Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamHeard
What are the speeds of it? And the math/reasoning for one small CIM on each side (not criticizing, I trust you M, just curious)
Also, wouldn't swapping out the sprockets save you a few ounces of weight because of the shorter shafts it allows?
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Third gear (6:1) is somewhere above 12 ft/s without the rest of the machine sitting on top of it. We added 26 lbs. worth of stuff to the top this week and it hasn't slowed appreciably, but I'm sure it will as we keep piling things on. Driving in this gear is considerably more like driving a race car than a robot. Cornering effectively requires a good feel for under and oversteer and it's possible to get something that resembles a power over happening through the turns. It's fun for me since I play a lot of racing video games, but maybe less so for folks who don't.
Second gear (8:1) is about 8 ft/s or so. This is a good speed that allows better control, but hopefully we won't use it too much.
First gear (24:1) is a monster. It's slow and powerful and will allow us to politely escort robots and trackballs out of the way without a second thought -- especially given how highly geared most robots will likely be. I think folks are considerably underestimating the frequency at which traffic jams will appear on the field.
We're using one CIM per side after good experiences with that arrangement last season. We don't typically play to push people off to a corner to begin with, so the extra power is better used elsewhere. A single CIM, coupled with the Dewalt, ought to give us plenty of versatility out on the field this season. The remaining two motors are used elsewhere to good effect.
Finally -- switching the sprockets wouldn't allow us to shorten the axles any since the hub would just be sitting on the opposite side. It's not worth the work, anyhow, and it appears as if we're doing just fine with weight this year.