pic: Concept 8wd Drivetrain

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by AndyB

My argument is not why they did 14wd, I'm only asking you to reconsider this statement. Because apparently, I'm missing your point.

Incorrect wording on my part, They gained what they perceived as an advantage. They did 14 wd because they thought they gained something by it. Thats all I'm trying to say.

Also, John, I also mentioned they had a weight advantage over many other teams. (For anyone who doesn't recall, 2006 had weight classes where a shorter robot could weigh more) I never said the wheels were what gave them additional traction, in fact I know that they cannot. Force due to friction is equal to normal force (in this case mass * gravity) times the coefficient of friction. So for anyone thinking I was saying that increasing surface area increases friction I am by no means saying that. I am saying 703 had an impressive drive train that was very good defensively.

And as for letting people get away with anecdotal non-quantitative arguments, I would hardly say you are letting me get away with it. Some people, myself one of them, don't know the physics behind things, we can only comment based on our observations. Now if we read things into those observations that are not true I would hope that we could be corrected and would be willing to learn.