Thread: Gyroscopes
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Unread 17-10-2001, 23:04
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Joe Johnson Joe Johnson is offline
Engineer at Medrobotics
AKA: Dr. Joe
FRC #0088 (TJ2)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: May 2001
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Gyros are 3 years old...

There have been "Gyro's" a.k.a. Yaw Rate Sensors in the kit for 3 years.

The parts are used on Covettes and some Cadillacs in a traction control scheme. The onboard computer knows the velocity of each wheel and the angle of steering on the front wheels. With this information the computer calculates the rate that the car SHOULD be turning if its wheels all had traction. It compares this to the information that the yaw rate sensor gives it about the vehicles TRUE angular spin. If there is a difference, then there must be a traction problem somewhere.

These gyros can be very useful. Several teams used them to automatically balance the bridge automatically last year. Others have used them to make a robot drive straight.

I encourage teams to play with them over the off season. It is worth the both.

Joe J.