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Unread 16-01-2008, 01:40
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Re: Why don't I ever see robots that steer like a car

Quote:
Originally Posted by petek View Post
My typical overthink analysis of this question:
Ignoring other aspects of the game, if you want to go just for the absolute minimum lap time, I suspect that an automotive-style drive train and ackerman steering system would be the ticket. In either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive form, in principle there should be less frictional losses and smoother direction change control.
After going through a similar overthink analysis, we came up with a different approach that should beat an automotive-style drive train with Ackerman steering - and arguably almost any other "standard" system. I won't just give it away, but let's just say that it involves reducing the deceleration time required to make the turn at the end of the Lane Divider to the absolute minimum amount of time possible, and constructing the ability to withstand repeated 53-G impacts into the robot.

-dave



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