Team 973 presents our offseason prototype;
King Krab.
-4 Wheel Crab Drive, opposite pairs of wheels driven and steered (AB and CD driven, AD and BC steered).
-Powered by 4 CIMs through AM Shifter Guts, 6/16 fps and traction limited in low.
-Steered by dual globes.
-4" diameter 1.5" Wide wheels with nitrile roughtop.
-Bevel gears and absolute encoders allowed unlimited module rotation with the same sensor reading for actual wheel angle.
-Currently would be 54 pounds with no electronics, but an electronics board. By switching to some aluminum and lightened hubbed sprockets, and turning down the bevel gears we believe we can save another 1.5 pounds.
-#10 bolt holes on a 1/2" hole pattern along the entire frame allows the gearboxes to be mounted anyway to work around manipulators. Also came to be very convenient for mounting items. We now have a jig with drill bushings to easily and accurately do it on a drill press.
-All chains are tensioned by a bearing block pulled by a bolt (similar to how some west coast drives have been tensioned), this also houses the sensor for each chain loop.
-Module itself rotates in a 1" bronze bushing and two 1/16" bronze thrust bearings, all other rotation is with ball bearings.
Thanks for any comments and feedback.
EDIT:
Frame Pic
Module Pic