Quote:
Originally Posted by writchie
Perhaps you have discovered what's behind the "fish" clue 
The transverse/inline ratio is a very critical parameter. If it's no where near the 2.3 advertised, then many preliminary design decisions about drive configuration will be dead wrong. We will try to confirm your findings as soon as we can locate the actual surface material.
It is possible that the ratio changes significantly with normal forces closer to 1/4 of the nominal weight of the robot due to the way the materials deform under load. It could also be that the type of backing underneath the regolith is a factor. The wheels are very hard and provide a very small contact area. If the backing is carpet (rather than a very hard material), there could be a small depression that presents differently in transverse and longitudinal directions. Your numbers may reflect light loading, before such effects manifest themselves. Based on your data it does looks like we will need to confirm the Mu values under a range of loads.
Does anyone know whether the regolith is over carpet?
Good catch. |
From how I interpreted the rules, the entire field is covered in carpet, and the regolith is placed over that.