Drive Train Choices

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by Clem1640

We use off-season (summer-fall) projects to experiment with new concepts, both drive-train and in other areas. This allows us to build institutional knowledge outside the frantic pace of build season.

This, here, is the crux of good FRC drive development. The time for crazy ambition and reach-goals is the offseason, when you have neither strict time constraints nor immediate demand for success.

As a rule for drive, I promote the following: During build season, you should never consider a drive system which you have any doubt about your ability to execute. Any sufficiently complicated drive system should not even be on the table for build-season unless you have successfully executed it within the working memory of the team. The best way to build up your catalog of usable drive designs is thus to devote time in the off-season to experimentation with new designs.

Keep in mind that it is human nature to be overly-optimistic (often to silly extents), and that you must make a conscious effort to place your judgment of what you are able to do significantly below your initial feeling. This holds true for all design goals, but is especially pertinent for drive. For a drive, reliability trumps every single other concern, no exception. If your robot is unable to move, you are not able to play the game.