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Re: Controls for a Crab Drive
Here's the basic idea behind the controls 1114's SimSwerve drive system.
We added a spring loaded knob to the base of the joystick, which was mounted directly to a potentiometer. This dial controlled the angular speed of the robot. The x and y positions of the joystick controlled robot translation. So, if you want to go sideways to the right, you move the joystick sideways to the right. If you want spin on the spot, you turn the dial while leaving the joystick in the center. If you want turn and drive forward, you move the joystick forward while moving the knob.
We felt that this was the most intuitive way to drive the robot. A strafing robot is not easy to control. This cannot be overstated. You need to give your operator easy to use control system, or it's just not going to work. Strafing is one of those things that only becomes worthwhile if you can do it really well. The effort that goes into the complexity could easily be placed in other areas.
Look for a whitepaper to be posted soon explaining the controls, and other aspects of our 2004 drive system very soon.
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:: Karthik Kanagasabapathy :: "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" -- R.W. Emerson
My TEDx Talk - The Subtle Secrets of Success
Full disclosure: I work for IFI and VEX Robotics, and am the Chairman of the VEX Robotics and VEX IQ Game Design Committees .
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