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Originally Posted by Arefin Bari
I have always had this question, it always looks like that a robot with tankthreads on turns so much easier and this past season i have seen teams struggling to turn with wheels on. How is it that the robot looks like its turning to easily ...
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Arefin,
The simple explanation is that tank treads for all their driving friction also have enormous side friction when turning. The tighter the turn the higher the current. We have seen many robots over the years run near full stall currents on the drive motors. Take one of your treads and drag it sideways to see for yourself the laod you are placing on your drive train.
Take a very close look at Tom's picture above and note that the center wheel is lifting the robot so that only half of the tread is in contact with the floor. If you were able to place this wheel at the center of weight distribution then the turns would only be using a small portion of the tread. Picture the differences in your mind as your robot or Tom's would turn. Then imagine what you are doing to the carpet.