1511 Prototype Drivetrain

[Vespasian]

Originally Posted by Electronica1

Just wondering, how much stress testing (at last years max weight) have you done with that belly brake system? Is it robust enough that you will start sliding before damage is done to your belly pan? Also, do you have a safety in case you lose pressure during a match?

We haven't done much actual stress testing yet, though we have had multiple people try to push it on carpet with the pan down to no avail (other than the carpet moving). This design has no safety factor in case of pressure loss, but for our build season design (if the game is conducive to this kind of base) we will more likely go with four dropping "feet" and a static pan. It was a cool idea, but I'm sure it scares our electrical mentors considerably.

I also plan to experimentally test how much of a factor surface area is in terms of tread traction. Conventional physics says surface area has no role in frictional force, but that only really applies for flat surfaces, not ones with grooves like the blue nitrile tread we used on the bottom.