wheels dropped about 1/8", which is enough to shorten the wheelbase for turning - on a flat surface. Off-road, this will not be the case, and you would often find that you are unable to turn.
I also did not notice anything indicating that you were in competition with another similar device, so speed is probably not as important as getting there reliably.
I would therefore think more in terms of a pickup truck than an FRC robot in looking for candidate drive trains. I would consider rear-wheel drive, with front-wheel linkage steering. Steering might be powered through a lead screw, and the rear wheel drive system might feature a limited slip differential (better performance) or separate drive trains (simpler).
Edits:
Definitely use a larger battery than we do in FRC (18 A hr). A big deep-cycle marine battery is probably the ticket.
You'll need a suspension. Leaf springs look simpler and more reliable than coil springs and shocks, but I haven't designed with either.
Don't forget to seal the gearboxes and motors against mud!
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Thank you so much for the response, GeeTwo!!
This is not a competition, and reliability is definitely more important than speed. I am noting all your suggestions and will be implementing them into my design. I will definitely keep you posted on the process and outcome.
Thanks again!!