pic: FRC 1726 Steering Prototype

[MrForbes]

loading photo ...

[Jeff K.]

Did you get go-kart turning spindles and modify them? They look pretty good.

[MrForbes]

No, we made our own, from some 1/2" bolts, square tubing, and flat stock.

Not much to it, really. We spent about an hour or so.

Anyone want to guess the weight?

[AdamHeard]

So, the wheel rides on that bold, and the whole assembly is rotated on that hole in the tubing via that "arm"?

[GUI]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

So, the wheel rides on that bold, and the whole assembly is rotated on that hole in the tubing via that "arm"?

Yes.

[MrForbes]

You can almost see them in this picture, where I'm explaning the geometry to some of the new students.

http://photos.project1726.org/displa...lbum=25&pos=15

[Kat Kononov]

My team wants to use Ackerman steering, but they also want four-wheel drive. What would you recommend? please?

[MrForbes]

I would recommend that you put two wheels next to each other on the rear of the robot on each side, in the fashion of a school bus (dualies), and then you'll have a 6 wheel robot with 4 wheel drive and easy to build Ackermann steering.

We plan on trying to set up the steering so the robot can turn very sharply, sort of like a forklift (but with front/rear reversed from a forklift), and making it turn that sharply pretty much rules out having shaft drive to the center of the front wheels like normal 4x4 trucks use. Instead, you want to make it work like a "crab drive" or "swerve" robot, and then it would not really make sense to bother with the Ackermann geometry.

also with a 2wd Ackermann system with very tight steering angles, it might be very helpful to have a programmed "differential" that drives the motors opposite directions to make the robot spin about the rear wheel center axis. We haven't figured this out yet, though.

[Kat Kononov]

haha that's a clever solution. Unfortunately, it didn't fly with anyone. Thanks though.

[Tytus Gerrish]

that looks like the steering knuckle on my go-cart that broke and made me crash

[=Martin=Taylor=]

I don't want to sound overly harsh.... But what if any is the benefit of car steering?

I mean, you realize that this game isn't really as simple as "Go straight and turn left" it will take a great deal of maneuvering to pick up and hurdle a track ball (which I assume you are trying to do).

Just imagine trying to make a five-point turn every time you want to pick up your ball

I don't think this game will really resemble a race, I think it will look more like a game of "territories" with robot progressing through the "territories" in a counterclockwise direction.

[falconmaster]

Looks Great NERDS! Keep it up! Looking forward to alliancing with you all!

[Enigma's puzzle]

2075 is going for the ackerman system, even though I don't agree with it.
I think we are over thinking it. Were hoping to an engineering award with the rest of our drivetrain though.

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by Hachiban VIII

It will take a great deal of maneuvering to pick up and hurdle a track ball (which I assume you are trying to do).

Just imagine trying to make a five-point turn every time you want to pick up your ball

We are well aware of the difference in close maneuvering with the car type steering, and have a back up plan to build the drivetrain as 6wd if we feel it won't perform well enough.

At the same time, we are working hard to make it easy to pick up and hurdle the ball, and hopefully to catch it on the bounce. And if the ball stuff doesn't work as planned, we will have a fast lapper

I don't think this game will really resemble a race, I think it will look more like a game of "territories" with robot progressing through the "territories" in a counterclockwise direction.

That is quite possible. Predicting how the game will play out is a risky business!

(and thanks for the encouragement Fredi, should be fun having you at both regionals this year!)

[s_forbes]

Originally Posted by Tytus Gerrish

that looks like the steering knuckle on my go-cart that broke and made me crash

For the sake of knowing, in what way did it break?