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Unread 09-01-2009, 10:24
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AKA: Charlie Baxter
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Re: Implementing Traction Control for an advantage in the 2009 game

In terms of effective application of power, wouldn't using all 4 motors and independently driving each wheel be better for an electronic traction control system? I say this because with a system like that you would more easily be able to isolate the slipping wheel and you would not have to take power away from a wheel that is not slipping, whereas in a one motor per two wheel design if you detect either wheel as slipping your traction control system would take away power from one wheel that is slipping, but possibly also a wheel that is not slipping.

My second thought:

Its been mentioned several times that in the automotive world cars use the anti lock braking system to perform traction control duties. Couldn't a bicycle disk break be used with a pneumatic cylinder driving it to exhibit the same result? Although the system would use a good deal of air, I would think the added driveability would definitely be worth it this year.

My final thought:

If the problem we face is that Traction=Normal Force * Coefficient of friction, and we have now way to increase our coefficient of friction why not increase the normal force? Last year 1741 used a very small vacuum to great effect in capturing balls. Why not apply the same idea to a robot? The area of the robot (28 x 38) is 1064 square inches if even 1/2 psi vacuum is applied to that area that is over 500 pounds of downward force. I know Bill has said that he doesn't like this idea, but he didn't like the idea of launchers last year, and look how many teams did that.

p.s. I know that last part isn't really traction control but its an idea I had that I wanted to throw out there. I guess the thought was who needs traction control if you aren't lacking traction.