[EricH]

It's going to depend on the game, and the robot design.

4" needs less gear reduction for the same ground speed than a 6" or 8", but is going to have the most trouble with obstacles (including plates under the carpet, in some cases). On the other hand, the inherently lower CG will help out if the robot somehow gets into a tipping scenario.

8" needs the most reduction to get to a given ground speed range, but will clear most obstacles easily. It also has the highest CG of the three main types.

6" is a good middle ground: some trouble with obstacles, but not as much gearing as 8".


It'll depend a lot on the game. For a game like 2014, I would probably go with 4" wheels. For 2015, I would consider 4" wheels to be a gamble I didn't want to take due to the platforms, so I'd be looking hard at 6" or 8", probably 6", or some other anti-high-centering device. For 2012 or 2013, which involved climbing ramps or avoiding plates, some careful placement or 6" wheels would be the way I'd choose.


Because this is an offseason custom chassis, you could also design it to use both types. Or design for whatever you happen to have handy--working on the cheap and all.