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Unread 04-01-2009, 21:19
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AKA: Billy Sisson
FRC #1124 (ÜberBots)
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Re: Propulsion that does not involve driving wheels

Quote:
Originally Posted by sxysweed View Post
Interesting idea...
Big fans.. Maybe. Depends on the coating and the weight of the robot. Seems conviecable but you'l have to work out the number of wheels (do we have to use wheels are can we use like little bearing things?) for the least friction...

Why a big fan though? By not build a series of duct fans like on the Big RC Jets? Build a nice fat one or custom make a few by gearings the motor out and making it run 2-3 duct fans. That way you could direct the fans. You could either go for downforce or for power....
1124 ran a small test with a large downward facing fan (it was powered by a .25hp motor, about 26" in diameter, so it probably wouldnt fit on a robot), but that fan and the downforce it provided gave a significant boost in the amount of friction between the robot and the ground. it actually became hard to push (we dont have the proper instruments to give you guys how much force was required to move it, but it was a lot more than without the fan turned on)
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