Rack and Pinion Style Robot.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by thefro526

Ackermann steering refers to a specific type of car steering geometry. With Ackermann steering, the wheels will actually be at different angles during steering travel to more accurately approximate the path in which they are traveling.

If you have independently steerable front wheels, you can do Ackermann steering in software.

[BJC]

Another very important reason skid steer "trumps" any car-like driving method is that skid steer keeps the middle of the machine open for game functions. For example, in 2010 it would have been difficult to make a kicker work around this or in 2009 or 2006 it would have been more difficult to pick up balls from the ground. The front-middle of the robot is prime robot real estate.

Plus that whole thing with it being more complex and less manuverable.

Regards,Bryan

[Lil' Lavery]

As pointed out once before in this thread, there is no reason you cannot power all the wheels in an Ackermann steering system.


The more pertinent concerns deal with desired performance, weight and space allocation, points/modes of failure, and familiarity.

[joek]

it would be probably at least twice as heavy, because you need a rack and pivoting wheel mounts, like the ball joints in cars.
look at skidsteer equipment, and the kind of small spaces they operate in, and compare that to driving a car.