Rockford move?

[mpob]

We had our new robot out for a test drive yesterday, and the driver started moving the robot backwards down the hall at school, and I said "See if you can pull a Rockford Move", and he replied "Rockford Move? What's that?",
So I needed to explain that there used to be a TV show called the Rockford Files ... Rockford was a detective and he would escape the thugs by flooring it in reverse and then doing a 180 and taking off with the tires smoking ...

So now my question....

When you are driving your robot can you successfully perform a Rockford move?

[pyroslev]

616 had race slicks in 2005 and 2003. Did it both years.

Seeing as 616 is incognito due to issues, no go this year.

[Nuttyman54]

i take it smoking the tires is a must?

[mpob]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

i take it smoking the tires is a must?

No smoking the tires is not a must, but it is a nice side effect

The move is to do a 180, starting backwards, and flipping from reverse to forward as the vehicle makes the turn....

some times you can pivot faster by pushing with the front wheels, while braking the back wheels. In a car you can do this if it is front wheel drive and you use the parking brake!

--Mike

[KenWittlief]

if you have 4 wheel skid steering you can sometimes make the bot turn easier by going backwards, then full speed forward to get the front wheels off the ground, then turning

better have a bullet-proof drive train if you wanna try it!

[Nuttyman54]

and then there's always the Team 190's CrabGoat (2003) way...tilt the wedge all the way back and spin full speed! the front wheels lift off the ground entirely....

[Éowyn]

We can do way more than a "Rockford move" with our drive...

[BuddyB309]

I live in Rockford IL

[kaszeta]

Originally Posted by mpob

When you are driving your robot can you successfully perform a Rockford move?

Since Team 95 almost always uses tank drive, they usually can do the Rockford move pretty well. I know the 2004 and 2005 bots could. I'll have to have the students try to do it on the 2006 bot.

[dude__hi]

It can't quite do that but when our robbot spins around it can do the 180 around one wheel...

[Madison]

Isn't this more commonly known as a J-turn?

[sgsdragons]

Considering we have omni-drive, yes we can do pretty much anything!!!

Here's a link to it:
Team 1595 Omni-Wheel Drive System

Hope you enjoy.

Josh
Team Driver/Designer

[mpob]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

Isn't this more commonly known as a J-turn?

Yes, it is widely known as a J-turn....

But was very popular back in the day when I was in High School, because of the TV show...

--Mike

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

Isn't this more commonly known as a J-turn?

Yes, it is. There is another variant called a bootlegger turn.

When I was a kid, I had a friend who was the script supervisor on the Rockford Files and during the Summer, when I didn't have anything else happening, I'd go out to the San Fernando Valley and watch them film the show. I'm not sure how widely known it is, but James Garner actually did his own stunt driving on the show. It was a lot of fun to watch.

-Kevin