Quote:
Originally Posted by TEE
Basically what the title says... what does it take to make a great 6 or 8 wheel tank drive?
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Here's my requirements for a good drivetrain (take it for what it's worth):
1> It must be controllable -- Having a robot that can go 20'/sec doesn't help if it's uncontrollable.
2> It must satisfy the games objective and teams strategy -- Being able to push a tank across the field does no good if there is no tank to push. Look at the game and its requirements and design for that.
3> The controls must be intuitive -- The driver will be ineffective if he has to constantly look at his controls and not the playing field.
4> It must be reliable -- It makes no difference if you have the greatest crab/swerve/omni/14-wheel drive if it is constantly breaking. The kitbot drivetrain is reliable enough to take you where you need to go.
5> It must be maintainable -- Things happen, and even the most reliable drivetrain can be damaged. If you cannot fix it during the competition (IE fast) then you need to rethink some of what you are doing. Unmaintainable leads to uninspiring.
You'll note that I did not discuss type of drivetrain, this is because that is very game specific. The best drivetrain is the one that accomplishes the job at hand, regardless of its configuration.