pic: Drivetrain Concept

[JesseK]

I do believe that the 4 pneumatic cylinder towers will act more like a shock absorption system when the robot is fully loaded with all of the weight, since air compresses. ~26lbs (60psi) of force per cylinder * 8 cylinders is ~208lbs of to lift the whole thing -- slowing down from high speed may cause an inertial moment that can overcome the 104lbs on the front/rear. This most likely wouldn't be a problem until both wheels of a single module touch the ground. At that point, something's going to rip itself apart (most likely the belt connecting the two wheels).

I believe that's why 148 uses leverage to articulate their modules. It puts the weight of the robot on a pivot rather than directly on the pneumatic cylinder. This reduces the shocks, inertial moments, etc that the cylinder experiences. It also reduces the number of cylinders required to articulate the drive train, thus reducing its weight.

You could also combine each gearbox on each side -- there's no reason to have 4 independent gearboxes since its controlled exactly like a skid steer with high/low gears.