Quote:
Originally Posted by =Martin=Taylor=
When I first started analyzing the game I figured that a basic 6 WD robot with 8" wheels could easily climb the bumps. In this configuration there is no bottoming out issues, and the CG can be kept quite low.
However, we discovered a critical flaw when we tested this.
When a 6 WD robot climbs a ramp*, the center wheel acts as a pivot as the robot climbs over the crest. This results in half the robot being lifted into the air  Highly unstable!
Take a look at the demo bots in the game vid (The non-animated ones of course!). They all have FOUR wheels. This is a much more stable configuration b/c all four wheels remain in contact as the robot climbs. There are no sudden rocking movements forwards or back.
Of course, as Dean himself pointed out, 4 WD robots don't turn very well... 
*or a tracked drive |
Nicely put... I guess I was not as clear. And with all due respect to those that posted earlier, I've been doing this a while too, and played the games you referenced... and climbed with ease each time without a tread and less than 5 wheels! Very stable! Just trying to simplify a problem that’s easy to make unnecessarily complex.