[Ken Streeter]

Originally Posted by nnfuller

So after having watched many robots this season i was alarmed by how many pneumatic tired robots were out there. I love the smoothness of the ride on these robots and i was wondering where teams like 1114 got their wheels... i would love to find some in the 6 inch range...

We're a big fan of pneumatic tires, and have used pneumatics tires on our robot for 4 of the last 6 years. (Didn't have an application for them in Lunacy for 2009, and later wished we had used pneumatics in 2007!) We've also used pneumatic tires for ball-manipulation mechanisms. (Shooter wheels in 2006 and a "roller claw" for the trackball in 2008.) Being able to adjust the air in the tires or change tread patterns provides for essential "tweaking" opportunities to get a manipulator to work just right.

Our preferred supplier for pneumatic wheels is Skyway Wheels. Skyway used to be the kit-of-parts wheels supplier for FIRST back when pneumatic tires came in the kit of parts. They have wheel options available with keyway hubs (which are very easy to use) and also with bolt-on mechanisms that make interfacing to shafts easier. See http://skywaywheels.com/products/hubs/index.html or http://skywaywheels.com/products_007.htm

Over the years depending upon robot needs, we have used Skyway's wheels for 6", 8", 9", and 12" tires. Either smooth or lugged treads can be chosen for tires to fit most of their wheels. If you are looking for other tread patterns than the ones that Skyway provides, most "wheelchair scooter" companies can offer a wide selection, although prices tend to be high for wheelchair scooter tires, as they cater to a medical market and expect insurance to help with payment. The Skyway wheels are incredibly durable -- despite loads of abuse, we have never had a Skyway wheel break; we can't make this same claim for the non-Skyway wheels we have used.

Check out the "FIRST Robotics" box (even though it is old) on the Skyway wheel home page: http://skywaywheels.com/ I would highly suggest giving them a call (rather than email) and asking them to send you their discounted price list as a FIRST Robotics team. Bart Weems is the sales manager in charge of FIRST-related sales - he is very knowledgeable, helpful, and wonderful to work with.

Similarly, if you are looking for tires from medical supply companies, let them know you're from a robotics team and ask them for partial sponsorship -- major discounts are often available!

Skyway Wheels on our robots can be seen in the following images:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/35535
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/35102
http://www.mechanicalmayhem.org/teamhistory08.asp
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/30818 (Note drive wheels and roller claw)
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/30299
http://www.mechanicalmayhem.org/teamhistory06.asp
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/23474
http://www.mechanicalmayhem.org/teamhistory05.asp

The "knobby" pneumatic tires we've used in 2008 and 2010 are incredibly grippy, yet still relatively durable. Being able to adjust the robot handling by changing the air in the tires is very helpful! (Talk to somebody who drives autox http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocross or drag races for great advice about how to tune tire pressure!)