Tank Drive

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Charger

Well, I thought tread system limits your maneuverability a lot.

It doesn't. Trust me, it doesn't. *activates time machine* Back in 2003, I saw firsthand how fast a team could get out of the field. This tank-tracked robot started pointing one way, on one side of the field. In automode, it started straight, executed a beautiful 180-degree arc to the right, went up a nice copper-mesh ramp, fairly steep, across the HDPE on the top, down the other side, hung a 90-degree left turn, and went between the base of the field border and the wire to keep robots in. It ended up under the stands before anybody could hit an E-stop. Talk about fast and maneuverable! I think it took out a tote stack on the way to the ramp, too.

In 2006's end game, there is a ramp with 30 degrees that you need to climb. The only teams I have seen climbing the ramp safely, was the teams who use traction wheels.

Played it. Just so you're aware, one of the world champions used tank tracks, and is seen in http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/27366 parked on top of an even steeper ramp (along with 1 robot from 2005; the ramp is part of the 2007 robot).

A well-executed set of tank tracks is a thing of beauty in form and function--but an un-necessary and/or poorly-executed set of tank tracks is bound to end badly eventually. My team doesn't talk about one of our robots... the one with 4 tank treads to help us get over a field obstacle...